Brunson Instrument Company

A Blog for Metrology Enthusiasts

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Sixty Years in a Cave!

David Buck
By David Buck on Feb 26, 2020 7:30:00 AM

Sixty years ago today, February 26, 1960, Brunson Instrument Company went underground. Literally.

The move to our cave location became necessary when Brunson started adapting surveying equipment for the tight tolerances of the jet age on behalf of what would become one of our biggest customers, the Boeing Airplane Company. The year was 1948, and Brunson’s downtown factory just couldn’t cut it… so founder A. N. Brunson had an idea:

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Minus 58 Degrees Fahrenheit

David Buck
By David Buck on Nov 15, 2019 2:10:07 PM

And the Brunson gear was ‘the only one that worked’

Rear Adm. Richard Byrd knew how to survive in extreme cold. In 1939, the explorer would set out for his third expedition to the Antarctic. It was his first with U.S. government sponsorship.

The 150 servicemen under his command would load four small aircraft, a massive, 33-ton vehicle called the ‘Snow Cruiser,’ along with dog teams, provisions, tents and cold weather gear aboard two vessels, the USS Bear and North Star. The ships steamed southward out of Boston toward the icy continent 80 years ago today: November 15, 1939.

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Welcome to the cave, Governor Parson!

David Buck
By David Buck on Oct 23, 2019 3:33:41 PM

Governor Parson is pictured at left with Brunson Instrument Company President Deighton Brunson.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson toured Brunson’s unique underground factory in Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday, October 22nd. Founded in 1927 in downtown Kansas City by inventor A. N. Brunson, the employee-owned company is now represented by third-generation leader Deighton Brunson. Deighton expressed his appreciation to the governor for state programs that have helped support valuable training of Brunson employees.

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How is your laser tracker performing?

David Buck
By David Buck on Oct 17, 2019 9:17:57 AM

Laser trackers are amazing, complex machines. Lots of moving parts. You baby them, of course—they are your most precise measurement device. But you still worry. It’s in your job description.

Now, you’ve got some critical measurements coming up. And it’s been 5 months since your tracker arrived back from the manufacturer’s certification.

Can you be confident in that next reading? Is your tracker performing within Maximum Permissible Errors? How about another 5 months from now?

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Control those SMRs!

David Buck
By David Buck on Aug 7, 2019 2:03:39 PM

Living on the Edge… but Never Falling

They get cracked, scratched, and occasionally dropped into the assembly while taking measurements. Brunson Instrument Company offers several options for controlling your SMR so it stays in place or securing it so that even if it does get dropped, it doesn’t get damaged.

Consider these innovative SMR target holders:

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Getting the most out of your SMRs

David Buck
By David Buck on Jul 22, 2019 2:00:00 PM

For a laser tracker to function correctly, the SMR has to cooperate. Brunson Instrument Company offers drift nests and adapters that place your SMR where you need it and record that next measurement accurately. Consider these target holders:

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Are You Getting the Most Out of Your Laser Tracker?

David Buck
By David Buck on Jul 8, 2019 2:00:00 PM

Brunson Instrument Company has been helping the world measure for more than 90 years, and we continue to develop equipment that makes industrial measurement easier, more effective and precise.

Not everyone is getting the most out of their laser tracker. Consider these target holders, each designed to address specific precision targeting challenges and allow you to get the next shot faster and more efficiently:

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A Better Mousetrap

David Buck
By David Buck on Jun 27, 2019 12:01:09 PM
By David Buck

The Great Depression may have been the best thing that ever happened to Brunson Instrument Company.


Amber Nelson Brunson repairing precision surveying equipment in his shop, 1929.

The founder's story is like many of the early 1900s: an ambitious, gifted and intelligent young man moves from a hardscrabble farm (and a log cabin!) to the big city to look for work.

Amber Nelson Brunson was forced to leave school after the 3rd grade to help his family make ends meet, but what he lacks in formal education he makes up for in mechanical aptitude, design skills and determination.

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About the blog

The Brunson blog is designed to be a platform for collaborative exploration in the field of metrology. You can expect to explore new Brunson products, hear from industry professionals invited to be contributing editors, and gain insight from customers who use Brunson products. So if you are one of the chosen few people who understand that Metrology is not a study of the weather, please join us here.