Acu-rite is part of the Heidenhain group of companies, which provides high-end precision measuring components and systems to customers in the United States. As an innovation leader in the field of digital readouts for CNC systems and machine tools, Acu-rite commissioned zweigrad to develop the company’s first Bluetooth-enabled digital readout tablet app for iPads. The droPWR product package includes both an app and a technical interface that exchanges machine tool data via Bluetooth.

For this project, which allows users to pair the droPWR app with multiple machine tools, intuitive installation and use were key to us. To also appeal to younger age groups who are used to digital touchscreen devices, such as students and trainees, a new design language and a touch-based operating concept was called for. zweigrad thus transformed a complex, softkey-operated software solution into a touchscreen application that allows users to seamlessly navigate both new and legacy solutions. We successfully integrated the iPad-related accessibility features and standards into the UX design, and the new design also supports the use of split-screen apps.