Before we begin, let this be very clear that 3D scanning technology is by no means a magical concept. In fact, the 21st century has seen a lot of such inventions which though appear too enchanting to be true, they are as possible as bread to your stomach. 

Coming back to our major concern, let us see the ‘magical’ 3D scanning technology in a bit details and learn various aspects of a 3d printer scanner. 

What Is Meant By 3D Scanning? 

3D Scanning refers to a non-destructive and non-contact technology that captures the physical details (including shape and size) of an object with the use of a line of laser light. 

3D scanners formulate what is known as ‘Point Clouds’ of data using the surface of the object. In short, the technology is a method to take details of the exact shape and size of a physical object into the virtual world as a digital 3D representation.  

Process Employed In 3D Scanning: 

3D scanners measure the minutest details of an element and are even equipped to capture free-form shapes. These shapes are used to generate extremely accurate point clouds. The exact process that takes place in 3D scanning technology is as follows: 

• Getting Data With 3D Laser Scanning:

The object to be scanned is placed on the digitizer bed. With the use of specialized software, the laser probe is driven above the surface of the object. As this is done, a line of laser light gets projected on the object’s surface, which is recorded for its change in shape and distance by 2 sensor cameras. The process takes place in all the 3 dimensions as it passes through the object. 

• The Outcome:

As a result of the above process, the shape of the scanned object could be retrieved in the form of millions of points, called the ‘point cloud’, on a digital device.  

The entire process of capturing the ‘point cloud’ is lightning fast, capturing about 750,000 points every second.  

• The Final Modeling:

After the digital device captures all the point cloud data files, these are combined and registered as a 3D representation of the object and they experience post-processing with hoards of software packages available for specific application.  

All the above processes combine to be called a single, ‘magical’ technology which is known as 3D scanning in the scientific terms. 

Benefits of 3D Scanning Technology: 

3D scanning technology is gaining worldwide prominence with time and it has been found way better than others due to its following benefits: 

• Rapidity: With manual measurements, expect to spend a long time with the product and the data collected is still very limited. However, 3D scanning technology collects millions of data points, which makes it a speedy technology to collect data.

• Reliability: With the improvement in technology, the 3D scanning process has even achieved the wings of accuracy. And though these 3D scanners are extremely accurate presently too, the level of accuracy and reliability is expected to see only a positive change in the future.

• Coverage: With 3D scanners, it’s just a matter of few minutes (sometimes a few seconds) to get a detailed view of the surface of objects. And this efficiency in terms of coverage of the objects was not seen in the past until the 3D scanning took over to the process.

• Cost: You could even consider the 3D scanning technology as a cost-effective alternative to the other technologies. It’s a one-time investment to obtain the scanner and you could save a considerable time and expenses while scanning a 3D object.

Thus, 3D scanning technology has emerged to be a beneficial one for hoards of industries, bringing into play vast benefits with its newer incarnations. 

Uses of 3D Scanning: 

When they are seen to offer various benefits, expect them to serve various applications too. Some of the uses of 3D scanners are as follows: 

• Forensic analysis, where they could be used to recreate a crime scene or an accident site, helping to realize the possibilities

• Surveying processes, where 3D scanners are used to study the buildings, archeological structure, power stations, railways infrastructure, land topography and much more, all depending upon what the needs tend to be

• 3D scanners are also used by the hobbyists of all kinds

• Vehicle shape designers, who use the 3D scanning technique to determine the shape of a car etc. and customize it according to the needs and demands

• Hospitals and dental labs too use the 3D scanning technology to create human body prototypes for body parts such as teeth etc, which fit perfectly

• These are used in galleries and museums to create the exact replicas of various elements, ranging from ancient to the present

• The movie-makers too use the 3D scanners and 3D printers for various characters and place special effects in the videos

• 3D scanning could be used by aerospace engineers to scan everything from small bolts to large aircraft wing pieces

Thus, 3D scanning technology has wide applications in various sectors and these are only going up with time due to the immense benefits from the same. 

So if this technology enchants you with its applications and you wish to get a 3D scanner, it’s easy to obtain it nowadays with various offline and online 3D printer stores available to your assistance.