Saturday, June 6, 2009

3D Scanning in Reverse Engineering

By Daniel McCarthy

A growing number of industries have been able to successfully take advantage of 3D scanning technology within the past decade. This state of the art technology has become much more accessible and affordable as the technology improves. By using 3D scanners, you can get easy and accurate scans that can be used for reverse engineering and inspection. This technology has grown to have many useful applications far beyond the automotive industry and the military. A number of different fields are using 3D scanners.

Laser light technology is used in 3D scanning to create a digital model of an existing object. The information from the scan can then be input into software programs to produce CAD models or triangle mesh models which are used for analysis.

The scan produces a point cloud which effectually is a digital representation of the physical surface of the object. This data can be used for analysis and evaluation. 3D scanning has been used by engineers to recreate critical components of structures when original designs have been lost, such as in some large bridges.

Modern technological advancements have given us a variety of scanning models. These scanners can accommodate a large variety of objects, from the smallest nail to a large bridge. Scanners can be classified as contact scanners and non-contact. You can select the appropriate type of scanner based upon the size of the object that you need to have scanned and the material composition of the object.

3D laser scanning is also ideal for objects that are composed of various materials that are delicate, which is why they are relied upon in the field of archaeology. By using reverse engineering, archaeologists are able to create reproductions of dinosaur fossils and other valuable artifacts for study and placement in museums.

3D scanning also has a number of useful and growing applications within the medical field. Dentists use the technology in order to manufacture dental implants for patients. It has also improved the quality of orthotics. The scanning technology has significantly improved orthotics by helping them to fit more naturally.

Reverse engineering has been heavily relied upon by the manufacturing community. A number of manufacturers use this technology to guarantee that their products meet regulations before they are mass-produced.

3D scanning and reverse engineering technology continues to improve, increasing the number of useful applications that it has. As the design of scanning models has made them more portable and affordable, the number of useful applications of this technology will continue to grow.

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