|
Company:
 Direct Dimensions,
Inc. (DDI) provides 3D laser scanning solutions to complex modeling and
manufacturing problems. The company specializes in on-site laser
scanning and conversion of complex three-dimensional data into 3D
computer models. In business for 13 years, the Baltimore, MD company
has a strong presence on the East Coast, with businesses shipping parts
to them from all over the country.
Direct Dimensions has customers
in virtually every industry including
aerospace/military,
automotive, industrial, consumer products, medical, and
art/architecture. They laser scan parts of all sizes from small to very
large, and shapes from simple to complex to use in many applications
including reverse engineering, inspection, and design.
Challenge:
Direct
Dimensions began to get more and more large-scale project requests and
needed a faster, more accurate scanning solution to meet the demand and
provide quick turnaround times for their customers.
As a leader in the field of
laser scanning services, Direct Dimensions measures objects in
three-dimensional space - x, y, and z - using advanced 3D scanning
systems. Putting data together like a virtual puzzle, engineers create
an exact 3D digital model. "Our 3D imaging technology allows us to
document complex objects down to the last intricate detail," explains
Michael Raphael, president and chief engineer of DDI. "In addition to
saving time in the design process, we enable innovators to capture,
model, and modify complex physical shapes, such as organic human forms,
that would otherwise be impossible to design even with today's advanced
CAD systems."
To stay on
top of the industry DDI is always on the lookout for more advanced,
innovative systems and equipment to meet their customers’ needs. They
must stay informed about who is developing new technologies, what they
are, and how they can be used. “We are always looking for new solutions
in hardware and software,” said Raphael. “What we accomplish could never
be done with conventional measurement methods. As data is collected, the
object becomes visible on the computer screen as a point cloud and can
be studied and manipulated in remarkable detail. The point clouds are
then processed into digital models by our engineers using a series of
software. Depending on the final goal, the digital models can be used as
visual animations, design intent CAD models, or even models for physical
replication at any scale.”
Solution:
Raphael, who has been
in the field of laser digitizing for over 20 years, was familiar with
Laser Design’s technology which was very similar to other system
suppliers they worked with. Knowing that Raphael was looking for a
faster solution for larger parts, C. Martin Schuster, President of Laser
Design, kept him apprised on the progress of the long-line laser
development. “Our extra-long laser line probe is a boon to users like
Direct Dimensions and others in the automotive and aerospace industries
who routinely scan large parts and assemblies,” said Schuster. “The
speed of the scanning process is phenomenal without sacrificing the high
accuracies.”
Around the same time
as the new extremely fast, yet accurate system Laser Design system was
released, Direct Dimensions began to get more and more large-scale
projects. Raphael decided to test the system and it stood out from the
competition. “What tipped the scales for us in deciding to invest in
this Laser Design 3D scanning system was a critical mass of projects on
a large scale coming in to DDI and the excellent results of the Laser
Design system we tested. Laser Design’s SLP- 2000 laser with a wide
laser line along with the portable Faro arm was the ideal solution to
make very large scan jobs fast enough to maintain a competitive
advantage for our customers. I had helped to develop the Faro arm years
ago while I was working at an aerospace company, so I have been using it
since the beginning. The SLP-2000 laser is easy to integrate with the
Faro arm and other platforms as well.”
The SLP-2000 laser has an unprecedented
line length of 8” (200 mm) and a longer stand-off distance than other
lasers, from 10” to 20”. SLP laser probes are fully integrated with
Laser Design’s Surveyor 3D scanning systems. Offering 3-5 axes of
programmable CNC motion control, Laser Design offers a broad range of
Surveyor systems in varying sizes and accuracies. The large measurement
range, enhanced specularity performance, and automatic adjustments for
surface color and finish ensure excellent results time after time. Dual
CMOS receptors featuring simultaneous scanning are standard to assist
with steep sidewall and recessed geometry capture.
“Over the years the
frequency of applications related to the aerospace and automotive
industries, in other words, large car- or airplane-size projects,
increased. We needed to find a laser scanner that provided a good fit
with such projects. It had to be accurate, but with a wide laser line to
perform the scans relatively quickly. I like to use the example of
painting a wall with a roller instead of a 1”-wide paintbrush. When the
parts are very large, the scanning process must be very fast in order to
remain competitive.”
 Raphael continued,
“We decided to go with the new SLP-2000 because the laser beam is very
wide. There is nothing else on the market that competes with it and at
DDI we have just about every other type of scanning device. The smaller
lasers didn’t have this performance before. It augments our other
tools.”
Results:
“The Laser Design
SLP-2000 with the Faro arm has produced very accurate scans, very
quickly. The system is comprehensive, lightweight, easy-to-install, and
versatile. We have used it for a half-dozen projects in the last three
months, for example the interior of a car and an airplane cockpit, and
we are very happy with the performance. Direct Dimensions is a very
prolific service bureau; we do a lot of projects. We use the SLP tool
when it really fits the job. As our large-scale projects have increased,
we require the performance capabilities of the SLP-2000 more and more.
We have obtained significant time savings on large objects, from 2-4
times as fast,” enthused Raphael.
In addition to the
ease of use and phenomenal data-gathering speeds, the engineers at
Direct Dimensions like the native scanning software on the probe,
Surveyor Scan Control (SSC) because the interface is extremely
functional and very stable. They routinely push the limits of SSC’s
data-gathering capabilities and it has stood up to the challenge.
Another advantage to using the SSC software to scan is that it doesn’t
tie up a seat of expansive third-party software in the data collection
process. The engineers are partial to the USB dongle for SSC because
they often swap PCs for different projects and hardware. The SLP-2000
laser is integrated with Polyworks and Geomagic plug-ins which makes
after-the-fact data processing convenient and simple as well.
“We are very pleased
with the capabilities and performance of the Laser Design SLP-2000 probe
and Faro arm system,” concluded Raphael. “Our customers will benefit
greatly from the faster speeds and better accuracies DDI can now provide
them.”
About Laser
Design:
Laser Design, Inc. has been the leading supplier of
ultra-precise, 3D laser scanning systems and services
for over 20 years. 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. For further information, contact Rick Passek, by phone
(952-252-3412),
fax (952-884-9653), via email to
sales@laserdesign.com, or visit Laser Design’s web site at
http://www.laserdesign.com.
About Direct
Dimensions:
 Direct Dimensions,
Inc. (DDI) provides unique solutions to complex modeling and
manufacturing problems. We specialize in the on-site application of
digitizers,
laser scanners, and the conversion of complex three-dimensional data
into 3D computer models.
For further information, contact Direct
Dimensions by phone (410-998-0880), fax (410-998-0887). Via email to
info@dirdim.com, or visit Direct Dimensions’ web site at
http://www.directdimensions.com. |
