3D Scanner Blog

Measuring Metal Stampings with 3D Laser Scanners

It can be a challenge to inspect metal stampings, measure die wear, and ensure that specifications have been met. Traditional methods like calipers or coordinate measuring machines can fail or introduce errors that make it difficult to accurately measure the entirety of a stamped part.

To overcome these difficulties, many companies in the automotive, aerospace, computing, consumer electronics, and other industries turn to 3D scanners. An industrial 3D scanner can perform a complete inspection of a metal stamping. Unlike traditional methods that rely on the capture of a few pre-programmed points, a non-contact 3D scanner captures millions of data points and represents the true geometry of the component.

Stamped metal part: LCD screen panel

Laser scanners are ideal for metal stampings because they allow quality control staff to:

• Quickly measure the entire part and compare it to a CAD model or known good part, no matter how complex the stampings are.
• Detect die wear and other manufacturing challenges.
• Reduce human error.
• Produce automated inspection reports.

While 3D scanning is still new to some quality managers, we’ve been pioneering industrial 3D scanners at ShapeGrabber for 20 years and have seen them used effectively for the measurement of metal stampings. We can show you how a 3D scanner is:

• Is fast. You don’t need to rely on a few sample points collected with a slow CMM. 3D scanners can capture millions of data points in minutes.
• Is easy. The visual nature of the results makes it possible to quickly troubleshoot  a problem and get back to production. Moreover, you don’t need to write a computer program before scanning a part.
• Handles complex shapes. Curves and multiple features aren’t a problem for industrial 3D laser scanners. They easily scan the complex surface dimensions of metal stampings.
• Saves time & money. Parts don’t have to be placed in an expensive fixture to be scanned, leading to significant savings in capital costs. 

To learn more, we recommend these resources:

• How 3D Laser Scanners Work: A Step-by-Step Process Read >>
• Video: 3D Scanning Demonstration View >>

 

 

Improving Quality Control Processes with a 3D Scanner

One of the many benefits of a 3D laser scanner is that it is suitable in most quality control environments. In particular, a 3D scanner can enhance 100% inspection, statistical process control (SPC), and part production approval processes (PPAP).

100% Inspection Process: Enhancing Efficiencies

In the aerospace industry as an example, many parts require 100% inspection to ensure that every part shipped conforms exactly to specifications. In this environment, the volume of parts is relatively low and the impact of a failed part is very high. ShapeGrabber 3D scanners are used by a number of aerospace-parts manufacturers to increase the efficiency and coverage of 100% inspection processes.

By rapidly capturing the entire surface area of a part – including complex-shaped parts such as molded plastics or cast metals – a 3D laser scanner enhances 100% inspection with speed, and:

• An accurate measurement of the whole part can be obtained in minutes
• No special skills are required to conduct the scan
• The scanned data is quickly compared to spec via direct comparison to  CAD models, producing visual reports that show deficiencies at a glance

 

Statistical Process Control: Enhancing Data

In other situations, it may not be possible (or practical) to manually inspect each and every part off the line. Instead, manufacturers may use statistical process control (SPC). By testing a random sample of products as they leave the production line and extrapolating the results, manufacturers develop company-specific models to determine product conformance. This is a common practice in the automotive industry, for example.

Traditionally, SPC methods were tailored to devices that measure only a few points – such as gauges or coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). Most SPC models were developed more than 20 years ago, and while they have been refined over time, most do not include a 3D scanner as a source of inspection data.

Today, a 3D scanner can dramatically improve an existing SPC model by providing much more data than traditional methods. A 3D laser scanner captures a dense “point cloud” of millions of data points that represent the entire surface area of the part. 3D scanners also reduce inspection time dramatically as this data can be captured in minutes.

ShapeGrabber 3D scanners interoperate with laser scanner software that include built-in SPC capability, and that can also export the measurements for treatment by favorite SPC packages such as Minitab.  This makes it simple to implement a ShapeGrabber 3D scanner within an SPC environment. SPC can also help to identify and prevent defects early in the production process, rather than correcting problems after they have occurred.

