3D scanner: quality control and reverse engineering

Deltavorm owns a state-of-the-art 3D laser scanner. This enables us to use the most modern techniques to work the other way around: we can use the laser scanner to put an existing physical design into the computer as a digital object.

We can then use CAD-software to manipulate this design: reduce or enlarge dimensions, alter the shape, smoothen the surface of the moulds, etc. This manipulated design can then be transferred back into a physical object with our CNC-milling machine.

As Deltavorm has some 25 000 designs that were made by hand in the past, this machine and the software enable us to re-use (parts of) these hand-made designs; this is a useful application of reverse engineering.

Another useful application is facilitated by the quality control software that goes with the scanner: we can quickly compare the shape and size of a physical object with a digital design. That way, we can make sure the deviation is within the accepted range. By default, Deltavorm has a very low tolerance for deviations between design and resulting mould.