FARO Laser Tracker Rental on a Deadline: The 8-Point Checklist Before You Accept Delivery

Need a FARO laser tracker rental and need it working on-site tomorrow? This checklist is for you. In my role coordinating measurement equipment for manufacturers, I've seen more urgent rentals fail because of skipped acceptance checks than because of the hardware itself. That's what this article is really about: a short list of things to verify before the rental unit gets accepted and rolled into your production area.

The good news is that checking a rental doesn't take long. Five minutes of verification can save you five days of correction. And when you're renting on an emergency timeline, you don't have five days to spare.

First: Make Sure You're Renting the Right Type of FARO System

Before you request quotes, ask yourself one question: do you actually need a laser tracker, or would a FARO arm measuring tool do a better job?

A FARO laser tracker is built for large-volume work. If you're measuring a vehicle body, a large assembly jig, or tooling spread across several meters, the tracker is the right call. It gives you line-of-sight measurement over long distances, especially when you use it with a 6DoF probe for hidden points.

A FARO arm, on the other hand, is better for parts in the 1 to 3 meter range. It's articulated, so you can measure features that are tucked behind other features—interior bores, undercuts, complex surfaces. If you rent a tracker when an arm would do, you're paying more and dealing with a bigger setup. If you rent an arm when you need a tracker, you'll find out the hard way that you can't reach half the points on the part.

So step zero is simple: confirm the measurement envelope and access requirements before you call anybody.

The 8-Point FARO Rental Checklist

1. Check the Spec Sheet Against Your Actual Tolerances

Rental listings often just say "FARO laser tracker" or "FARO Vantage." That's not enough. Trackers have different accuracy grades, and older models may not hold the same tolerances as a newer unit from the same product line.

Ask the rental provider for the specific model and its datasheet accuracy statement. Then compare it to the tolerance on your drawing. If the rental unit's accuracy is barely better than the tolerance you need to verify, you're setting yourself up for disputed results. A good rule I use: the rental should be at least 3 to 4 times more accurate than the tolerance you're checking. Otherwise, every marginal measurement becomes an argument.

2. Ask for the Calibration Certificate of the Actual Unit—Not a Sample

This is the check I refuse to skip. A lot of rental providers will send you a generic calibration certificate or one from a unit they have in stock that isn't the one being delivered. That's not the same thing.

When you ask for the calibration certificate, confirm three things:

• The serial number on the certificate matches the serial number on the unit being rented.
• The calibration date is still valid for the entire rental period.
• The reported accuracy values match the datasheet spec for that model.

In an emergency, it's tempting to skip this and trust the brand name. Don't. In my experience, the most expensive rental is the one that produces data you can't defend in a customer-facing report.

3. Count the Accessory Kit Before the Truck Leaves

A laser tracker without the right accessories is just a very expensive paperweight. For a tracker rental, the basic kit should include the tracker unit, controller or interface cables, a tripod, enough SMRs (spherically mounted retroreflectors), nests or mounts, and the verification bar or a length standard.

If you're renting a FARO arm, check for the correct probe configuration. Some arms ship with a ball probe when you actually need a 3D touch probe or an extension bar. The difference doesn't show up until you're measuring a deep bore and can't reach.

Take a photo of the case contents when the unit is unboxed. It sounds overly careful, but it makes the return process a lot easier too.

4. Confirm CAM2 Software and License Before It Ships

This is the step most people forget, and it's the one that has caused the most delays in the jobs I've coordinated. The hardware shows up perfectly calibrated, and then nobody can use it because the CAM2 software license doesn't have the right module, or the dongle is missing, or the license is keyed to a different PC.

Before delivery, ask the rental provider exactly which CAM2 version is installed and what modules are included. If your team normally works with a different version, ask whether the rental can be upgraded or whether your existing offline software can read the data files. Also check whether the software license is tied to a laptop that comes with the rental or if it needs to be installed on your machine. Getting this sorted out in advance saves hours of phone support on delivery day.

5. If You're Renting a FARO Arm, Inspect the Encoder and Joint Behavior

A FARO arm measuring tool depends on precision rotary encoders in each joint. Those encoders wear over time, especially on arms that have been handled roughly. A worn arm can still pass a basic calibration check but show up as inconsistent readings when you move it around.

When the arm arrives, do a quick manual check before you start any formal measurement:

• Move each joint through its full range slowly and listen for any grinding or catching.
• Watch the readout while moving to a fixed point from different directions. If it doesn't return to the same value, you've got hysteresis.
• If you're working with a known artifact or gauge block, measure it a few times with different approach angles.

Ask the distributor whether they service the arm in-house or just resell units. A provider that handles its own calibration and encoder maintenance will usually have better answers when you ask about joint condition.

6. Plan the Environment Before Setup, Not After

Laser trackers are portable, but they're still precision instruments. They're sensitive to large temperature gradients, direct sunlight, and vibration from nearby equipment. If the unit is placed next to a loading dock door or under an air conditioning vent, the data can drift even though the tracker is working perfectly.

Before the rental arrives, walk the area where you plan to measure. Is the floor reasonably stable? Is the temperature going to stay steady during the measurement window? Is there a line of sight for all the points you need to measure? In a rush, it's tempting to set up wherever there's space. But a re-measurement because of a bad environment will cost more time than finding the right spot first.

7. Run an Acceptance Test Before the Rental Provider Leaves

Once the unit is set up, run a quick acceptance test while the rental technician is still on-site or on the phone. Measure a known artifact—most FARO tracker rental kits include a scaled reference bar or an SMR mount with a known dimension. Make a few repeat measurements and note the values. The whole process takes ten to fifteen minutes.

If the unit is out of spec or behaving inconsistently, this is the moment to reject it and ask for a replacement. If you wait until later in the day, the rental company will say the issue was caused by your setup, your operator, or your environment. When you have an acceptance test done at delivery, that argument disappears.

8. Get Support and Replacement Terms in Writing

Finally, ask the rental provider directly: "If this unit goes down during my rental window, what happens?"

You need an answer that includes a timeframe. "We'll send a replacement" is not enough. When I'm triaging an urgent order, I ask whether they have a backup unit available in the same region and what the response time actually is. For a critical project that needs to be done in 48 hours, a replacement that takes three days to arrive doesn't help.

Get whatever they promise in writing, even if it's just an email confirming the replacement policy. In a worst-case scenario, that email is what you'll fall back on when your production manager asks why the measurement schedule fell apart.

The Two Mistakes That Turn a Rush Rental Into a Rework Loop

The first mistake is easy to understand: skipping checks because the production line is waiting. I've watched teams accept a rental, measure parts for four hours, and then discover the unit was never calibrated for the accuracy class they needed. They had to re-measure everything. The "saved" ten minutes of verification turned into a lost day.

The second mistake is subtler. People assume that because they're renting from a recognized brand or a big distributor, the unit must be ready. That assumption ignores the fact that rental fleets are built from individual units with individual histories. The last person who rented that tracker may have dropped an SMR, banged the arm against a fixture, or left the unit uncalibrated for months. The serial number is what matters, not the brand.

Ten minutes of verification before you start measuring is honestly the cheapest insurance you'll get on an urgent rental. It won't make the deadline pressure disappear, but it will make sure the data you collect on that deadline is data you can actually use.

Pricing and rental inventory vary by region and date. As of January 2025, FARO rental options are typically quoted per day or per week with calibration documentation provided on request. Always verify the specific unit's current calibration status with your distributor before delivery.