Optical Metrology for Advanced Manufacturing

With the rise of Industry 4.0, optical metrology has seen widespread adoption and has been increasingly integrated into control systems and in-process measurement. In comparison to traditional contact-based coordinate measurement techniques, optical metrology offers non-contact, high-speed inspection, enabling real-time quality monitoring and faster production cycles. This chapter reviews the state-of-the-art in optical metrology, focusing on its role in digital manufacturing, particularly in in-process measurement. It examines current hardware and software solutions, along with strategies for zero-defect manufacturing to enhance sustainability. Additionally, key challenges are addressed, such as measurement traceability, data processing limitations, geometric complexity, environmental constraints, and uncertainty in optical measurements.