While the technology for the 3D scanner has been around for a great deal of time, the initial designs were nowhere near as useful as the technology has been in recent years.
The technology has become so advanced that it can fit in the palm of your hand while providing countless benefits to your business and its workflow. To find out what those benefits are and how to implement the technology, read on!
1. Design Process
Whether designing around objects or fitting designs to already existing objects, there is a great deal of adaptation needed by designers on any project. 3D scanning can create a CAD model from parts existing and those created to aid in the process.
There are a multitude of ways this works, such as the following;
- A 3D scanner can ensure that parts will fit together on the first go around
- Increased effectiveness of complex shapes and parts
- 3D scanners will capture measurements of objects quickly
- Allows for the updating of older CAD models
- Captures/records engineering optimizations of manufactured parts
A handheld 3D scanner is often best used in much of this process as many of the intricate parts can be harder to get an accurate read on with larger scanners.
2. Quality Control
3D scanners can be utilized as CMMs or coordinate measuring machines. What that means is that they can record the various X, Y, and Z coordinates of an object and create a report of its dimensions.
Once you generate this report, you are able to compare it to the original CAD design that was created for the object produced. It will give a clear picture of where there are faults and how you need to alter the item.
Increasing accuracy is the nature of 3D scanning; it is a non-contact technology and, because of that, won’t interfere with detecting warpage or scale.
3. Prototyping
With the use of 3D scanning, the number of prototypes that need to be created is greatly cut down. This means lower production costs and fewer design cycles. With both of these lowed you can boost your production levels greatly.
By 3D scanning a prototype, you can work on a variety of features and measurements. Using a scan, you can ensure all alterations are equal among all aspects and measurements.
For example, if you need to triple the size of a design, you can be certain that using a 3D scan, you will have all the precise measurements triple at the same time. These scans allow for easy comparisons, both poor and improvements alike.
4. Aids the Engineering Process
All of the data gathered through the 3D scan process can kick off the engineering process immediately. Manipulation of an item that has already entered the manufacturing stage is costly and difficult.
With 3D scan data, the engineering team is able to run a variety of tests;
- CFD or Computational Fluid Dynamics
- CAE or Computer Aided Engineering
- FEA or Finite Element Analysis
Each of the procedures allows for the testing of new designs before they have to go through the entire manufacturing process. This prevents a huge amount of production time and loss of materials.
5. Streamlined Production Process
3D scanning is utilized to make quick changes to any design as a product or part changes throughout its voyage on the manufacturing floor. The process could be held up for long periods of time if 3D scanning was not utilized.
These scans can allow for the various optimizations made
After finishing a product, you can take a 3D scan in order to create a CAD model allowing for replicas and recreation instantly via 3D printing. This allows for quick reproduction and manipulation.
Choosing a 3D Scanner
After understanding the uses and how they will benefit the workflow in your business, the next step is how to choose the proper hardware itself. There are three major factors that go into the selection process;
- The exact use of the device
- Size of the device
- Price against accuracy
Types of Scanners
There are five different types of 3D scanning methods, and each of the five is particularly effective at different applications. This is the first step in the selection process.
- Photogrammetry
- Structured Light
- Time of Flight
- Laser
- Contact
Photogrammetry is technically a separate method as it simply requires a camera and specialized computer software. This process uses a huge collection of photographs to create a 3D model rather than active light sources.
There can be issues with this process, however, when dealing with the detail of textures especially. Additionally, processing time tends to be a bit longer as well. It is much more cost-efficient for very large objects, though.
Structured light scanning can provide very precise measurements with ease. These, especially when utilized in a handheld fashion, are perfect for quality control or medical applications.
With structured light scanning, a geometric pattern is cast upon an object, and the device registers the changes in the pattern. This makes the devices particularly flexible as they can be stationary as well as mobile devices.
Even more accurate is the Laser Scanning or Triangulation device. These devices work very similarly to the structured light scanners, projecting a beam and using geometric patterns to find a point on an object.
However, they are even more accurate, down to the slightest micrometer! The downside is that the laser scanners are rarely available in a handheld form.
Depending on the need for precise measurement or resting measurement, like that in contact scanning or flatbed scanning, your device size will change.
A Clear Image With The Top 3D Scanners
The benefits of utilizing 3D scanners for your business are clear, and so will the images you create when you utilize the devices from Go3DPro. From small to large, there will be no problem reproducing any design you create.
You know what they can do for you, and you know what you need to do to make it work, so be sure to make that addition today!
