Digital twins and dimensional metrology CMM Digital Twins in 2026: How QIF and MTConnect Could Change Dimensional Inspection Updated: 13 September 2026 Short answer: In June 2026, NIST published a standards-based demonstration of a digital twin for a coordinate measuring machine. The work combined QIF inspection data with MTConnect machine-motion data, synchronized the physical CMM with its digital representation, and validated the digital twin by comparing it with the physical machine. The research shows a practical route toward richer real-time CMM data, inspection analytics and automated feedback, but it also highlights the need for interoperability, validation and uncertainty control. A coordinate measuring machine already produces digital information. It knows where the probe moves. It records measured features. Its software evaluates dimensions and geometric characteristics. It may also create reports that feed quality systems. ...