Without high-speed, non-contact laser scanning, the free-form, complex shape of the hull would be difficult to recreate because of its irregular geometry and small details."
The Challenge:
Create a CAD model of a free-form model tugboat hull to be remanufactured. The original hull could not be damaged because it was the only replica available so making a mold from it was not possible. A CAD model was the only alternative that would allow for manufacturing an accurate mold.
Without high-speed, non-contact laser scanning, the free-form, complex shape of the hull would be difficult to recreate because of its irregular geometry and small details. Non-contact laser scanning digitizes the entire topography without altering or damaging the surface. The resulting CAD data is complete, extremely precise, and the surface model can be used directly in the manufacturing process.
The Solution:
GKS Inspection Services quickly and accurately scanned the model tugboat hull in 30 minutes using the Laser Design Surveyor WS-3040 (work envelope of 30” x 40” x 30”) with the high-accuracy SLP-400 laser line scanning probe (+/- .001”).
The pre-processed raw data of the tugboat hull contained millions of data points which were kept to adequately define the tug boat for reverse engineering. Without non-contact 3D laser scanning, capturing enough data coordinates to accurately define the models’ shapes would have taken at least 10 times longer, and would have resulted in a much less complete data set.
After GKS scanned the hull, the scanning software automatically connected the point cloud data from multiple views into a common coordinate system in a single scan file.
The Results:
The point cloud data was cleaned up to create an STL model in 15 minutes and delivered to the client.
3D scanning is ideal for reverse engineering complex parts such as the tug boat to create STL and/or CAD models because the whole surface of an object is scanned, not just a limited sample of discrete points like in contact measurement. Parts can be modeled “as is” for exact replication, or the original design intent of the prismatic shapes can be extracted even if the as-built part is warped, misaligned, or broken as is typically the case in mass produced products.
About GKS
GKS Inspection Services has been a leading provider of dimensional inspection, 3D scanning, product design, FARO rentals, and CT scanning for over 25 years. Contact us today to get started on your next project.
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