Our company is seeking a CMM solution to produce accurate drawings of air-handling tanks made of aluminum coming in from the field. Tanks fit in a 20" x 20" x 40" volume and have some awkward curves on them which must be faithfully reproduced.

These tanks have been through heavy use in a high temperature application (300-400°F) and may have redefined themselves over their lifetime.

We just want to reproduce the critical dimensions that allow a replacement unit to fit properly in the original space. (tolerance ±.030 to ±.060)

We are using CADKEY 98, which we would like to stick with since it handles 3D modeling quite satisfactorily. It would be nice to avoid a CAD data translation stage, so we've been looking at a system that allows real-time point, line, arc, circle and spline entity creation in CADKEY. (live from CMM readings)

We'll also be using the CMM for inspection.

Can anyone offer advice on a wise decision on Manufacturer, Model, Options.

Thanks for any help whatsoever.