Explaining 3d Scanners And 3d Laser Scanning Services

By Author: supriyo banerjee
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There have been some major advances in digital technology in the past dozen or so years. Many manufacturers in the technology industries have done an incredible job of staying on par with these advances. State of the art peripherals such as the 3D scanner are being constantly created, modified, updated, and made available for public use to enable companies in a vast array of industries to accomplish in the blink of an eye tasks that in prior years could have taken days, weeks, or even months. The advent of the 3D scanner, and subsequently, 3D laser scanning services has made a definitive impact on many industries’ product turnaround times.

So what exactly is a 3D scanner? The 3D scanner is a highly technical apparatus that is used for creation of a digitized representation of an actual existent item or structure. 3D scanners do this by way of digital mapping (capturing, quantifying, and digitizing all the relevant information about the shape of the item being scanned relative to the space surrounding it). There are a great many different flavors of 3D scanners. The technology itself is so versatile ...
... and ubiquitous that 3D laser scanning services are employed to acquire data from objects as minute as a ball bearing to more colossal subjects such as battleships and Apache helicopters.

A huge number of companies use 3D laser scanning services at one point or another. In manufacturing it’s employed for scanning tools and dies, as well as reverse engineering, to enable lightning fast prototype development, and computer assisted first article inspections of those manufactured items. In the health industry 3D laser scanning services are employed for medical imaging. Three dimensional data can be captured and used for the development of prostheses, to spot and investigate the malignance of tumors, and real time 3D representations of various organs and cavities in the body during surgical procedures. Orthodontists use 3D scanners for data capture and creation of dental appliances such as custom mouth guards, dentures, bridges, and retainers, as well as the cataloguing of dental cast records. Entertainment is probably the most prevalent industry in which 3D scanners are used. Theatrical production companies use 3D scanners for creating 3D movies and even 3 Dimensional animated characters, and video game development companies use them to this same end. In the art industry, 3D scanners are used for archiving for museums and sculpture reproduction.

There are many factors you will want to consider before purchasing a 3D scanner, as there is an immensely varied selection of 3D scanners available. The market ranges from lightweight, portable devices that fit in the palm of your hand to large, industrial, heavy duty ones. Although the various capabilities with regard to application of each 3D scanner is immense, it is vital that you take into consideration a wealth of factors to select a 3D scanner that is appropriate for the job for which you intend to employ it. You are going to want to consider both field of view, and depth of field to ascertain the appropriate size range for the width of the subject you need to scan. The resolution and accuracy capabilities of the 3D scanner are also important factors for precisely capturing the details of the items being scanned.

Kris Leeds is a freelance writer for Konica-Minolta, a forerunner of 3D laser scanning services, and leading provider of 3D scanner and imaging equipment. For more information on products and services, please visit Konica-Minolta online.