CMM and inspection equipment finance
A CMM is usually bought because a customer approval demands it, which makes the timing urgent and the budget uncomfortable.
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Can you finance CMM and inspection equipment?
Yes. Coordinate measuring machines and inspection systems are funded as equipment, generally on hire purchase, and used machines are fundable from established suppliers. The complication is the mix. A CMM quote combines hardware with metrology software licences, probe systems, fixturing and often an environmental enclosure or air conditioning, and funders treat software and site works as soft. The other point people miss is calibration: a used CMM without a current calibration certificate and a known service history is a much weaker asset than the brand name on the bridge suggests.
Used kit: Yes — used CMMs are fundable from established suppliers, with current calibration, software transfer and service history mattering more than age.
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What would CMM and inspection equipment cost per month?
Asset finance is quoted on a flat rate, so that is what the buttons show, with the equivalent APR beside it. Your exact rate depends on the asset, the term, the deposit and the lender.
Prime is an established, profitable business with clean credit. Specialist covers newer businesses and credit that needs explaining — the asset itself carries part of the risk, which is why finance is often available where an unsecured loan is not.
Representative example: on Hire Purchase, borrowing £25,000 over 48 months at a 5.15% flat rate (equivalent to 9.9% APR representative), you would repay around £628 a month; total amount repayable approximately £30,150, of which £5,150 is the cost of finance. This calculator is for illustration only — it is not a quote or an offer of finance, and the rate and repayments you are offered will depend on the asset, term, deposit and your circumstances. CW Asset Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and may receive a commission from the lender that funds your agreement. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
Rates shown are indicative flat rates with the equivalent APR alongside — the two are not the same number. Indicative only and does not constitute a quote or an offer of finance. Subject to status and lender approval.
How lenders treat it
Funders class inspection equipment as softer security than a machine tool, and they are open about it. A CMM has a narrower resale market, is sensitive to moving and environment, and is worth little without the software and a valid calibration, all of which reduces what a funder will realise on recovery. Established names with a UK service network fare best. Software licences, seats and training are excluded or capped as pure soft cost. Air conditioning, granite bases and room preparation are site works. What underwriters do like is that inspection spend is usually driven by a customer requirement rather than speculation, which suggests committed work behind it. Declines tend to come where a small company buys a large metrology package that exceeds what its balance sheet supports.
Makes and models we fund
Examples of the machines we are asked to fund. This is not an exhaustive list — if what you are buying is not here, it does not mean we cannot fund it. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine | What it is |
|---|---|
| Hexagon Global S | Bridge measuring machine for inspection rooms |
| Hexagon Tigo SF | Compact shop floor measuring machine |
| Mitutoyo Crysta-Apex S | Bridge machine for accurate dimensional checks |
| Mitutoyo Crysta-Plus M | Manual measuring machine for small inspection rooms |
| Mitutoyo Quick Vision | Vision system for optical measurement |
| Zeiss Contura | Scanning measuring machine for complex geometry |
| Zeiss O-Inspect | Multi sensor machine for optical and contact work |
| Renishaw Equator | Comparative gauge for shop floor checking |
| Keyence IM-8000 | Image dimension measurement for quick checks |
| Faro Quantum arm | Portable measuring arm for large assemblies |
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Who buys one
Precision subcontractors chasing or holding an aerospace, medical or automotive quality approval, where the auditor has asked how dimensional results are verified. Also shops whose inspection bottleneck is now delaying despatch, and firms bringing measurement in-house after paying an external laboratory. The trigger is usually an audit finding, a customer PPAP requirement, or a concession on a batch of parts that has already cost real money in rework and credit notes.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
How it is treated for tax
Bought on hire purchase, business plant and machinery normally qualifies for capital allowances on the full cost even though you pay for it monthly, which is a large part of why hire purchase is the common structure. On a finance lease you generally set the rentals against profit instead. The rules change between budgets and your position depends on how you trade, so treat this as the direction of travel and get your accountant to confirm the detail before you commit.
CMM and inspection equipment finance questions
Is metrology software fundable?
Usually only as a capped soft cost, if at all. A licence has no recovery value to a funder, and CMM software is often the most expensive line on the quote. Some funders offer a separate software facility. Get the quote split between hardware, software and installation so we can see exactly what we are placing.
Why is inspection equipment treated as softer security?
Because the resale market is narrower, the machines are sensitive to relocation and environment, and value depends on software and a valid calibration transferring with the machine. None of that stops funding. It means a funder may advance a smaller proportion or want a deposit compared with a machining centre of similar cost.
Can the air conditioning and inspection room be included?
Generally not. A controlled room, air conditioning and granite installation are improvements to the building and cannot be repossessed, so they fall outside the advance. It is worth pricing the room at the same time as the machine, because a CMM outside its temperature specification will not give you the results the audit asked for.
Does a portable arm or scanner fund differently from a bridge CMM?
Portable equipment is smaller in value and easier to move, which cuts both ways: it is simpler to recover but also easier to lose, so funders may ask about security and insurance. Values are usually low enough that deal size becomes the issue, and arms are often funded alongside other equipment.
Can inspection equipment be funded alongside a machine tool?
Yes, and it is a sensible way to do it. Packaging a CMM with a machining centre gives the funder a stronger overall asset mix, since the hard asset supports the softer one. It also means one agreement, one set of documents and one conversation rather than two separate approvals.
Get a quoteor call 0333 772 4864
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Not an offer of finance. All finance is subject to status, affordability and lender approval.
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