Portable coordinate measuring arms with rotational axes have found their pl
ace in many industrial areas. To establish and confirm the accuracy of thes
e measuring devices, related test methods and appropriate devices are neede
d. After an introduction, a new high precision measuring device for testing
and calibration of portable coordinate measuring arms is presented. Analys
is showed that the best results can be obtained with a device for measuring
along a straight line adjusted in various spatial directions. We discuss t
he design and construction of this measuring system and provide a theoretic
al calculation of its measurement accuracy, which was confirmed by experime
nts carried nut on a prototype of a high precision measuring device in both
unloaded and loaded conditions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights
reserved.