High-definition laser scanner can work unattended

Paul Boughton

Bvision is introducing a high-definition version of its Mobilescan 3D laser scanning system that moves the capability of 3D laser scanning into fields for which it was not sufficiently accurate for in the past.

The new HD scanner provides very high resolution with a point spacing of 0.025mm (0.001in) and an accuracy of ±0.0123mm (0.0005in) while collecting measurements at a rate of 30 000 points per second.

“The high definition version of the Mobilescan 3D provides a higher accuracy inspection and reverse engineering system than has been available in the past” says Steve Kersenpresident of Nvision. “Customers no longer need to choose between the speed of a scanner and the accuracy of a CMM.”

Nvision’s Mobilescan HD sensor has a two-axis servo-controlled swivel head that is integrated with a turntable. Movement of these three axes is programmableallowing automation of measurement strategies. The key to the system's accuracy is that it uses only one servo and rotary encoder at any one time and these components are manufactured to the highest specification available.

“By minimising the opportunities for error to be introducedthe highest level of accuracy can be achieved” says Giles Gaskell director of business development for Nvision.

The sensor can be moved manually or automatically controlled to follow a pre-defined measurement strategy. This means that the scanner can be left alone to scan production items without the constant attention that is required by a handheld device.

It works by the sensor projecting laser light onto the surface of the object being measured while a camera continuously triangulates the changing distance and profile of the laser. The density of the resulting ‘point cloud’ is what enables the object to be accurately replicated. Before scanning and during the measurement processthe new laser scanner continually senses the object’s surface and ambient light conditions and automatically adjusts the sensor to obtain the best possible measurements. All measurements are automatically transformed into a common coordinate system meaning that there are no patches of data to be sewn together after scanning has taken place.

Mobilescan HDs connect easily to standard notebook computers via USB or Firewire. Each scanner comes integrated with Geomagic computer-aided inspection software that automatically processes scan data from a physical part to generate highly accurate polygon and parametric surface models. The Geomagic software also provides easy-to-understand graphical comparisons between CAD models and as-built parts.

For more informationvisit www.nvision3d.com

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