Production Part Approval Process: Enhancing Speed

3D laser scanners can also shave time off of the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), a standard approval process for new parts in the automotive industry. To obtain PPAP approval, manufacturers must measure a few parts many times to establish credibility. This is usually done with coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), and is typically very time consuming.

A ShapeGrabber automated 3D scanner makes quick work of this task. It not only reduces the inspection time required, but also generates more thorough results as well as automated reports.

The 3D scan data provided by ShapeGrabber scanners is also NIST-traceable.

For additional information, we recommend these resources:

•  How 3D Scanning Works – online tutorial Read >>
•  Introduction to 3D Scanning video Watch >>

 

Upgrade Your Operations in 2013 - With a 3D Scanner!

In this Industry Week article, a leading economist recommends that 2013 be the year that American business owners invest in upgrading their operations. After examining both positive global trends and risks, Alan Beaulieu concludes:

Adding to my positive outlook is the fact that virtually all of our leading indicators are pointing toward more economic expansion over the next two quarters. We can see rising trends in the ITR Leading Indicator, U.S. Leading Indicator, Purchasing Managers Index, Housing Starts and Employment. 

These signals indicate that now is the time to take advantage of pessimism and low prices. Spend some money to upgrade operations in an effort to maximize efficiency. Don't be driven by the "there be dragons" headlines; instead chart a course that meets the challenges of 2013 and takes advantage of the opportunities that will be offered.

As a critical part of manufacturing operations, Quality Control and Quality Inspection processes can be significantly enhanced by upgrading traditional, time-consuming manual measurement and inspection processes with an automated, industrial ShapeGrabber 3D scanner.

In addition to speeding quality inspection, reducing defects shipped, and thoroughly measuring and inspecting complex-shaped parts, a ShapeGrabber scanner can also support:

• Lean Manufacturing initiatives (learn how)
• Reduce the costs, time, and labour associated with using hard gauges (learn how)
• Replace or complement costly CMMs (learn how)
• Support and reduce the costs of Model-Based Design (MBD) (learn how)
• Drive down manufacturing costs (see an example)
• Become more innovative (see an example)
• ...and more.

Contact us for a cost-benefit analysis of how a 3D scanner can contribute to your operations upgrade in 2013!

 

Too Many Points to Measure? Speed up Your Quality Inspection Process with a 3D Scanner

Quality inspection processes often have to be balanced with the need for speed. Complex parts with compound curves and multiple features can be time-consuming to properly measure and inspect using traditional methods such as touch-probing, calipers, or gauges.

"Point cloud" - scan data of a plastic part produced by a ShapeGrabber 3D scanner

When products are complex, many points need to be measured, and speed is important, an automated 3D scanner such as a ShapeGrabber scanner is often the answer. Rather than having to cut corners or being simply unable to inspect some parts or points, manufacturers can use 3D scanners for thorough, rapid quality inspection. Manufacturers can:

• Reduce inspection time
• Quickly troubleshoot fit problems
• Evaluate part wear
• Measure whole parts rather than just a few points
• Minimize equipment downtime and make rapid Go/No Go decisions

A 3D laser scanner requires only a fraction of the time and resources of traditional inspection methods, yet provides thorough part coverage. The scan captures a dense “point cloud” that represents the entire surface are of the object – including curves, holes, dips, threads and other features.

ShapeGrabber’s automated 3D scanners are easy to use, as there is no need to write special code to scan each object or angle. Millions of data points are captured in minutes, the 3D part scan data can be compared to a CAD drawing or to the scan data of a known good part. This provides timely 3D measurement feedback for quality control, with automatically generated reports to prove that products are being produced to specification.

Please contact ShapeGrabber for more information or to request a sample part scan.

