04-29-2011                                                                                                                            The field of three-dimensional laser scanning and my field, known as “haptics,” are both fairly new on the scene. I was originally an artist—a sculptor-engraver, primarily in glass—until I was struck by a car while walking in 1986 and injured extensively. My career to that point had been a successful one, including purchase of my work by such well-regarded collections as the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and the Pilkington Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Physically unable to continue in my chosen field conventionally, I attempted to use computers for the artistic act of forming shapes and creating three-dimensional effects to engage the senses. One sense that could not be engaged via computer-screen programs was touch, and that omission spoiled the enjoyment of 3D digital sculpture for me. It also got me interested and involved in the field of haptics. That interest led me on a winding path to a research fellowship at Birmingham City University, where I now work.

Human haptics is the study of the human end of touch and bodily perception and machine haptics is tactile feedback technology. Via a computer, a haptic system can simulate touch sensation through forces, vibrations, and the like. One excellent application for it involves museum objects—a Classical bust, a tapestry, a carved ivory piece—that blind visitors to the museum cannot experience in any way. These visitors lack a sense of sight, and museum rules forbid touching the objects. With haptic technology, we are able to create a virtual tactile experience of that object.

This is where 3D laser scanning comes in. We use the scanner to produce a historical artifact, for example, a scan of an ivory box. We then fiddle with the file to make it “feelable.” The effect is fairly jaw-dropping when you first experience it. You are looking at a screen that shows an object in three dimensions that does not strictly speaking exist, yet you can feel its contours and tactile details.

This work depends on 3D digital scanning, which when I first investigated it, was a difficult product area to navigate. I suppose to some extent it still is. The 3D Digital scanner was the first unit our laboratory bought, but over a year of research came first. Mostly that was me, traveling to trade shows and exhibitions. Our need was for a scanning system with flexibility of setup and powerful software. Eventually we would be wishing to produce every object as surface geometry with an accurate visual overlay—a camera image. That’s our common practice, and it works well. I was reassured to see that 3D Digital’s product had such capability and ease of use for such a reasonable, affordable price. It takes some user sophistication to get the most out of 3DD’s SLIM software, but the results are well worth it.

One project we would like to tackle involves cane navigation for the blind. When you see a blind person moving confidently through a city environment using a special cane, that is the result of lengthy, specialized training. There is a long waiting list to receive that training. Haptic technology is the only way to computer-simulate the environment, but it would have to be done quite flawlessly, or the user would be put at risk. But that’s an example of what’s going on in fields like 3D laser scanning and haptic technology—wonderful new uses and applications are occurring to people all the time.

David Prytherch
Senior Research Fellow in Haptics and
Human Computer Interaction
Birmingham City University
Birmingham, UK

May 14, 2010

For 25 years our interior-design company, Anthony Chao, has specialized in silk-fabric products. From our origins in California we have built a primary presence in China over the last five years, establishing four Shanghai locations.

About two years ago we decided to expand from fabric-based pieces into custom furniture reproductions. That decision brought us into a product area that is much more “3D” than the fabric operation. Our core products—bedding, drapery, upholstery, even hand-painted wallpaper—are a challenge to produce at the highest standards, but furniture poses very different challenges.

It was because we knew the potential of 3D scanning that we even considered furniture production. We understood that 3D scanning’s reverse-engineering capabilities would enable us to create reproductions at super-high quality. We only needed to find a scanner unit and software that performed properly and reliably.

After studying many scanners from a variety of manufacturers we made the right choice choosing EScan from 3D Digital Corp. Training was of course highly important—we accomplished this through online video conferencing with Satish at 3D Digital headquarters. He was very helpful in building our understanding of how the product works. Since Satish was new at scanning furniture we both faced a bit of a learning curve. Initially we ran into a few issues getting enough detail out of the scans and then piecing them together. But after some trial-and-error we had our staff well skilled in a working system for large and small items.

The EScan, versus competing products, has been the simplest to use, superior in user-friendliness to other units on the market. One competitor’s model that we demo’d required the application of an immense number of paper adhesive dots, which take hours to put in place and are difficult to remove. Compared to other scanners we looked at, the eScan was able to get the job done relatively easily.

Using eScan, even large objects like full-size sofas can be captured using some tape and black markers to create recognizable surface points. Each of the scans we took merged effectively, creating a CAD file that locked in very intricate and beautiful carving of the original piece.

If at any time we ran into problems or issues, Satish would do some problem-solving and think of new ways to capture the scans and merge them accurately.
After a software upgrade the processing speed time was reduced significantly.

