History

	OGP - History At the end of World War II, a new company was formed in Buffalo, NY to support the fledgling optical comparator industry. Engineers Specialties Division (ESD) of the Universal Engraving and Colorplate Company began manufacturing staging fixtures and chart-gages. After moving to Rochester, NY, ESD was purchased by a group of employees and re-formed as Optical Gaging Products, Inc. (OGP®) and Projection Gages, Inc. (PGI). OGP began a working relationship with Eastman Kodak Company as the exclusive distributor for the Kodak Contour Projector®. OGP rapidly expanded and became a national leader in optical inspection. In 1955, one of the founders of OGP, Edward C. Polidor, formed Automation Gages, Inc., a firm specializing in highly customized inspection equipment. The equipment designed and manufactured by Automation Gages filled such diverse needs as automatic measuring of germanium transistor wafers to evaluation of the wash-and-wear characteristics of textiles. Automation Gages soon became the national distributor for Bausch and Lomb scientific industrial products, including optical comparators and analytical microscopes. In 1959, OGP found its way to Detroit and became part of the Ex-Cell-O Corporation when Kodak sold the Contour Projector Line. To meet future challenges, Automation Gages embarked on a program to build the core technologies needed for market leadership. Between 1969 and 1973, they acquired General Measurement Research, Inc. (manufacturer of the Digital Incremental Glass scale system), Visual Inspection Products (designers and builders of chart layout machines and 1:1 pantographs), the optical comparator product lines from Ex-Cell-O and Bendix Measurement Division, and, finally, Optical Gaging Products, Inc. All operations, including manufacturing, were consolidated under one roof in Rochester, New York in 1973. Since then, Optical Gaging Products has become a world leader in non-contact and multisensor measurement. Many of the important technological advancements and significant contributions made by OGP and AG are summarized on the next pages. 1945 OGP and Eastman Kodak introduce the telecentric relay lens principle. Still regarded as the optical system of choice for high precision optical systems, it provides a constant working clearance and erect images. 1956 Projectron®, the world’s first electronic edge detection system for optical comparators, is introduced. Using photocell technology and analog circuitry, Projectron foreshadows the need for automation in the inspection industry. 1962 The AG Electronic Smoothness Evaluator verifies the wash-and-wear properties of cloth. Certification with this system was required for textile manufacturers to use the "Sanforized" label. 1966 OGP/Ex-Cell-O introduces the first practical high intensity arc lamps, making optical inspection at high magnifications possible for the first time. 1967 The world’s first video inspection system, the AG Model 875, debuts. Truly a harbinger of things to come, the Model 875 clearly demonstrates the capabilities latent in this technology. 1972 OGP introduces the OQ-30A side screen Contour Projector with revolutionary granite surface plate foundation. 1975 Automation takes another step forward with the introduction of CLIP (Closed Loop Incremental Positioner.) Automated positioning of comparator worktables can now be accomplished without the need for external controllers. 1977 OGP patents the mercury arc surface illuminator with its unique paraboloidal reflector. This outstanding innovation enables high magnification inspection of surface details for the first time. 1978 OGP introduces CLIP-COMP, the first integrated automated measurement software available for optical comparators, using a programmable desktop calculator. 1979 The world’s first side table optical comparator, the OQ-20, debuts. Dubbed the "projector for the eighties," its innovative design quickly makes it an industry favorite. 1980 A new era in optical metrology opens with the introduction of the Vidicom Qualifier 863. This remarkable machine combines solid state electronics, gray scale image processing, and programmable magnification into an affordable, non-contact measuring system. 1981 OGP develops the Vidiprobe Contour Projector. Vidiprobe effectively bridges Contour Projector and Video Inspection technologies. 1982 OGP begins its global expansion through working arrangements with Yamamoto & Co. in Japan, and C.E. Johansson in Sweden. 1984 OGP develops and implements advanced error mapping and electronic compensation algorithms, improving the accuracy and repeatability of all its equipment. 1985 OGP leads the way again with the introduction of Q-See, the first video system designed specifically for ease of use and low cost. OGP also introduces the Fresnel optical light sectioner. Using structured light, it allows measurement of non-projectable forms. 