3D scanners by job

Start with the final file

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If the destination is a CAD application, follow the scan-to-CAD workflow from alignment through checking the final file. Use the reverse-engineering guide when you still need to choose the hardware and software.

The same physical part can need a different system when the deliverable changes. A visualization model tolerates errors that would fail an inspection. A printable mesh can be watertight without being editable CAD. Agree what the file must do before comparing devices.

• CAD - name the downstream software and the features that must be rebuilt. Specify mesh reference, direct solid editing or native parameter history, then perform that exact task in your CAD app.
• Inspection - define the reference, the tolerance and the report format.
• Printing - set the scale, minimum wall, allowed hole filling and file format.
• Visualization - set the texture quality, polygon budget and how missing areas are handled.

Object size changes the system

Use three measurements rather than labels such as small or large.

1. Overall object envelope.
2. Smallest feature that must survive.
3. Longest distance across which scale must stay stable.

A wide field of view speeds up coverage but can miss fine detail. A close-range setup keeps detail but makes large objects slow and prone to drift. Mixed workloads may need two modes, two scanners or a service for the odd job.

Surface and environment

Dark, reflective and transparent surfaces may need a different mode, targets, scanning spray or controlled light. Repeating geometry and large smooth panels can break tracking. Outdoor work adds sunlight, temperature, dust and movement.

Write down how much preparation time you can accept and which materials cannot be sprayed. A method that works on raw casting can be unacceptable on paint, polished metal, an artifact or a hot component.

Accuracy, resolution and traceability

Accuracy, precision, resolution and point distance are related but different, and manufacturers define them in their own ways. Figures from different devices and test conditions do not produce a winner without a common test. Some product pages publish resolution without any accuracy figure.

Inspection adds calibration, traceability, uncertainty and repeatability. A scanner can produce a detailed mesh and still be the wrong tool for a controlled measurement process. Ask for the test standard and volumetric accuracy before building an inspection shortlist.

Record the host as part of the job

Write down the device used for capture, the device used for meshing and the application that must open the final export. The current wireless workflow guide distinguishes EINSTAR 2/Rockit Android capture from Hub desktop, POP 4 mobile infrared paths from computer-hosted laser, and S1's unresolved direct-phone documentation.

For a field job, make the trial end with the file you will carry away. For a CAD job, include the reconstruction computer and license even when capture used a phone or standalone scanner. If the host or final export is unresolved, keep that question on the job card before comparing device prices.

A common demo method

Use the same part, conditions and pass rule to compare scanners.

1. Supply a representative object and a difficult surface.
2. Mark the smallest feature and known dimensions.
3. Define the accepted preparation methods.
4. Compare any approved surface preparation under controlled conditions, retaining markers required by the mode; validate the chosen process separately in the real work area. The surface protocol records confounded comparisons instead of attributing every change to preparation.
5. Keep the raw data and settings.
6. Export the required format and verify scale.
7. Complete the next downstream step.
8. Record preparation, capture, processing and correction time.
9. Repeat one capture.
10. Request the complete regional package and support path.

How to use this hub

Pick one primary use case, answer its questions and then use the scanner selector to build a shortlist. If two use cases apply, keep the checks for both jobs. An automotive inspection job, for example, needs the automotive surface and access tests plus quality-control traceability.

The professional scanner category explains the scanner classes and lists dated scanner specifications. Compare named models only after the object and output are fixed.