August 19, 2021
In a fast-changing technological world, 3D scanning is quickly gaining traction. It is the answer many industrial engineers are looking for in reverse engineering. And this has changed the way vehicles are designed. But, there is so much more to learn about this fantastic technology.
What Is 3D scanning?
3D scanning is a technology that creates 3D images with a high degree of exactness. The technology in play analyzes physical objects and collects a report on their shapes and general appearance, which ends up as a 3D image.
What Is a 3D Image?
On the other hand, A 3D image is a collection of 3D point clouds or a 3D mesh showing the object in three-dimensional form. You rotate to view all the three parts of an object’s surface from all angles in a computer. Triangles form the base concept of a 3D scan giving precise details of a model instantly.
Can You 3D Scan A Car?
It is possible to have a 3D scan of a car. This practice is currently being applied in the automobile industry. Clients can get the best models on request in under two hours, thanks to 3D scanners.
Interestingly, new 3D technologies are void of time-consuming elements that would otherwise delay the whole process. For instance, traditionally 3D scanners had to be fixtured down to a static tripod to collect data and the scanner was moved around the vehicle at several different positions to collect adequate data. Now with hand-held 3d scanners, the setup is much less rigid and much faster while still creating very high resolution and accurate 3D scans.
3D technology merits in many ways for the automobile industry, and it cannot survive without it. First, it simplifies automotive designing and engineering aspects through precision. Second, 3D tools act meticulously, thereby taking every step of the production workflow.
Designing the product, testing, developing it, launching, and aftercare services happens in a complete production cycle.
It is also worth noting that there are a set of factors that determine what 3D tools or scanners should be used. Each project employs different tools. What distinguishes this is:
- Size of the automobile
- The features you want in the vehicle
Experts cite that designing a huge automobile such as a tractor-trailer may require lidar 3D stationery scanners. Why? Because they work with minimal supervision by the technician and they give accurate results in hours.
If your car is not as big, a different set of 3D tools such as hand-held 3D scanners do the job as well. They capture the most delicate geometric details and provide an accurate measurement.
It becomes easy to design a high-speed performance car utilizing a 3D scan because it gives additional information allowing for simulations to the design to handle such speeds. Things like the front wing, the straightness of the vehicle, and its ability to cruise at supersonic speeds are quickly taken care of by a 3D scan.
Can 3D Help With Reverse Engineering?
As earlier stated, 3D scanning is the answer to reverse engineering. But, what exactly is reverse engineering? It is a procedure involving measuring real objects and redesigning them in a 3D model from data captured by a 3D scanner.
Reverse engineering enables the modification of racing cars to attain better speeds and ultimately perform better. In short, to transform a car into a racing vehicle, a reverse engineer is what you need. You quickly develop a design from a scan and know what vehicle parts to change and modify. Thus, we can confidently say it saves time and eliminates the guesswork.
What Is 3D Inspection?
3D Inspection refers to the 3D metrology measurements of different parts in a vehicle. It populates data from the individual parts and analyzes them to make sure they are within tolerance or give information about why a part might not work. The end product from the Inspection is a 3D model of a virtual image giving an in-depth outlook about the parts on focus.
It is an important segment in automotive production as it provides details of failure, distribution, thickness, and dimension. These details result in high-quality products.
The new world of vehicle manufacturing cannot survive without 3D scanning. It is fast, convenient, and precise. When you compare to the old ways of taking measurements and getting them wrong, this technology is revolutionary and is here to stay.
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