For additional information, we recommend these resources:

•  How 3D Scanning Works – online tutorial Read >>
•  Introduction to 3D Scanning video Watch >>

Fastest 3D Scanhead Released for Industrial 3D Quality Inspection

ShapeGrabber today announced the availability of its fastest scanhead to date. The SG156 scanhead delivers a scanning speed gain of 2 to 10 times as compared to previous models, as well as a larger sensing range and greater stability in temperature variations.

Scanhead Features

The SG156 is backward-compatible with all currently installed ShapeGrabber 3D scanners, with the addition of a new mounting bracket assembly.

Key enhancements include:

• Up to 10 times faster scanning speed than its predecessor
• Variable field of view in addition to depth of field
• Greater accuracy and tolerance to temperature changes
• Larger dynamic sensing range to scan wider range of part types
• A new mounting design allows the SG 156 scanhead to be easily installed and removed; and, provides greater precision

Customer Feedback

DENTSPLY Implants ATLANTIS division, supplier of digital implant solutions and CAD/CAM abutments, has been using ShapeGrabber scanners for more than 7 years, processing thousands
of dental models each week at facilities in Sweden and in the U.S. DENTSPLY Implants is now using the new SG156 scanhead in all its ShapeGrabber scanners.

Per Nilsson, Process Engineer at DENTSPLY Implants, Mölndal Sweden, said: “We originally chose ShapeGrabber 3D scanners for their speed, ease of use, data quality and excellent scan volume. With the new SG156 scanhead, these benefits are now magnified and support our business growth. We have reduced our average scan time, thereby increasing our output capacity while significantly reducing cost-per-scan.”

Detailed specifications for all ShapeGrabber scanheads can be found here >>

Achieving Very Fast Coordinate Measurement

If you are familiar with optical coordinate measuring machines (CMM), you know that their strengths are high single-point accuracy. However, they do not allow for very rapid measurement simply because they are designed to measure specific single points, each of which must be programmed into the machine.

If you are looking for a very fast coordinate measurement, an automated 3D laser scanner may meet your needs. Industrial, automated 3D scanners are non-contact measurement and inspection tools that capture hundreds of thousands of data points to accurately represent the entire surface geometry of a part.

3D laser scanning's strengths lie in rapid whole-part scanning and comparison to CAD data, making it invaluable for quality inspection, particularly of parts with complex shapes, compound curves and multiple features. A 3D scanner can complement traditional measurement techniques such as coordinate measurement machines (CMMs), hard gauges, and manual measurement by enabling rapid Go/No Go decisions.

Some key capabilities of automated 3D laser scanners include:

• 

  ShapeGrabber Ai810 Automated 3D Scanner with complex-shaped part on scanning turntable.
  Non-contact scanning with very high density output
• Fast data acquisition of hundreds
  of thousands of points per second
• The ability to scan the entire surface area of a part, as well as very complex shapes
• The ability to scan material of any rigidity or density
• Little or no fixturing required
• Ease of use because CAD training
  is not required

3D scanners are commonly used in conjunction with, or sometimes in place of, traditional CMM machines in situations such as these:

• The part has a complex shape or compound curves that a traditional CMM cannot effectively measure
• Time-to-measure must be minimized to reduce cost and reduce delays
• Quality control or inspection is required for the entire surface area of the part
• The part is not rigid enough to sustain its shape through CMM contact
• Investment in precise fixtures must be minimized to reduce cost
• There is a shortage of trained resources available to run complex CMMs
• The scans can also be used in product design and design trouble shooting

CMMs are known for their high single-point accuracy, and they can be built large enough to accommodate entire vehicles. 3D laser scanners provide rapid whole-part scanning for inspection and measurement of complex shapes that may lack rigidity or density.

Learn more about how a 3D laser scanner works >>

 

Small Industrial Applications of 3D Scanning: Video

This video demonstrates how 3D laser scanners can be used to quickly capture the entire surface geometry of small parts in industrial settings.

View it now >>

Closing the Quality Loop through 3D Measurement & Inspection

In this Quality Digest article, Donald Jasurda correctly observes of today's quality environment:

"The focus of manufacturing quality has shifted to a discussion about the cost of quality and how to manage it. The manufacturer that can minimize the cost of quality while producing products the fastest, is the one that will win in today’s market."

