Do you know how to use a 3D laser scanner?

3D laser scanning is the use of non-contact technology to capture a surface. Different industries use the 3D scanner to make their work easier. 3D laser scanning offers much more convenience than most traditional methods.

Doctors can learn a new procedure without testing it on their patients. You can create mechanical pieces with the help of 3D printing.

Interested in 3D laser scanning? This article covers everything you need to know. Read on to discover how it works and what its applications are.

 

What Is 3D Laser Scanning?

3D laser scanning is a method used to capture the specific measurement of a physical object. It uses a non-contact technology to record the information with its laser light. 3D laser scanning transforms the data collected into a digitalized 3D presentation

3D scanning is ideal for examining the outline of surfaces and complex patterns. Thus, people use this in the environment, construction, and more.

Different industries use a 3D scanner in their work. Dentists, jewelers, and more make use of this tool to make their job easier.

 

How Does 3D Laser Scanning Work?

It's easy to explain the process of 3D laser scanning. To perform 3D scanning, you need your EinScan 3D scanner, sensor, and a digitizer bed.

1. Data Collection

You place the object you would scan on a digitizer bed to start data collection. The laser scanner goes on top of the surface to examine with the help of software.

The 3D scanner casts a one-line laser light to the surface. The sensor then captures the laser line while it changes shape and direction.

There are different methods you can use to collect data. You can apply the triangulation system or laser pulse scanning.

The triangulation system is best for a millimeter-short range scan. It scans the property of the object and produces accurate data.

3D scanners with a triangulation system use a laser line to scan an object within a millimeter range. The 3D scanner can map the surface of the object once it collected enough data.

Keep note that triangulation is sensitive when it comes to the surface. It’s difficult to map a transparent or dark area. A handheld scanner is ideal for this system.

Laser pulse scanning or time-of-flight is another laser scanning method. It measures the duration of the projected laser light to reach the object and back to the scanner. It determines the total distance between the laser scanner and the target.

Applying laser pulse scanning takes time. This is the best technique for scanning wide and large settings. You can use this to examine a building or the environment.

2. Data Processing

A laser scanner records the object’s surface, and the data collected appears on a computer as a point cloud. The 3D laser scanner will continue to capture the object and add each point to the cloud as it happens. The duration will depend on the range of the surface scanned.

3. Model Depends on Application

You register and combine the cloud of data created from the data processing. They put the data together to make a 3D representation of the scanned surface. You can process the 3D model with software packages, making it apt for a specific application.

4. Data for Inspection

Compare the point cloud data to the model for inspection. You can make use of the designer’s CAD data for comparison. It produces a color-coded result and shows the differences between the point cloud data and the CAD model.

Computer-aided design, or CAD, is the use of computers to aid with design and engineering. Many industries use this for their projects. 3D printing is one of the typical applications for CAD.

5. Reverse Engineering

Laser scanning is the fastest way to create a 3D model for reverse engineering. Reverse engineering is the disassembling of an object to discover how it works. This can help you upgrade an object like software.

You can use specialized software to decode the cloud of data and translate it into a format fit for 3D printers. The CAD diagram allows the reproduction of the scanned data. It modifies the object to correct errors, too.

 

Application of 3D Laser Scanning

As mentioned prior, many industries use 3D laser scanners to assist them with their work. It hastens the process of the job, resulting in more time to do more.

1. Road and Traffic Analysis

Using a 3D laser scanner to perform analysis on roads and traffics saves time and makes it easy. It’s hard to stop traffic to inspect the area. Thus, using a 3D scanner is more convenient.

They perform road and traffic analysis to give solutions to heavy traffic. It allows them to identify the problem and come up with the best solution.

2. Medical Uses

3D laser scanning is beneficial even to the medical field. It lets medical professionals study the procedure they need to perform. 3D laser scanner provides a visual image of the internal parts of the body.

With this, doctors can tell the problem and figure out the procedure to perform. It can also help dentists. It allows the dentist to determine the problem without doing many operations.

3. Creating Mechanical Pieces

3D scanning helps in creating mechanical pieces for machinery. With the help of 3d printing, you can make a 3D model of the parts needed in a machine.

You create many layers of the material to produce a physical object. It also allows you to see the missing and broken parts.

 

Discovering 3D Laser Scanning and Its Use

You can do and produce many things using 3D laser scanning. It allows you to measure the surface of an object and create its 3D representation for you to study. Different industries use 3D laser scanners to make their work easier.

Interested in 3D scanning? We got you covered. Contact us today for all your 3D scanning needs!