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

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 studio’s usual way of fabricating a project like this requires our talented sculptors to directly hand-carve gray sculpture foam, working to scale. In this case that might be a 13-foot-tall Columbian Mammoth, considered to be the heaviest land mammal in history. That hand-carving process is prohibitive now, due to the recent steep rise in the cost of the foam.

We turned to 3D digital scanning as a way to switch from expensive sculpture foam to an inexpensive material, extruded polystyrene—that’s roofing insulation—that we buy in 3-inch deep sheets. We start with a hand-sculpted small model—on a scale of one inch to the foot. That model undergoes an approval process by the Field Museum paleontologists, and then it’s ready to scan. The entire figure is scanned, then digitally divided into about 20 parts for cutting, and each part is assembled from a stack of CNC-milled slices. We can then continue our traditional finishing process by hand.

As our Digital Artist and technician, I was Blue Rhino’s liaison with 3D Digital. We’ve had the EScan unit for about four months now and have gained some great advantages through using it. Taking scans of the small models is very satisfying, because the individual scans show the important small details, so I know I’ve achieved accuracy.

The merges get a little tricky, but whenever I had difficulty I was able to speak with Satish at 3DD right away. I was probably on the phone with 3D Digital about a dozen times. Each time I was able to get my issue solved and continue on with the work. Because of the detail and accuracy we need, I hand-finish detail on the merged 3D file with a software called Zbrush. All the animals we’ve completed look great, and are perfectly true to our scale models. The museum curators have been thrilled with them.

On smaller figures, the time required using the scanner is about equal to hand work. On any figure larger than an average-sized horse, the time savings using our scanner is dramatic. Cost savings is significant no matter what size figure we’re building, because we’re able to work with polystyrene, instead of sculpture foam. The other advantage we’ve gained is increased capacity. Jobs that in the past we may not have bid on because they were too big to complete in timely fashion, we can go after now.

We take great pride in our work here at Blue Rhino Studio, which demands the highest standards of accuracy, art and aesthetics. Having 3D Digital as a resource helps us run our operation more flexibly and profitably, while still maintaining those high standards.

Beth Zaiken

Minnesota

The product-development work my two companies handle is quite varied. One challenge leads to the next and we continue looking for technology to support our efforts. My design and fabrication company is W’ys Engineering, based in Lewistown, Montana. Its primary product is a special handle for underwater welding. That welding product, as it went through development, required us to purchase advanced machinery. As we became better equipped, I’ve branched out into product areas like surfboards. My other business, Blue Sky Aviation, is diversified within the small-craft aviation market, including custom-design and construction of personal airplanes.

When I took shipment of my EScan unit from 3D Digital I was thrilled to have it and knew just what I wanted to accomplish with it. However, what I was asking the EScan to do had a high degree of difficulty. In the surfboard design process, you are scanning an extremely flat, polished surface. That kind of object doesn’t offer the scanner or the software any of the surface features it needs to distinguish sections, then align the sections and merge them. I needed help from 3D Digital engineers and they provided it immediately. First they suggested I place modeling clay in various positions on the board surface. That solved the basic problem but the clay tended to mask or hide surface area I needed to capture. Next we tried using 1/16th-inch double-sided tape, and that was ideal. All this happened in a short period of time and it helped me move up a steep learning curve in a short amount of time, because of the expert tech support that was available every time I called in.

Now we are using EScan to streamline our custom-assembly of airplanes. The engine parts are quite complex, which puts a premium on the accuracy of the EScan system. I am very comfortable now scanning an engine, scanning the cowling that I need to match up to it, and knowing there is nothing left to chance.

Once you have an EScan and you’ve used it to solve one kind of problem, you start thinking about design and engineering work in a more confident way. Because of what we’ve been able to accomplish, I’m finding that prototype contracts are coming in from all over. I feel confident and ready for whatever the next challenge is.

Noel Simmons

Montana

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.

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

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