Situation Aftermarket manufacturers are unable to fully take advantage of OEM CAD data because of the slight variations between the CAD data and the as-built part, especially for body panels. Furthermore, automakers offer their own competitive in-house brands as an alternative to third-party companies. United Covers, Inc., an aftermarket parts manufacturer, had invested in a touch probe system in order to obtain the surface data necessary for their line of custom fender trims. However, the amount of data the touch
National Treasure Restored to Former Glory through 3D Laser Scanning
Situation The Rotunda of the National Archives Museum is the final resting place of the Declaration of Independence, one of our nation’s most treasured documents. Over time, the unique hand-crafted frame has become worn down, leaving its intricacies muted and details eroded. Manufacturing at the turn of the century was mostly done by hand, therefore there is no record of the original design from 1924. Several attempts were made to recreate the frame using conventional bronze sculpting techniques. The results
Turbine Blades Reverse Engineered to Strict FAA Standards with 3D Laser Scanning
Situation The affordability, efficiency and quality of the turboprop engine has spurred its widespread use in various industries since its entry into the market. Acme Turbine Company*, a turbine blade manufacturing company, wanted to gain a competitive advantage by producing superior blades at a lower cost. However, they lacked CAD data for their blades, prompting their need for a reverse engineering solution. The FAA imposes strict standards on the certification of airplane parts due to the inherent safety risks associated
Laser Design Assures Accessory Fit on Tricked-out ATV
The Company: The Minnesota company is a leading manufacturer of high quality ATV, snowmobile and motorcycle parts and accessories. Serving both OEMs and the aftermarket, the full-line manufacturer offers everything from product development and design engineering to complete steel fabrication, including stamping, tube bending, robotic welding and assembly. The Challenge: The company designed and manufactured a prototype snow blade for the Yamaha Grizzly ATV. Previously, to mount it they had measured the mounting locations by hand. However, they oftentimes found
United States Department of Energy
Situation The US Department of Energy has funded the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory for advanced research in fusion power. Using a device called a stellarator, the PPPL has been able to generate a million-degree fusion reaction that is magnetically suspended inside the stellarator’s experimental and unique shape. The shape of the casting is critical to the suspension of the hot plasma, preventing a meltdown of the entire reactor. The industry’s conventional inspection techniques were insufficient at detecting defects in the
NASA
Situation NASA routinely performs maintenance and repair on the 40,000+ unique heat resistant tiles covering the space shuttle. Tiles are usually repaired by removing them, filling the space with plaster, and then machining a new one based on the shape of the plaster. The new tiles must be made accurately to keep an airtight seal between them – any hot gasses trapped behind tiles during reentry could cause them to fail. NASA needed to upgrade their tile-repair system to an
UH-1Y “Huey”
Situation Bell Helicopter’s “Huey” is one of the world’s most recognizable helicopters. Primarily used by the US Marine Corps, the current model UH-1Y’s design stems from the original UH-1 developed in 1955. Manufactured in Amarillo, Texas, Bell uses a system of templates to assemble the helicopters. These templates are physical masters, and most have no known documentation. Bell Helicopter sought to transfer the production site of the cabin from their plant to one operated by Crestview Aerospace without stopping production.
Acme Molding Company: Soap Bottle Mold
Situation Companies working with molds must often make changes to the shape of tooling right on the shop-floor. These continuous improvements are necessary to avoid delays in production due to imperfect manufacturing results. However, these hand-finished changes result in a mismatch between the tooling’s original CAD model and the actual physical mold. One of the world’s leading liquid packaging firms made shop-floor changes to the tooling of a soap bottle in order to adjust the volume of liquid the bottle
1st Virtual: 1:500 Scale Napoleonic Figurines
Situation Miniature figurines have long been a source of interest for collectors and military enthusiasts. Historical battles can be completely recreated on a small scale with hundreds of figurines, each one representing a regiment or battle group. 1st Virtual Productions sought to recreate the entire Battle of Waterloo, this time with a 1:1 ratio of figurines to actual soldiers. In order to fit the thousands of soldiers in a reasonable area, 1st Virtual would have to scale them down to
Toy Car to Life Size: Fast, Accurate Scaling for Fun Commercial Application
This type of commercial application showcases the remarkable capabilities of 3D laser scanning to accurately, completely, and quickly facilitate changes in scale; small items can be made larger to scale or larger items can be scaled down. The Challenge: To scan a small complex object and create cross sections to represent the internal structure used to build the objects on a larger, life-size scale and to generate DXF curves needed for the CNC wire bending operations involved. An STL file
As Featured in Medical Design Technology: Applying Tech Orthopedics
How are you influencing Orthopedic Devices? By Larry Carlberg, Laser Design Service Bureau Manager, Laser Design Services Orthopedic devices, with their focus on fit and support for the human form, are advancing rapidly as we learn more about how to optimally heal and rehab injuries. Laser Design Services specializes in 3D laser scanning, which can produce a fast, precise CAD model of whatever body part is affected, thus ensuring that the orthopedic devices professionals use with their patients are customized to prevent
