Coordinate measuring machine having high-precision 3-D printing functionality

A coordinate measuring machine for building up an object having associated digital model data, the coordinate measuring machine comprising:

• a base;
• an instrument carrier;
• a control unit;
• a drive unit for the controlled movement of the instrument carrier in relation to the base, the instrument carrier configured to carry at least one measuring sensor,
• the coordinate measuring machine having a surface scanning mode for determining at least one measurement point position on a surface by touching the surface using the measuring sensor carried by the instrument carrier,
• the instrument carrier also being configured to carry a production tool implemented for material application and/or fixation,
• the coordinate measuring machine having an object buildup mode controlled based on digital model data, the production tool being carried by the instrument carrier for guidance and alignment, the coordinate measuring machine being configured so that the production tool material can be applied and/or fixed in a precisely-positioned manner depending on a respective production tool position and alignment,
• the control unit being configured to execute the object buildup mode so that the object can be built up, layer-by-layer, based on the digital model data,
• wherein the production tool is configured to be guided, positioned and aligned with a positioning precision provided in the scope of the surface scanning mode for the measuring sensor.

A computer program product for use on a computer system for building up an object using a coordinate measuring machine having at least one control unit and one drive unit for the controlled movement of an instrument carrier in relation to a base, the instrument carrier configured to carry one or both of a measuring sensor and a production tool, each of the at least one measuring sensor and production tool being modularly attachable either alone or together to the instrument carrier, the object having associated digital model data, the computer program product comprising a tangible, non-transient computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer program product comprising:

• program code for controllably guiding the instrument carrier carrying the production tool, the program code for controllably guiding comprising program code for aligning the production tool carrying the instrument carrier based on the digital model data;
• and
• program code for controlling the production tool to perform precisely-positioned material application or material fixation in a manner that depends on the position and alignment of the production tool, the program code for controlling the production tool being based on the digital model data,
• wherein controlling the production tool causes the object to be built up by one or both of layer-by-layer material application and fixation.