3D scanning is the generation of 3D media with the use of various types of sensors. There are multiple 3D scanning techniques. They include photogrammetry, structured light 3D scanning, contact-based scanning, and laser triangulation scanning. However, the method most used in the industrial 3D scanner is laser-triangulation scanning. This involves using both a laser emitter and a camera to capture positional data about an object in three dimensions.
3D scanning has found numerous applications across industries. In museums, it is used to digitize and preserve art. In quality assurance, 3D scans are compared to original product designs to accurately and easily verify measurements. In prosthetics, 3D scanners are used to determine accurate measurements for prosthetic body parts that fit like a glove.
Thanks to advances in technology, and the proliferation of 3D scanning companies, the ability to generate 3D scans has been democratized. Several years ago, had you wanted a volumetric scan of anything, be it a vehicle or a toy, you’d have had to contact a 3D tech company.
Now, you can easily get a high resolution 3D scanner like a handheld inventory scanner. It’s affordable.
Maybe you are wondering just why you would need to buy a handheld 3D scanner. Let’s answer that by diving into some use cases.
Manufacturing
In manufacturing, the industrial 3D scanner has been proving very handy. It has found utility in almost all steps of the manufacturing process.
To begin with, it has revolutionized product design. Since most designs usually build on already existing designs, the ability to instantly digitize designs comes in handy.
Moreover, reverse engineering has never been easier. Engineers can now scan products and get editable digital twins which they can manipulate as desired.
3D Printing
3D scanning has, in a way, given the power of manufacturing to everyone. For example, if you see a legacy toy that is no longer in production, and you want it for your kids, all you have to do is scan it.
You then send the scan to a 3D printing services company, and in a few days, a copy of the toy is shipped to you. Moreover, you can even make adjustments and make a better toy.
The best part is you don’t necessarily need a high resolution 3D hand scanner. You can just use your phone, in conjunction with a good 3D scanning software. The results may not be as high-quality, but they’ll be acceptable, especially if you’d rather not spend money on a professional 3D scanner.
Inventory
With a handheld inventory scanner, it’s so much easier and faster to do inventory. While it can be useful for small items, it’s even more useful when dealing with big items.
3D scanning can be used to compile an inventory of buildings on a site, which can come in handy for renovation. The best thing is that 3D scans can even be used to determine the volume of buildings, which fastens the planning process.
In factories, 3D scanning is being used to track real-time inventory of raw materials. For example, in a ceramics factory, the quantity of sand can be automatically tracked, simply using a high resolution 3D hand scanner. And coupled with advanced artificial intelligence, 3D scanners can even be used to determine the quality of raw materials.
Healthcare
The applications of 3D scanning and 3D printing in healthcare are nothing short of astonishing. The conversation includes 3D printed hearts, kidneys, and jawbones. It also includes perfect-fit prosthetics developed with the data gained from 3D scanning.
At the moment, health care professionals are limited in the 3D printing of body organs. You can’t just 3D print a heart made of plastic or some other material and expect the human body to take to it. However, biotechnology research is promising. In the future, it may be possible to 3D print organs using cells obtained from the body of a patient.