I look forward to continuing our valuable work with the EScan system and producing furniture pieces that continually please our highly discerning clientele.

Lyman Chao
Anthony Chao
Shanghai, China

We are a traditional New England manufacturer that forges specialty parts primarily for the aerospace industry. In 2009, we acquired an Escan laser scanner from 3D Digital to help streamline and modernize our inspection of production forgings. We were also interested in laser scanning as a way to optimize the value of our very extensive stockpile of previously used forging dies.

Our basic challenge is to scan dies that will generate the high-quality forgings our customers need. Our customers will send us a drawing of a part and state the quantity they need. Some are CAD drawings, but most are line drawings on paper.

Sub-contractors produce our dies then submit them for our okay. They submit a bill at the same time, so it’s our responsibility to detect any errors promptly and request any revisions needed. In the case of a replacement die we are now able to take an impression from the previous die (made when it was intact and functional), 3D-scan it, then scan a cast from the new die. If they match, we know that we’ve got a die we can start forging from.

We started using 3D scanners in March of lasts year. We did a survey of the vendors, had sales people perform demos for us. We found 3D Digital had the clear advantage. Satish made it work for us, with a scanner that did the job well and didn’t break the bank.

We found that the more complex the part, the more valuable 3D scanning was. Before, we would do hand layouts using mechanical measuring equipment—micrometers, calipers and height gauges, measuring to plus or minus 30 thousandths of an inch.

Also, with scanning, you get a representation of the entire surface, not select points, as with the hand layouts. You move from point to point in the hand layout. If there’s a bump in the middle of the part, you may never pick up that anomaly, but the scanner will find it.

Our laser scanner, which is the right model for our tolerances but is not the highest-end model, saves us time. It digitizes our design. There’s no need to keep and store the physical cast anymore. The software lets us reverse engineer and machine the die. Then we can hand it to the subcontractor for CNC machining. Because we are niche supplier, the dies we produce forgings from are often used for short runs and then set aside. We now have the ability to create a data library that gives us the power to “clone” the dies we commission.

Scanning in mid-run will be our next step in this conversion. Currently, we only do replacement die first-article inspection of casts. We would also like to introduce scanners into our customers’ shop. We hope in the future to use the 3D model as our inspection article for first piece inspection.

3D Digital has been a reliable vendor and partner, with personal service to get us through any obstacles.
Tom Slauta

Director Quality Assurance

Jan 05-2010

Our university research department has been using the Optix 3D Scanner from 3D Digital Corp. extensively with fine results since 2004. We are particularly pleased with its long-term reliability and consistent performance.

When we initially purchased the Optix 3D we evaluated it versus units by Minolta and Scantron. We found the versatility and scan area of the Optix to be superior and chose it for our work. An engineer from 3D Digital traveled to Liverpool to demonstrate the scanner and give us detailed instructions on its use.

From that starting point, we were able to become proficient in 3D scanning with the Optix and train our PhD candidates in how to use it in their research. The students must be able to produce precise data and readily share it with colleagues. Often they are scanning dental study casts, looking for subtle anomalies in the dentition and overall morphology. They become familiar with the Optix scanner in short order and are able to capture their data, align and merge and come up with a tidy scan.

At certain times of the year our Optix scanner is used 8 to 10 or even 12 hours a day. Even under heavy use, it’s proven itself to function well. There have been no reliability issues at all with the software and the hardware.

Very often we partner with outside teams that are also using the 3D Digital scanning technology, which contributes to efficiency. However, while we regularly collaborate, we also compete. Time is of the essence in getting the research out. Having a scanner unit that functions without problems over the long term has allowed the work to stay on schedule.

Because of the varied demands of ongoing medical research, we look for technology that is not necessarily the simplest but rather the most adaptable over the long term. The more “fiddly” and versatile a system is, the better, for our purposes.

Over time we have settled on certain setup procedures that we have optimized. The software and hardware are sufficiently versatile that we’ve been able to adapt them to different projects and still retain the necessary attributes.

As our funding for equipment is fairly limited, we must also consider the affordability factor.  Based on our many years of uninterrupted use of the Optix 3D scanner, we feel we spent our money well to acquire it.

Dept of Clinical Dental Sciences

University of Liverpool, UK

Our Houston-based company operates in a wide array of industrial markets, from aerospace to automotive to utilities, to name a few. We provide in-stock products and materials as well as customized material procurement and inventory management.

