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MINNEAPOLIS,
MN – Laser Design Inc., the leading supplier of 3D laser scanners for more
than 20 years, was named one of America’s fastest-growing private companies
by Inc. Magazine. The 2007 “Inc. 5,000” award honors 5000 U.S.-based,
privately held, independent companies that are ranked according to
percentage revenue growth from 2003 through 2006. Ranked number 1,996
nationally, Laser Design holds 44th place of the fastest-growing
companies in the state of Minnesota. Revenue growth in the last 3 years is
close to 200% and the number of employees has more than doubled.
“The creation of the
Inc. 5,000 list signifies the expanding power of the entrepreneurial
economy...I commend you on achieving such a noteworthy success and recognize
the tireless energy and steadfast commitment that went into building your
company into what it is today,” said Loren Feldman, Editor of Inc.com in a
congratulatory letter to Laser Design.
Cited as a product
innovator, Laser Design seeks to establish itself as the gold standard in
speed, accuracy, and ease-of-use for 3D laser scanning with its
patented laser probe technology which it
designs and manufactures. The company also operates a worldwide services
division offering contract 3D laser scanning and other measurement services.
Originally inspired by
a grant offered by the U.S. Navy to industry to devise a non-contact
scanning technology, Laser Design used laser triangulation measurement to
develop a laser probe. At first slow and clumsy, 3D non-contact laser
scanning technology has been transformed in the last 20 years from
single-point data collection capable of gathering only a few points per
second (pps) to line-laser technology at speeds of up to an incredible
75,000 pps with the company’s latest scanning probes.
As mainstream computer
hardware and software became more powerful and affordable, the ability to
work with large 3D data files (point clouds) without needing a
super-computer also fueled the growth of the laser scanning industry. Laser
scanning systems project a line of laser light onto surfaces while cameras
continuously triangulate the changing distance and profile of the laser line
as it sweeps along. The problems of missing data on an irregularly shaped
or concave surface are eliminated. The system measures fine details and
captures complex free-form geometry so that the object can be exactly
replicated. Laser scanners quickly measure objects, picking up tens of
thousands of points per second, and generating huge numbers of data points
without the need for templates or fixtures.
As non-contact 3D
laser scanning becomes a mainstream technology for industries such as
automotive, aerospace, architecture, archaeology, biomedical, and consumer
and commercial electronics as well as apparel, the opportunity for growth
has exploded. It is now a standard process for industrial projects that
require inspection, reverse engineering, ultra-precise measurement of parts
with complex shapes or free-form surfaces, terrestrial laser scanning, and
high-speed inline inspection.
“We now have
high-profile customers who make the latest consumer electronic and
telecommunication devices and the NASA Space Shuttle, as well as art museums
and universities scanning ancient artifacts,” commented C. Martin Schuster,
President of Laser Design. With no end in sight for the advancement of the
technology or the proliferation of applications, Laser Design is poised for
even more rapid growth on a worldwide scale. Schuster continued, “As our
technology becomes more widely adopted, our focus is on improving our
customers’ efficiency, quality, time-to-market and ultimately their bottom
lines. We are very proud of the fastest growing ‘Inc. 5,000’ designation
awarded us by Inc.com, a leader in the online business community.”
Laser
Design, Inc. has been the leading supplier of ultra-precise, 3D laser
scanning systems and services since 1987. Used for capturing the 3D shape
of objects with complex geometries and free-form surfaces, Laser Design’s
Surveyor line of automated and portable scanning systems are ideal for 3D
scanning applications involving inspection and reverse engineering of
complex shaped plastic and metal parts. The company’s patented laser
line-probe technology dramatically reduces scanning time by collecting data
substantially faster and more accurately than conventional metrology
technologies.
Laser Design integrates Geomagic software with its laser scanners to provide
complete solutions for reverse engineering and inspection applications.
Headquartered in
Minneapolis, the company also has Regional Technical Services and Support
Centers in Seattle and Detroit, and distributors throughout Europe and
Asia. Laser Design also operates GKS Inspection Services (www.GKS.com),
an in-house service bureau division offering complete 3D scanning, reverse
engineering, and dimensional inspection services.
For further
information, contact C. Martin Schuster, by phone (952-252-3402), fax
(952-884-9653), via email to
sales@laserdesign.com or visit Laser Design’s web site at
http://www.laserdesign.com.
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