The article focuses on “closed loop” quality management from a dimensional analysis perspective. In broader terms, closed-loop quality management involves the ongoing collection and evaluation of data from all parts of the manufacturing process to identify potential problems before quality issues arise. Virtual simulations and tolerance analyses are some of the tools used in this approach.

3D Scanners: A Natural Fit in Closed-Loop Quality Management

ShapeGrabber Ai810 automated 3D scanner with plastic part on scanning table

For an organization with closed-loop quality management practices in place, an automated 3D scanner is a natural fit in the quality process. Specifically, 3D scanning can be integrated into the quality inspection process to provide dimensional measurement and analysis of parts as they are manufactured.

Jasurda lists eight steps involved in a closed-loop quality management process. Data produced by automated 3D scanners, such as those manufactured by ShapeGrabber, enables a number of those steps to be integrated into the quality inspection process. These include:

1. Analyze tolerances. Complete 3D data of entire parts can be captured in minutes and fed into the closed-loop process for evaluation, tolerance analysis, decision-making and revision as required.
2. Generate dimensional data. The 3D scanner generates accurate three-dimensional data of a given part’s entire surface area. The automatically generated reports can be stored for future reference.
3. Conduct root cause analysis. 3D scan data supports quality engineers in isolating common quality problems and identifying their cause – such as mold wear, thermal and pressure settings and so on.

The author summarizes the cost benefits of these steps:

“By relying on virtual simulations throughout this process and feeding measurement inspection data back into the tolerance model, engineers can quickly pinpoint issues and perform corrective actions—avoiding the need to chase problems through their build processes by trial and error. This saves direct and indirect costs required to achieve quality goals.”

An automated 3D laser scanner further extends the scope of this process to reach into the quality inspection arena.

Achieve Best-In-Class Quality Inspection with Automated 3D Laser Scanners

This Aberdeen Group report on closed-loop quality management identifies the top goals of quality managers today. 3D scanning in the quality inspection process contributes directly to the top two of those goals:

1. Ensure customer satisfaction. Once a production part is scanned with an automated  3D laser scanner, it is easily compared to CAD data, and the easy-to-understand, visual reports demonstrate to the customer that parts are meeting spec.  
2. Reduce the total cost of quality. Automated 3D scanners provide a dramatic improvement in efficiency over traditional methods of measurement, such as calipers or touch-probe CMM tools. Automation both reduces the total cost of quality and makes it possible for quality inspection processes to provide greater coverage – scanning more parts faster, or scanning parts that were previously impossible to measure due to complexity of shape or material type.

ShapeGrabber 3D scan data compared to CAD model using Polyworks(R) software

3D scanning also supports one of the top two best-in-class strategies that Aberdeen Group identifies: continuing to improve operator effectiveness by delivering critical quality data from across the enterprise. With comprehensive, accurate 3D scan data, operators are able to quickly detect and isolate quality problems such as warpage, twist, fit, and die wear. They can rapidly compare the data to known good parts, designs or prototypes. They can easily produce automatic inspection reports to share with customers or other experts. And, they can use the data to make rapid go/no-go decisions.

Another group of attributes of “best-in-class” manufacturers that Aberdeen Group identifies relate to defect rates. Those manufacturers who are top in quality average 31% fewer defects per million; spend 29% less on internal failures; and spend 60% more on defect prevention. Once again, a 3D scanner can contribute to developing such leading practices, and has been shown to reduce defects-shipped rates. For example, a ShapeGrabber 3D laser scanner helped this mold maker to resolve a specific persistent problem of error rates on the floor.

Automated 3D Laser Scanners Help Close the Quality Loop

For manufacturers focused on improving customer satisfaction, reducing the total cost of quality, and minimizing defects-shipped, an automated 3D laser scanner can contribute directly to quality management goals and best practices. They are particularly valuable in situations where complex-shaped parts (compound curves, multiple features) are otherwise too time consuming, costly, or simply impossible to measure.

