Last quarter alone, we processed 47 rush orders with a 95% on-time delivery rate. The lesson from those orders: buying a FARO portable CMM is not the whole answer. The tool that saves the job is usually the one you already own—or the one you didn't skip. If you're about to buy a FARO system, plan for three things before you place the order: calibration documentation, a trained operator, and the basic handheld tools that catch the first 80% of mistakes.
I'm not saying this to sell you on a different product. I'm saying it because I've coordinated emergency equipment deliveries for an industrial measurement company for four years. I've seen rush orders from $500 replacement probes to $15,000 rental systems, and the same pattern shows up every time: the hardware is rarely the reason a job fails.
Why I can say this with a straight face
In March 2024, a client called at 4:00 pm needing a FARO portable CMM by the next morning for a quality audit. Normal delivery for a calibrated system was seven days. We found a unit, paid $1,400 in rush and shipping fees on top of the $22,000 weekly rental, and had it on their floor at 6:00 am. Missing that deadline would have delayed the audit and triggered a $50,000 penalty in their supply contract. That's the kind of pressure that exposes gaps in preparation.
We've done maybe 200 rush orders in the last four years. Maybe 180, I'd have to check the system. The pattern I keep seeing: when a rush job succeeds, it's because someone knew exactly what to measure, how to set up the tool, and what to do first. That's not a hardware spec. That's training and process.
I'd rather spend 15 minutes explaining measurement basics than deal with mismatched expectations later. An informed customer asks better questions and makes faster decisions.
What a FARO portable CMM does—and what it doesn't
A FARO portable CMM is an articulated measuring arm or laser tracker that gives you 3D coordinates for parts on a shop floor. It measures X, Y, Z, and angles with high accuracy, and it's designed to be moved around a facility. It does not replace a fixed CMM in every situation. If you're doing high-volume inspection of identical parts, a stationary system may still be the right call. The portable arm is for when the part is too large to move, the setup has to be ready fast, or you're measuring different geometries all day.
There's an old idea that you need a temperature-controlled inspection lab to get accurate results. That comes from an era when measurement systems were more sensitive to the environment. Today, a FARO portable CMM is engineered for shop-floor use. That said, calibration is not optional. A $60,000 arm with an expired calibration certificate is just a very expensive doorstop.
The FARO Store: what you need to know
If you need replacement probes, scan heads, stands, cables, or software licenses, the FARO Store is where you should look first. It's their online ordering portal, not a walk-in shop (as of January 2025). I've made the mistake of assuming a local reseller could source a probe faster than the FARO Store's direct shipping. Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong. Check both before you commit.
During rush jobs, the critical step is to confirm whether the item is in stock before you pay for expedited shipping. The FARO Store may list a replacement probe as 'in stock' but with a five-day lead time because of vendor terms. I said once to a client: 'the probe is on its way.' They heard 'it will arrive tomorrow.' Result: it arrived in three days, and we had to juggle the whole schedule. Now I ask for the promise date and then add a buffer.
Three small tools that save more jobs than a new laser tracker
This is the part that sounds counterintuitive. I've seen a $50,000 FARO system sit unused because the operator didn't have a simple angle finder to check the setup. The three tools below won't replace a laser tracker, but they prevent the mistakes that waste its time.
Multimeter training
If your measurement job involves any electrical panel, sensor, or power issue, basic multimeter training is worth more than the instruction manual for your CMM. In 20 minutes, you can learn how to measure AC/DC voltage, continuity, and resistance safely. That training catches one of the fastest causes of field measurement errors: a machine that appears to have a geometry problem but actually has an electrical supply problem.
When I recommend multimeter training, I'm not asking anyone to become an electrician. I'm asking them to recognize the difference between 'no power' and 'bad measurement.' A quick check with a multimeter can save an hour of rework.
Angle finder
A digital angle finder (the same tool woodworkers use) costs about $20. I keep one in every transport case. To use it, zero it on a known flat surface, place it against the feature you're checking, and read the angle. It won't give you CMM-level accuracy, but it catches 90-degree mistakes before you waste an hour setting up the arm. I've caught more bad setups with a $20 angle finder than with any expensive alignment software.
How to use Extech moisture meter (short answer)
When a client searches 'how to use Extech moisture meter' before an inspection, I don't laugh. Moisture in a structural component or a mounting surface changes measurement results. The short answer: if your Extech meter has a material mode, set it to what you're testing (wood, drywall, concrete, or the general building material setting). Press the pins into the surface and wait until the display stops changing. Measure at several points. If you're using a pinless model, keep it flat and avoid metal behind the surface, because metal can cause false high readings.
The moisture meter isn't a metrology instrument. But it tells you whether the environment is stable enough for your measurement. That's a lot cheaper than a repeat visit.
A quick checklist for a 48-hour measurement job
When the clock is short, I run through the same list every time:
- Verify the calibration date and scope on the FARO portable CMM before it leaves the supplier.
- Check the FARO Store stock status and the shipping promise date for any missing probe or accessory.
- Confirm the operator has done at least basic CMM training—ideally on the same model.
- Keep a digital angle finder and a moisture meter in the same case as the instrument.
- If an electrical supply is involved, complete basic multimeter training before the day of the job.
The list looks boring. That's the point. The expensive tool works best when the boring checks are already done.
When you should not buy a FARO portable CMM
If you're measuring the same simple tolerance on a single part and a go/no-go gauge does the job, buy the gauge. If your annual measurement volume is fewer than 25 jobs, renting may make more sense than buying. If no one is willing to do 30 minutes of training, the FARO arm won't become a workhorse—it will become a shelf ornament. And if you need legal-grade measurement traceability, set up the calibration plan before you sign the purchase order.
The FARO Store can deliver a probe and a software license fast, but it can't deliver operator experience. Buy the tool, plan the training, and keep the small tools close. The job that's due in 48 hours will go better if the basics are already in place.
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