30 Years of Scanning Excellence with GKS Services Corp.
GKS Services Corp., a subsidiary of Laser Design Inc. and international leader in providing 3D scanning services, was founded in 1981 as a scanning services bureau. The company has grown in its 30-year history to become a sought-after expert in dimensional inspection, 3D laser scanning, computed tomography (CT) scanning, long-range scanning, laser tracking, and engineering services such as product development and design, rapid prototyping, and manufacturing services, completing well over 20,000 projects. We are expanding the GKS division worldwide, and
Laser Design Inc: Innovator in 3D Laser Scanning Industry
Back in the mid-1980s entrepreneur C. Martin Schuster had a novel idea: Use line-laser scanning to accurately digitize and model complex 3D shapes so they can be used in CAD/CAM systems for industrial manufacturing. Laser scanning technology was in its infancy and using it to capture three-dimensional whole-part geometry was revolutionary for the time. After a few years of percolating his idea, Schuster incorporated as Laser Design Inc. in 1987 with an innovative, talented group of engineers and software developers.
Whatever Floats Your Boat: Hand-Made Prototype to Advanced Manufacturing Process
Company: The Minnesota company designs and manufactures a unique line of small electrically powered watercraft inspired by the enjoyment of personal recreational experiences up-close in the land of 10,000 lakes. Challenge: The small fiberglass boat was designed and prototyped by hand, which meant that it was not totally uniform and symmetrical. As the company was preparing to scale up production volume, their suppliers began requesting CAD data of the deck and hull so they could precisely make and fit ancillary
SURVEYOR ® ZS-Series from Laser Design: Highest Precision with Automated Operation
Laser Design Inc., the leading supplier of 3D laser scanners for more than 20 years, introduced a new high-precision line of 3D scanners, the Surveyor ZS-Series. The CMM systems are integrated with Laser Design’s industry-best, ultra-precise, fast laser line scanning probes combining the best of all technologies. The ZS-Series sets a new standard for precision and ease of use in 3D measurement. Systems are available in many sizes to accommodate a wide variety of parts and applications. The Surveyor ZS-Series
Scanning a “Bot” from Mystery Science Theater 3000
Company: Mystery Science Theater 3000, an award-winning television comedy, created many unique puppet characters in the course of its 20-year existence. The show quickly became a cult classic and is still popular today with a large devoted fan base. Challenge: Producers wanted to create a collector’s item of one of the show’s robot characters. The “real” robot puppet was over 6 feet tall, so a life-sized replica was impractical and too expensive to make. They decided to scale the robot
All Smiles: 3D Scanning Reveals Orthodontic Success Story
The Challenge: An orthodontic customer wanted to have digital documentation of his pre-braces teeth alignment as well as how much and where his teeth had moved since wearing braces. He was curious whether the treatment plan he was following was progressing satisfactorily. He had tried using a “play-dough” kit to make impressions of the existing models, but it didn’t work well; although it would have hardened into a more durable replica, it was impossible for him to remove the clay
Scanning Bike and Rider for the Windiest Conditions
The Company: The company is a major manufacturer of high-tech bicycles with a worldwide distributorship and many professional endorsements. Their mission is to promote bike riding through innovative products and exceptional care for their dealers and customers. The Challenge: In their ongoing quest to improve the efficiency and aerodynamics of their bikes, company engineers have been testing them in a wind tunnel since 2000. The goal is to improve design to reduce drag, so the same amount of power will
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