If complex-shaped parts are leaving holes in your closed-loop quality management practices, contact ShapeGrabber for a free part scan or to learn how an automated 3D scanner capability can improve your quality inspection program.

 

3D Laser Scanning in the Aerospace Industry

As we mentioned in our post on quality inspection of metal castings, aerospace companies are using 3D laser scanning for inspection, measurement and modeling. From airframe parts to jet engine components, 3D scanning is helping the aerospace industry to more accurately model aircraft bodies, aircraft parts, and cockpit areas.

3D scanners are ideal for use in many aerospace inspection and measurement projects because they are excellent at measuring complex components like turbine blades and molded plastic parts. rather than slowly capturing only a few pre-programmed points (as is done with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) or calipers), non-contact 3D laser scanners capture millions of data points and generate a dense “point cloud” that models the true geometry of the part. This data can be sent to CAD or directly to CAM software to be measured, manipulated and replicated.

3D laser scanning is also very fast, which helps aerospace manufacturers reduce production equipment downtime, material waste and human inspection error.

At ShapeGrabber, we have a number of aerospace clients who rely on laser scanning to:

• Ensure the dimensional requirements of aerospace parts are met
• Provide documented proof that manufacturers are meeting specifications by providing NIST-traceable data and accurate 3D laser scans of complex-shaped parts 
• Optimize manufacturing processes based on detailed part shapes
• Reduce shipping defects
• Rapidly conduct first-article inspection
• Quickly troubleshoot fit problems
• Produce trend reports

By inspecting and measuring complex-shaped aircraft parts with a laser scanner, these companies are creating the accurate CAD data they need to model legacy parts, replicate existing parts for which 3D models are no longer available, and ensure stringent dimensional specifications for cast and machined parts.

To learn more, we recommend these resources:

• How 3D Laser Scanners Work: A Step-by-Step Process Read >>
• Video: 3D Scanning Demonstration View >>

 

 

 

Measuring Metal Castings with 3D Laser Scanners

Obtaining accurate measurements of metal castings can be a challenge. Their complex shapes can make them extremely difficult to measure accurately and completely using traditional methods like calipers or coordinate measuring machines.

3D laser scanners are excellent tools to speed and simplify inspection and measurement or cast-metal parts. 3D scanners allow manufacturers to perform a complete inspection of complex-shaped castings. Unlike traditional methods that rely on the capture of a few pre-programmed points, a non-contact 3D laser scanner captures millions of data points and represents the true geometry of the component.

The 3D scanner captures a dense “point cloud” that represents the complete surface area of the part. This data can be sent to CAD or directly to CAM software to be measured, manipulated and replicated. With a complete 3D model of the part or object, it’s easy to:

• Quickly measure and inspect the entire metal casting
• Troubleshoot fit problems with other parts and quickly identify deviations from the original CAD data
• Make rapid pass/fail decisions with confidence
• Optimize the manufacturing process based on detailed part shapes
• Reduce shipping defects
• Get accurate and timely feedback on casting prototypes

Manufacturers that produce metal castings are quickly finding that 3D scanning technology is an excellent fit for their quality inspection needs for the following reasons:

• It’s fast. On-line production no longer needs to rely on a few sample points collected with a slow CMM. Lasers can capture millions of data points in minutes. 
• It’s easy. The visual nature of the results makes it possible to quickly troubleshoot the nature of a problem and get back to production. Moreover, you don’t need to write a computer program before scanning a part.
• It handles complex shapes. Curves and multiple features aren’t a problem for industrial 3D laser scanners. They easily scan the complex surface dimensions of metal castings.
• It saves time & money. Parts don’t have to be placed in an expensive fixtures to be scanned, leading to significant savings in capital costs.

To learn more, we recommend these resources:

• How 3D Laser Scanners Work: A Step-by-Step Process Read >>
• Video: 3D Scanning Demonstration View >>