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High-speed "data pictures"

Dec. 1, 2004
Manufacturers can gather hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of points of information about an object in just minutes with 3D-scanning technology from Perceptron Inc., Plymouth, Mich. Creating a high-speed "data picture" lets them quantify the fit, f

With Perceptron's SolidWorks technology, users pass a contour probe over an object to obtain an organized cloud of data points that can be used to create or redesign products.

Manufacturers can gather hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of points of information about an object in just minutes with 3D-scanning technology from Perceptron Inc., Plymouth, Mich. Creating a high-speed "data picture" lets them quantify the fit, function, and appearance of the object and compare it to CAD data from customers or suppliers.

ScanWorks technology, combined with a camera (known as a contour probe), uses laser-line triangulation for 3D scanning. The sensor adapts for use on portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) arms, full-scale CMMs, or other types of precision-movement systems. The ScanWorks software interprets 3D data from the sensor to define shapes and contours in applications including prototyping, reverse engineering, and production validation.

With ScanWorks, manufacturers scan complex parts, such as car doors, at over 23,000 points/sec. By use of color maps, section cuts, numerical measurements, and other output formats, they can quickly evaluate any and all features of interest. In addition, ScanWorks works with all major third-party point-cloudprocessing software, and easily interfaces to CAD software.

According to Perceptron, the software lets small and mediumsized suppliers import native CAD files from their customers.

Alternatively, suppliers can provide files that are compatible with their customers' software. Project slowdowns and roadblocks due to software incompatibility, or losses that occur from translations from one file format to another, can become a thing of the past.