Hexagon buys New River Kinematics, SpatialAnalyzer maker

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Hexagon announced this week it has bought New River Kinematics, a software firm based here known for its SpatialAnalyzer product that integrates 3D metrology data from differing acquisition systems for a variety of applications.

Terms of the acquisition were not released, but NRK did roughly $13.3 million in 2012 revenue, and Hexagon announced that NRK founders Dr. Robert Salerno and Dr. Joseph Calkins will join Hexagon and continue with the company.

NRK got its start in the robotics industry, with an initial product released in 1994 called RobotAssist. However, the company soon found that its technology was in demand in a number of industrial applications and in 1996 released SpatialAnalyzer, which is now used in fields as diverse as shipbuilding, nuclear energy, and molecular modeling.

You can see a variety of videos demonstrating NRK’s software at their YouTube channel here.

"When it comes to industries like aerospace and shipbuilding, where parts are either very large or very expensive, mitigation of continuous rework is an absolute necessity. NRK's software facilitates this," said Norbert Hanke, president, Hexagon Metrology, in a statement. "From single part inspection to highly accurate, large scale multi-instrument surveys, SA's advanced analysis capabilities support large-scale manufacturers who have no other option but to make components that fit."

NRK claims SpatialAnalyzer is “the only comprehensive solution to connect multiple products from any supplier. From arms and theodolites to trackers and scanners, SA's advanced analysis capabilities combine inputs from any metrology device into a single platform. This is especially important in large-scale manufacturing processes, where larger CAD models and more complex data present additional challenges when it comes to accuracy, and ultimately, productivity,” according to a press release.

NRK had announced a distribution agreement with Hexagon as recently as this past September.

Hexagon was also sure to include assurances in its press release that SpatialAnalyzer will continue to support metrology devices from a number of suppliers and remain product agnostic. "NRK remains fully committed to supporting the entire spectrum of portable metrology instruments and manufacturers,” NRK founders Salerno and Calkins, are quoted as saying. “We are excited about taking NRK and SA to the next level and will continue to push the envelope on metrology software in order to help customers meet their challenges. That is, and will continue to be, one of the key strengths of SA."