We are very entrepreneurial. We pride ourselves on moving aggressively when we sense opportunity. At times that means expanding into markets that we have no experience in.

Recently we were in that position. We were accepting some jobs not knowing if we would actually be able to accomplish what we were promising.

One problem we often face is having to handle products that the customer has no drawings for. The customer is frustrated by this and it also causes problems for us in trying to service their needs. In one particular case, the customer we were taking on wanted to move valuable used parts and components on wooden pallets and possibly store them for a lengthy period. They insisted that the entire components be protected from contact with the pallets or any other firm or abrasive surface.

To protect these parts properly required foam linings that fit each component snugly. As we were trying to create these linings, we received a suggestion about 3D scanning as best-practices way to do it. We were unaware of 3D scanning as a technology but we contacted 3D Digital in Connecticut and ordered an EScan unit. Immediately we saw how valuable the technology could be to a diverse group of customers who are unable to obtain drawings for parts and components they need to pack, ship and maintain.

We found the Escan to be an excellent tool for our business, but even more valuable to us was the service and support we received from the staff at 3D Digital. We were in a position where we had to put the scanner to immediate use and cut our raw foam to precise measurements. We had contracts pending, so there was no time for extensive training.

In some of other jobs we were suddenly able to quickly take scans of products and parts and create much-needed drawings. That way, we could provide the high level of service we had contracted to provide.

In all honesty, we never imagined how great the support, time and patience given to us by 3D Digital could be. Without that backup we could not have accomplished our goals and satisfied our customers’ needs.

Now that we have this technology, and our own people have had such a positive experience with it, we are able to move forward in expanding even further into new markets.

Gustavo Garza, Jr.

Regional Sales Manager

AIS, Inc.

We are a boat trailer manufacturing company based in west coast of Florida; we have been in business of over 20 yrs. The boat manufacturers do not supply us with drawings most of the time and we had to spend days measuring the dimensions by hand, however about a year ago I started looking for 3d scanning devices to help us reduce our time. During my research we contacted a lot of companies which either had very expensive solutions or had scanners that did not work, finally we found your company 3D Digital Corp (Escan3d). At first my team and I were skeptical about your product as it was inexpensive and were in doubt whether it would meets our needs. To our pleasant surprise the product not only performed all the things we needed but also the learning curve was short. Finally, I would like to Thank Satish and his staff for providing excellent support.

Best Regards And best of Luck
Brooks More COO
MTT Inc.

Dear 3D Digital,

I would like to say how pleased I am with the scanner we’ve purchased from you.  We knew we needed to bring 3D scanning in house and your equipment filled that gap nicely.  More importantly though, I would like to commend you on your customer service.  It was nothing short of phenomenal.  You were patient with us; let us ask all the silly questions we needed to ask being new to the 3D Scanning Industry and you followed up many times to see how we were doing.  Because of this, we are operating our scanner efficiently, we are successfully completing projects and the equipment is truly performing to the specs that we had hoped it would.

Why Pay 30,  40, or even 50K for the scanners just because they look good and produce the same quality 3d scans.

Thanks again!!

Pete

Keystone 3d

Dear 3D Digital,

I just wanted to say how pleased and impressed I have been with the Escan . As an artist and designer, I have often needed a simple and cost-effective way of capturing 3D data for use in presentations and proposals, and for capturing models that I could then scale up and cut out on our CNC machine as sculptural pieces. Using a bureau service was both costly and time consuming, and like most designers I tend to constantly re-work ideas until I am happy with the end result which you just cannot do with a bureau as time costs (lots of) money. When I found the Escan on the web, I couldnt believe that such a reasonably priced scanner could actually capture the kind of data I needed, and I must admit to being a bit dubious at first. After talking to the tech guys at 3D and seeing samples, I became pretty sure it would do the job. Initially, I have to admit, the interface was a bit daunting, but within a few days I became used to the way the machine and software worked and the way in which you have to approach the scanning of an object. Like anything it requires a bit of practise, but is well worth it. The first job paid for the scanner, and it has now become an essential part of the design tools we use on a daily basis, and has opened up a new range of services we can offer. Well done for coming up with a great product that really does work. I always look forward to using the scanner, as there is definitely a sense of magic when you capture an object and open it up in a 3D program. Thanks very much, for the Escan and the great tech support. Its not often you get the boss of a company phoning you up to make sure you are happy with the product what can I say?

Sebastien Boyesen

Director

Boyesen Design Partnership