5 Questions to Ask Before Outsourcing CMM Dimensional Inspection

Precision is everything when your products are subject to tight tolerances, compliance requirements, and constant production pressure. Whether you’re a manufacturing components for aerospace, automotive, or high-end engineering applications, dimensional accuracy is paramount.

But achieving that level of precision in-house isn’t always feasible. Skilled metrology personnel are in short supply, capital equipment is expensive, and inspection backlogs can quickly put production at risk. In these situations, outsourcing dimensional inspection becomes a practical alternative. The right partner can help you stay on schedule, reduce internal pressure, and maintain the quality standards your customers expect.

However, not all contract metrology service providers are the same. Some offer little more than basic measurement reports. Others invest in state-of-the-art CMMs, scanning technology, AND software, backed by a team that understands your industry and workflow. Yes, that’s us.

If you’re considering outsourcing, asking the right questions up front will save time, reduce risk, and improve outcomes. That’s what this article is about. Five questions every engineer, production manager, or quality lead should ask before buying CMM measuring services.

Not all dimensional inspection jobs are created equal. Before outsourcing, be clear about what you actually need. Not every provider is set up to deliver every type of measurement service.

Are you looking for first article inspection? Batch sampling? Reverse engineering? Or full part validation? Do you need tactile probing on a CMM? Or is non-contact laser scanning more appropriate? Are you working with small precision parts or large, heavy components?

Each application calls for a different setup. The more complex your parts, the more capable your provider needs to be. A high-end CMM is great, but it’s only part of the picture. You also want to know that the team running it understands your tolerances, your industry, and what good looks like on the shop floor.

Working with MSL, you get more than dimensional data. We provide practical insights, backed by decades of experience across aerospace, automotive, and advanced engineering.

Looking for CMM measuring services near you? This is where to start.

The accuracy of your dimensional inspection depends heavily on the tools being used. Ask what machines, sensors, and software your provider relies on. And, when they were last calibrated or upgraded?

A manual CMM might be fine for simple parts, but complex geometrics or high-tolerance work demands automated or multi-sensor systems. If you’re dealing with intricate components or tight GD&T requirements, laser scanning or optical measurement could be more suitable. And don’t forget the software. The software running in the background plays a huge role in how reliable and usable the final data will be.

We work with industry-leading platforms like Metrolog X4 and PolyWorks, backed by some of the most advanced CMMs and scanning systems in the UK. Whether you’re after dense point cloud data, real-time deviation analysis, or a fully automated inspection routine, we’ve got the setup and the experience to make it work.

If you’re paying for CMM dimensional inspection, make sure you’re getting data that’s compatible with your workflow, not just what happens to be on hand.

You’re trusting someone else to verify whether your parts pass or fail. That’s not a job for guesswork or goodwill. Before you outsource, check what standards your provider works to and whether they’ve got the paperwork to back it up.

At a minimum, ask if they’re UKAS accredited or ISO 17025 compliant. If they’re not, what internal quality systems do they follow? Can they demonstrate traceability to national or international standards? And will their measurement reports hold up under customer audits or third-party reviews?

For peace of mind, the provider should be able to share their latest calibration records, quality certifications, and example reports without delay. If they can’t that’s your red flag.

MSL operates to strict internal quality standards, and our equipment is regularly calibrated against certified artefacts. Whether you need full measurement traceability or just a straight pass/fail report, you’ll know the results are back by process, not opinion.

Contract metrology services should give you more certainty, not more risk. The right accreditations go a long way towards that.

Precision means nothing if the results show up too late. Before sending out a single part, make sure your provider can work to your schedule, and not the other way around.

Some dimensional inspection jobs need fast turnaround. Others involve high volumes or repeat batches. Either way, your provider needs the capacity to deliver without cutting corners. That means having the right equipment available, the staff to run it, and the flexibility to scale with your production demands.

Ask how quickly they can respond. What’s their average lead time? Can they accommodate urgent hobs or shift patterns? Do they offer on-site inspection services if required?

For many manufacturers and engineers, measurement often sits at the bottleneck of production. That’s why we’ve built our workflow around responsiveness. That could be a same-day job, an end-of-line inspection, or a high-volume programme, we find a way to fit it.

If your deadlines are tight, contract metrology services shouldn’t slow you down. They should, help you keep moving.

Measurement results are only useful if you can make sense of them. Before you outsource, find out what kind of data you’ll get back and how it’s delivered.

Do they provide full dimensional reports? CAD overlays? Annotated PDFs? Are the files compatible with your systems? Can you access raw data if you need to rerun analysis in-house? And just as importantly, do they explain anything that’s unclear?

Some providers will give you a flood of numbers and expect you to figure it out.

At MSL, we generate clear, comprehensive reports using tools like Metrolog X4, PolyWorks, and our in-house workflows. We can supply results in all standard formats. From DSIS to Excel to fully visualised CAD comparisons. If there’s something unusual or out of spec, we’ll flag it before it becomes your problem.

A reliable dimension inspection service doesn’t stop at measurement. It helps you make better decisions, faster.

Outsourcing dimensional inspection can give your team the breathing room it needs, but only if you choose the right partner. Asking these five questions are a great way to separate the box-tickers from the partners who genuinely understand your parts, your pressures, and your priorities.

We’ve built our CMM inspection services around the needs of engineers and quality managers who expect more. More accuracy, more clarity, and more reliability. Whether you’re dealing with a short-term capacity issue or looking for a long-term metrology partner, we’re ready to help.

Visit our contract measurement services and explore what’s possible with MSL or get in touch to talk through your next job.