100% Employee Owned, Founded 1954

Defense Industry Newsletter – April 2024

New firearms testing capability

Cross’s testing division has recently received their Federal Firearms License (FFL) to go along with our ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. We’re also a Special Occupational Taxpayer (SOT), meaning that we’re licensed to receive firearms. All this adds up to create a complete facility for firearms testing, to ensure your products are accurate, dependable and predictable.

firearm testing stand in a laboratory

Our capabilities include:

  • Live fire capabilities: Unlike many test facilities, Cross Company has the ability to fire weapons within our environmental chambers to get a more accurate simulation of the conditions the firearm will be performing under.
  • A wide variety of tests: We can perform climate testing, rain or precipitation testing, solar testing, mud testing, vibration testing, corrosion testing and more.
  • Customizable tests: We can also create a custom test for you which combines any of the above capabilities for the most lifelike simulation of your product.
  • Induced environmental testing: Within our climate testing chambers, we can induce rain or snow to test performance and durability in different conditions. And we’re able to perform these tests while firing for additional data on performance and quality.
  • Custom test protocol development and fixture design: Not quite sure what you need to test or how to hold your weapon during testing? Our testing engineers can help develop a custom test plan and/or fixturing to fit your particular requirements.

What is the thermal coefficient of expansion and why does it matter?

If you use high precision dimensional gages, having them calibrated in a temperature controlled lab is critical. Check out this video in which Dan Blount from our quality team explains what the thermal coefficient of expansion is and why it is so important to consider when calibrating precision instruments.

Need to get more out of your old CMM? Upgrade it!

The structure of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) is built to measure for 20 years or more. But unfortunately, the control systems, electronics and software aren’t so long lasting. Not only will they need more and more maintenance and support but they can quickly become outdated as new technology is developed.

CMMs are also expensive pieces of capital equipment to replace which can be hard to justify. Not to mention the hassle of moving an old one out and the new one in! Fortunately, Cross Precision Measurement can help. For any brand of CMM, keep your existing hardware but upgrade to state-of-the-art electronics and control systems.

What's New at Cross

Optimizing your compressed air system can save on energy costs

An optimized compressed air system can mean substantial reductions in overall energy consumption, with industrial facilities saving 20-50% on average on their electric bill over 24 months. We recommend Parker’s Transair aluminum compressed air piping system to try and achieve these savings in your own facility. Read some of the key advantages of the Parker Transair System here.

Did You Know?

Need help with parts inspection? Consider Cross's on-site inspection

We see it all the time: customers who have more parts to be inspected than resources to perform the inspection. Whether you’re short a person or don’t have enough equipment to use, that growing backlog can be stressful and costly. Cross’s on-site inspection capability can help. We bring our own portable CMM to your facility at a time convenient for you and stay as long as you need us. We can also help with first article inspections (FAI), 3D scanning, fixture certification and more.

Cross Provides Tangible Value for You

Improve Efficiency

Did you know you can pair a collaborative robot with a video measurement machine or CMM to automate your inspection process? With a relatively quick ROI period, the Cross robotic machine tending solution frees up the quality team to do more productive tasks or tasks that may not lend themselves to automation. This leads to an increase in worker productivity, retention, and safety. It also increases your productivity, which improves your bottom line.

Contact our automation team to learn more about machine tending for quality inspection!

Improve Efficiency

Kreon’s Zephyr III 300 is a groundbreaking addition to its 3D scanning technology lineup. With a wide 300mm laser line, this new scanner accelerates scanning speed by twofold, resulting in a 50% reduction in the number of passes required for the same part, especially advantageous for inspecting large-scale components. Tailored for large-scale measuring machines, the Zephyr III 300 seamlessly integrates with automation features like the ACR3 auto-change rack and motorized PH10 indexing head. Compatible with Kreon Ace and Onyx measuring arms, it offers versatility and is suitable for various techniques, making it an ideal tool for 3D inspection and reverse engineering on large-scale parts.

Raise Quality

Need someone to train your team to use a Faro portable CMM or dimensional equipment software? Contact the inspection team at Cross. Our inspection experts work with Faro arms daily and would be glad to train your team on the basics of using them.

But knowing how to use dimensional measurement equipment only gets you so far. To get the most data, you need to be an expert in the software running it. Cross can train on Polyworks, Calypso, Zone 3, CMM Manager, PC and Touch DMIS and more.

See how our team can help improve quality, increase efficiency, and reduce risk

Latest Cross Company Updates

Brooks Instrument Case study: Using BEST Software to Prevent Process Failures
April 15, 2025
Rotomation’s indexing actuators are designed to provide precise and repeatable rotary motion, essential for various automation tasks. This article from Rotomation explains how they work.
April 9, 2025
emergency relief vent from cross
Cross Company’s Process Solutions Group is proud to be the only certified assembler of GROTH pressure and vacuum relief vents in the United States.
April 8, 2025
WIKA 2025 Featured Products – Pressure, Temperature, Level, and Force. Learn more.
April 7, 2025

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In the meantime, enjoy these fun facts…

Did you know… Cross Company is an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan). Our ESOP started in 1979 and as of 2006, we are 100% employee-owned! Learn more about our ESOP and how that benefits both team members and our customers.
Did you know... the precision measurement group at Cross was founded in 1939 by our current CEO's grandfather, Jim King. That's a whole lot of calibration!
Did you know... A fingerprint weighs about 50 micrograms. We know, we weighed it! The residue left from a finger can actually make a difference in weight results which is why we wear gloves when we calibrate weights. For reference, a sheet of paper is about 4.5 grams, that’s 4.5 million micrograms.
Did you know… Cross Company has grown significantly since our start in 1954. Over the years we've acquired 26 companies! Today, our five groups have expertise in everything from industrial automation to precision measurement, and industry knowledge going all the way back to 1939.