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About the topic
Optical 3D scanners create digital versions of physical objects. 3D printers create physical parts from digital data. Some synergies are clear; however, the full potential of pairing the technologies remains untapped.
Metrology-class 3D scanners can play a role at multiple stages in the 3D-printing process. 3D scan data is often used as input information for 3D printers. Common applications include creating direct replicas of real-world objects and customizing products to work with existing geometry. Each scenario requires specific data processing techniques to achieve the desired results.
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At the other end of the process, after a 3D printer has produced a part, a 3D scanner becomes a vital quality control tool. Traditional measuring techniques may fall short when it comes to characterizing the complex geometries output by a 3D printer. The millions of X,Y,Z coordinates captured by 3D scanners allow for an in-depth dimensional analysis of a printed part, as well as direct comparison to the nominal design intent geometry.
Deviations found by way of this scan-based analysis can then be applied as corrections to future iterations of the printed part.
Meet your presenter
David O’Connor graduated with distinction from Carleton University’s School of Industrial Design in Ottawa, Canada.
A member of ShapeGrabber’s team since 2000, O'Connor acquired expert knowledge on ShapeGrabber’s 3D laser scanning products in his position as an applications engineer.
Working closely with ShapeGrabber’s software partners, he also gained in-depth knowledge of the Polyworks and Geomagic software packages. O'Connor's expertise with these industry leading software tools combined with ShapeGrabber’s industrial scanning products has helped numerous companies implement 3D scanning as an effective modeling and inspection solution.
O'Connor's current role with ShapeGrabber is manager of the Applications Engineering group. His responsibilities include support, training, and applications engineering.