1986 Taking advantage of the latest advances in optics, computers, and software, the Intelligent Qualifier 2000 is introduced as one of the world’s first multisensor coordinate measurement systems. The IQ-2000 can be equipped with vision, touch probe, and laser scanning sensors. 1991 SmartScope® brings fully automatic 3-D measuring to the benchtop at half the price of previous systems. Its color camera, programmable zoom lens, and easy-to-use software quickly make it the world’s most popular non-contact measuring system. 1994 OGP reinvents the optical comparator with Top Bench. For the first time, features normally found only on larger systems are available in one compact, benchtop system. It’s revolutionary AccuCentric™ optics are the first to display fully corrected images for both direct projection and surface illumination. 1995 Combining the best technologies from OGP, the Avant Supra responds to the need for very high speed, high accuracy measurement. Inspection cycle times show a tenfold improvement over the original Vidicom Qualifier. OGP introduces the HA-50, an ultra-accuracy, small travel system designed specifically to meet the needs of the growing micro-manufacturing industry. Volumetric accuracy is better than one micron (0.001 mm). The openings of OGP Messtechnik GmbH (Germany) and Optical Gaging (S) Pte Ltd (Singapore) usher in a new era of direct OGP support for international markets. 1996 OGP introduces SmartScope MVP, a benchtop video inspection system designed for smaller shops and first-time users. Available in manual and motorized configurations, SmartScope MVP combines precision staging, zoom optics, and Windows™ software in an affordable package. SmartRing® is introduced. This patented, multiple ring LED illuminator offers unparalleled flexibility for video measuring systems. With it, lighting is controlled for brightness, angle of incidence, and direction. Multisensor measurement is now available for benchtop video measurement systems. The touch probe attachment allows contact measurements to be made on SmartScope systems. 1997 SmartFit™ software is introduced at Quality Expo ?97. This revolutionary contour analysis software solves complex two dimensional composite profile tolerance applications. OGP introduces Basic Bench, a new optical comparator where the only thing basic is the price. With Basic Bench, now known as Focus™, higher level features such as telecentric lenses and constant working clearance are standard. 1998 SmartReport® software is available for custom report generation and exporting data to spreadsheets and databases. SmartReport works in conjunction with MeasureMind® software. The suite of MeasureMind software applications is again increased with the introduction of SmartCAD® translation software. SmartCAD provides a graphical display and simple translation of CAD files into automated measuring routines. 2000 A new generation of personal metrology systems is introduced - SmartScope Flare™ and SmartScope Flash™. These value leaders redefine the price/performance ratio with an outstanding combination of technology and ease-of-use. New 32 bit Measure-X™ metrology software delivers world class capability and outstanding usability in the same package. New MeasureMind 3D metrology software fully integrates with the new MicroTheta™ rotary table to deliver true four axis measuring. Cobra™, a portable, high precision laser profile scanner is introduced, providing an economical solution to high accuracy 2-D surface profiling. SmartScope Quest™, an ultra-high accuracy benchtop system with telecentric optics and multisensor flexibility is introduced at the 2000 IMTS show. The new Focus Contour Projector blends the best technology from all our benchtop comparators into one high quality, low cost system. Cobra 3-D brings affordable three dimensional laser surface scanning to manufacturers around the world. New SmartScope Flare and Flash floor stand systems offer extended travel for large part inspection. 2001 New TeleStar® zoom lens designed and built specifically for precision video metrology provides a phenomenally clear high contrast image with virtually zero distortion. Standard in SmartScope Quests, the lens is telecentric and has collimated profile (episcopic) illumination that matches the aperture of the optics over its entire 10x range. It excels at imaging parts that are troublesome to other optical systems such as shafts and parts with radiused edges. New SmartScope Quest 450/600 coordinate measurement systems are designed to incorporate optical, touch probe, and laser sensors in a stable, granite bridge platform for highest accuracy. The standard MeasureMind 3D metrology software makes it simple to perform three-dimensional multisensor measurements.