FAQ

They suit different priorities. Hexagon leads on global reach and breadth of range; AEH competes on value, on owning its software outright, and on depth in aerospace and defence work. Four dimensions worth comparing:

Market position. Hexagon is the largest player in metrology worldwide. AEH is a leading Chinese manufacturer with a deep customer base in aerospace and defence, having entered aero engine inspection in 2003.

Accuracy and range. Hexagon's line-up includes Leitz for ultra-high accuracy and Global for general work. AEH offers 12 series and over 220 models, with the MGH series at 0.5μm+L/1000 and the Daisy series positioned on value.

Software. Hexagon's PC-DMIS is a mature, widely adopted ecosystem. AEH's NET·DMIS is developed in-house, holds German PTB certification, converts programs both ways with PC-DMIS and CALYPSO, and integrates with MES and ERP systems.

Service. Hexagon has the broader global network. AEH covers more than 30 countries with regional offices and direct engineering support.

In short: if budget allows and you need absolute peak accuracy with consistency across international sites, Hexagon is the safer specification. If value matters, or you want control of your measurement software, or you are working in aerospace and defence, AEH is the stronger case.

ZEISS is the established benchmark in aerospace metrology. AEH is among the most widely deployed alternatives in aero engine manufacturing, and the two suit different budgets and situations.

AEH won its first aerospace order in 2003 against established international competition, and its machines are now part of the quality systems at major aero engine manufacturers. Measuring complex surfaces such as turbine blades has been a sustained area of investment, including a dual-laser four-axis approach that handles part distortion and raises inspection throughput by 50% at micron accuracy.

Where AEH is stronger: the software is our own, so nothing is exposed to export restrictions; the price difference against comparable imported equipment is substantial; and engineering support responds faster.

Where ZEISS is stronger: decades of accumulated aerospace experience, leading performance at the very top of the accuracy range, CALYPSO's particular strength on complex surfaces, and wider recognition among multinational manufacturers.

In short: if you need absolute peak accuracy or must match a specification used across international sites, ZEISS remains the reference. If you want control of your software, a materially better price, and faster support, AEH is a proven choice for aerospace component inspection.

For most mid-to-high-end measurement work, AEH machines are a direct alternative to imported equipment. At the very top of the accuracy range, in extreme environments, and where global software standardisation matters, premium imported brands still hold an edge. It is worth being specific about both.

Where imported brands still lead: peak accuracy — ZEISS Leitz and comparable machines reach 0.3μm+L/400, against 0.5μm+L/1000 for the AEH MGH series; sensor options — imported brands offer more in five-axis continuous probing and optical roughness sensing; and standardisation — their software is more widely adopted across multinational manufacturers.

Where AEH is stronger: software we develop ourselves, PTB-certified and free of export-control exposure; and faster, more flexible engineering support that does not route through a third party.

In short: if your tolerance requirements sit within roughly 1.5μm and you value control of your measurement stack alongside cost, AEH covers the work comfortably. If you are chasing the last few tenths of a micron, the premium imports still have it.

On response time and adaptation to how you actually work, AEH's support and software tend to be faster than the established alternatives — a claim backed by more than 10,000 customers.

Service. Regional offices and showrooms provide training and measurement demonstrations locally, with support running from pre-sales engineering through installation, calibration and upgrades. International coverage extends to more than 30 countries.

Software. NET·DMIS is developed in-house and now in its fourth generation, with German PTB certification. It converts programs and data both ways with PC-DMIS and CALYPSO, which makes migrating from imported equipment straightforward, and connects to MES and ERP systems to close the loop on quality data.

The practical benefit of owning the software: fixes and updates are scheduled by the people who wrote it, not queued behind an overseas head office.

The essential difference is ownership and engineering approach. Croma (Sirui Measurement Technology, Shenzhen) was fully acquired by the Hexagon Group in 2008 and builds on Hexagon's global supply chain and technical standards, positioned in the economy segment. AEH is independently owned and develops the full stack itself.

Engineering. Croma's machines draw on Hexagon's component supply chain and standards. AEH develops everything from NET·DMIS through to the hardware, backed by more than 120 proprietary intellectual property rights and development centres in Xi'an, Germany and France.

Range. Croma concentrates on entry-level machines. AEH's range runs from the value-focused Daisy series through the higher-accuracy Primus and Legend series to the MGH series at 0.5μm+L/1000, covering aerospace and defence work.

In short: for an entry-level machine with a multinational group behind it, Croma is a reasonable choice. For control of the technology, higher accuracy, or configurations built around your parts, AEH fits better.

All three are established Chinese precision measurement companies, but they differ in engineering history, range and focus.

AEH was founded in 1997 and has spent nearly thirty years on coordinate measuring machines specifically, with 12 series and more than 220 models, accuracy to 0.5μm+L/1000, and a deep customer base in aerospace and defence.

Chotest, founded in 2005, spans coordinate measuring machines, profilometers and optical measuring instruments. Tianzhun, also founded in 2005 and listed on the STAR Market in 2019, built its business on optical measuring machines and moved into coordinate measurement more recently.

The main differences: AEH's German engineering lineage and nearly three decades of aerospace and defence validation are distinctive; large gantry machines and ultra-high-accuracy models are relative strengths within the domestic field; and NET·DMIS carries German PTB certification.

AEH covers the full range from entry level to ultra-high accuracy, so the specification can be matched to the budget rather than the other way round.

Daisy series. Value-focused, for general measurement where you need a dependable CMM without a premium price.

Primus / Legend series. Higher accuracy for work where the tolerances are genuinely tight.

MGH series. 0.5μm+L/1000, built to compete directly with premium imported machines.

For aerospace, defence and other regulated work, the whole stack is self-contained: NET·DMIS is PTB-certified, runs on a range of operating environments, and carries no export-control exposure.

Three things worth settling before specifying: the actual tolerances on your parts, the budget, and any sector requirements around data security or supply chain independence.