Radius Scale Service Contract: What Three Years Covers

By Zygo | Published: 2026-10-31

Category: Buying Guides

A 3 Year Radius Scale Service Contract covers the Interferometric Radius Scale, including the Radius Laser and Controller. Here are the decision rules for choosing coverage versus paying per calibration.

Quick answer

Choose the 3 Year Radius Scale Service Contract if your Interferometric Radius Scale is a production or revenue-critical instrument and you want predictable service coverage for the Radius Laser and Controller across three years. Pay per calibration instead if the radius scale is used intermittently or you cannot commit to a multi-year service window.

Why the laser and controller, not just the scale, drive the decision

The contract's scope is the Interferometric Radius Scale, with coverage that includes the Radius Laser and Controller. Those are the active elements that turn a radius measurement into a usable result, so the decision is less about the scale hardware alone and more about keeping the full measurement chain supported.

If your radius scale sits inside a workflow where an unexpected laser or controller issue stalls incoming work, the three-year term is the stronger fit. If the instrument is a secondary check that can wait for a scheduled service visit, the contract adds less value.

What the catalog does not tell you

The supplied product record lists a three-year term, the covered equipment, and the ZYGO brand and SKU, but it does not list response times, on-site versus depot service, exclusions, or calibration intervals. Treat those as questions for Zygo before you buy rather than assumptions.

This matters because a service contract is only as useful as its terms. Ask specifically whether scheduled radius scale accuracy maintenance is included, what happens after a failed calibration, and how the contract handles a laser or controller replacement.

Where pay-per-calibration wins

A pay-per-calibration approach keeps spending tied to actual use, which suits a lab where the radius scale is one of several instruments and measurement volume is low or seasonal. It also avoids locking in a three-year window before you know how the instrument will be used.

The trade-off is that unscheduled repairs and support calls fall outside a fixed term, so you absorb the administrative and cost variability. If your finance team prefers predictable annual service lines, the contract is easier to budget.

Decision rules for choosing coverage

If the radius scale is revenue-critical: Choose the 3 Year Radius Scale Service Contract when downtime on the Interferometric Radius Scale directly delays billable or production work, because the contract keeps the Radius Laser and Controller under a single three-year support term. Confirm the contract's response-time terms before relying on it for uptime planning.
If usage is low or intermittent: Stay with pay-per-calibration when the radius scale is used occasionally and you can tolerate waiting for a scheduled service visit, since a three-year commitment only pays off when the instrument is active enough to justify it.
If you need a known calibration interval: Ask Zygo to state the calibration interval and what radius scale accuracy maintenance is included before you sign, because the supplied contract record does not specify intervals or maintenance tasks. Get the interval and maintenance scope in writing; do not infer them from the three-year term.
If the laser or controller is the weak point: Favor the contract when past issues have centered on the Radius Laser or Controller, since those components are explicitly within the covered scope rather than treated as add-ons.

Product facts

3 Year Radius Scale Service Contract: Three-year service and support contract for the Interferometric Radius Scale, covering the Radius Laser and Controller. It bundles the active measurement components into one term, so you are not deciding coverage piece by piece.
3 Year Radius Scale Service Contract

Who should choose the contract

Best for

Labs running the Interferometric Radius Scale as a primary production or revenue instrument
Teams that want the Radius Laser and Controller under one three-year support term
Buyers who prefer predictable service budgeting over variable repair costs

Not for

Shops using the radius scale only occasionally, where pay-per-calibration matches actual use
Buyers who need service terms, response times, or calibration intervals confirmed first and cannot wait for clarification
Instrument owners who already hold overlapping coverage for the same equipment