The word “laser” implies “light speed” for the casual listener, but witnessing a bi-directional laser calibration run on just one linear axis of a CNC mill conjures up a completely different image – that of something less than the speed of light. A short 1 m axis can typically take 30 to 60 minutes as the machine axis moves in 10 mm increments and stops to pause and settle before the laser interferometer takes a reading. That pause can be as long as 23 seconds during some tests.
