We at Rapid3D get asked very often, what kinds of things can you do with your 3D Laser Scanners. We thought we would put together a short list of ideas and each newsletter we will continue to add new and interesting applications as they come up:
- Prototyping: Many designers create new designs using many different techniques that are not designed in CAD ahead of time. When a part, mould or prototype is created and the designer is satisfied with the design they often need to capture those design elements so that CAD models can be created for the production version of the part. This is where 3D Laser scanning and Rapidform XOR can be invaluable, to be able to capture the design intent with scan data and create CAD models for production purposes.
- Complex Designs: Designs that require shapes from existing objects to work. An example would be having to design a part to fit against another part, particularly if the shapes are complex. We often get asked to scan a complex shape so that a design will fit against it or match it correctly. This is an excellent use for 3D Laser Scanning.
- Part to CAD Inspection: Companies that have parts that are difficult to measure or inspect can benefit from the use of an EXAscan and Rapidform XOV. This combination allows the user to scan difficult shapes such as casted parts, free form shapes etc and digitally compare them to the nominal CAD model.
- Reverse Engineering: Companies are often asked to fix or recreate an old or obsolete part. Sometimes it may be a casting, or a part from a piece of equipment whose manufacturer is long gone and you need a new part to fix the equipment. 3D Laser Scanning and Rapidform XOR work very well to get the shape data from the old or broken part and XOR can then convert the scan data to a parametric, feature based solid model that can then be used in a CAD system or manufacturing or design purposes.
