Build to international standards with Renishaw’s next generation alignment laser system

August 2025

Renishaw, the global metrology specialist, has developed the XK20 alignment laser system, its next generation system for machinery manufacturers that builds on the success of the award-winning XK10 alignment laser. The XK20 system combines innovative alignment laser technology with over 50 years of machine tool industry expertise. It streamlines and consolidates measurements, providing comprehensive build data for high performance machine tools, co-ordinate measuring machines and precision stages, whilst conforming to the latest international ISO standards.

A standout feature of the new Renishaw XK20 system is the CARTO XK20 app, which combines the strength of Renishaw's CARTO calibration software capabilities with a simple and intuitive user interface. The app's built-in user guide, complete with images and animations, aids both skilled and unskilled machine tool builders and assembly operators. The CARTO XK20 app is available for Android™ devices or Renishaw's rugged XK20 display unit.

The XK20 system's advanced long range straightness measurement mode, available through the CARTO XK20 app, ensures guaranteed repeatability over unlimited axis lengths, making it ideal for large-scale applications. High accuracy parallelism and squareness measurements can also be performed on large machine tools, stages, and gantry machines, enhancing their precision and performance.

Future releases of the CARTO XK20 app will further expand the system's capabilities to include alignment and measurement of flatness, spindle direction, and coaxiality. These enhancements and CARTO's continual development strategy will provide an even greater return on investment to users, solidifying the XK20 system's position as an essential tool for machine tool alignment and measurements.

“The XK20 alignment laser system's new long range measurement mode is a significant advancement in precision measurement technology. By guaranteeing repeatable measurement data and focusing on ease of use, Renishaw has developed a system to support many of the measurements required for machine tool and stage assembly", explained Dan Throup, XK20 Product Manager at Renishaw. “The CARTO XK20 app simplifies and consolidates critical measurements, making the build process more efficient, especially for large and complex machine structures. The result is a reduction in the number of steps required, while achieving the highest level of accuracy and traceability."

Join the Renishaw team at EMO Hannover 2025 (hall 5, stand D06) to find out how the XK20 alignment laser system can upgrade your machine assembly processes.

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