Five Ways 3D Laser Scanning Improves Quality Control
In the world of manufacturing, even small errors or brief delays can add up to serious setbacks for a product launch. Businesses eager to get their product to market should consider integrating 3D laser scanning into their quality control process.
How It Works
By providing a highly accurate, non-contact way to quickly capture complete surface geometry, today’s advanced 3D laser scanning technologies have become a vital quality control tool in manufacturing.
With 3D scanning, a laser is projected onto an object's surface, and a camera captures the reflection. The laser can take the form of a single point, a line, or an entire field of view. When the reflection is captured, each point is triangulated, measured, and recorded, resulting in a 3D rendering of the object's shape and surface measurements.
This advanced, non-contact inspection method allows manufacturers to streamline the inspection process and quickly confirm that a part meets specifications.
Benefits of Laser Scanning
Below are five key reasons 3D laser scanning inspection has become a vital quality control tool for today’s manufacturers.
- ACCURACY: 3D laser scanners offer exceptional precision, achieving accuracy ranging from nanometers to sub-micron to small fractions of a millimeter, depending on the equipment. Their unmatched accuracy allows manufacturers to create exact digital models (otherwise known as a digital twin) that can be compared point-by-point to CAD models to ensure that prototypes and products meet tight tolerances. 3D scanning can also validate tooling, molds, and dies to ensure manufacturing processes are reliable and more likely to get things right the first time.
- SPEED: Unlike a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), which typically slowly captures sparse discrete points or streams of points from dragging a stylus across the surface, 3D scanning technologies capture millions of measurements in mere seconds over large areas. This allows manufacturers to capture complete dimensional data with a single scan and avoid the need for multiple tools, such as calipers, manual gauges, and CMMs. 3D laser scanning greatly reduces inspection time and speeds up decision-making by allowing manufacturers to quickly identify the precise location of defects, deviations, misalignments, and dimensional errors that might otherwise go undetected.
- 100% SURFACE COVERAGE: Traditional manual methods such as calipers and CMMs typically measure only a few select points, making it easier for defects to remain hidden. In contrast, 3D laser scanning generates millions of distinct measurement points that show incredibly fine detail in any free-form or contoured surface. This highly dense data can be processed in creative and useful ways, including creating complete digital replicas that faithfully represent the physical part.
- COST SAVINGS: The accurate, dense data captured by 3D laser scanners allows manufacturers to quickly identify defects and deviations in the early stages when they are easier and less costly to fix. In the long term, 3D laser scanning lowers production costs by reducing design iterations, streamlining inspection times, lowering labor costs, minimizing scrap and delays, and reducing the need for rework or recall.
- DETAILED DOCUMENTATION: Today’s 3D scanning systems generate a detailed and permanent paper trail that includes a record of measurement data, pass/fail results, color-coded deviation maps, and historical CAD comparisons. This comprehensive documentation supports audits, customer/supplier evaluations, warranty claims, and compliance with industry standards and regulations.
Why Choose IIA?
Data capture with 3D laser scanning is fast, flexible, and highly accurate — and it’s one of our specialties at Industrial Inspection & Analysis (IIA).
Using state-of-the-art equipment and decades of metrology experience, our ISO-accredited labs can
scan everything from the face of a penny to the contours of a fighter jet. We leverage a variety of scanning technologies to address constraints of material, size, and complexity.
Our toolkit includes triangulating lasers, conoscopic laser, blue light, structured light, terrestrial range, laser tracker, chromatic confocal, time-of-flight laser, phase-based, photogrammetry, as well as various contact technologies. If your parts are stationary or too large to ship, we provide expert, on-site scanning services at your location.
By offering speed, accuracy and complete coverage in a single inspection method, 3D laser scanning helps manufacturers save time and money, while ensuring the reliability and quality of manufactured products and manufacturing processes. As the industry evolves and demands ever-tighter tolerances and ever-faster production cycles, the value of 3D scanning will only grow. IIA is here to help manufacturers leverage this game-changing technology and gain confidence in their products and processes.
Learn more about IIA’s 3D Laser Scanning and CT Scanning services.
