Capturing spatial data to create reliable as-built models is fast becoming a necessity for metrology and engineering. Proper engineering requires absolute precision in terms of data because people’s lives and livelihoods are genuinely at stake. There are many small questions to consider when weighing out the pros and cons of any major purchase, and 3D scanners are no exception.
In a recent press release, LMI Technologies announced the arrival of the HDI Advance 3D family of scanners to the market. Targeting research labs, academic institutions, manufacturers, visual effects studios and any other entity that needs to capture complex 3D measurements, the new addition to this bundle is the HDI Advance R4x model, which generates a single scan at up to 36-μm (0.0014-in) accuracy and 3.2 million points (6.4 million polygons) per scan. LMI Technologies is touting the R4x model as ideal for industrial metrology applications such as quality control inspection.
But let’s take a look at the specs of their newest and most expensive model:
R4x Model 3D Scanner
|
Cameras |
2 x 4.1 megapixel monochrome USB 3.0 cameras with 12-mm lenses |
|
Scan Speed |
1.3 seconds per scan |
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Field of View (FOV), Diagonal |
5 presets, between 212 and 676 mm |
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Resolution Average Points
Average Polygons
Point-to-Point Distance |
3.2 million per scan 6.4 million per scan 0.088 mm at 21-mm FOV; 0.266 mm at 676-mm FOV |
|
Accuracy |
36 μm (0.0014 in) at 212-mm FOV; 84 μm (0.0033 in) at 676-mm FOV |
|
Standoff |
385 mm at 212-mm FOV; 1,110 mm at 676mm-FOV |
Supported geometry file formats include PLY, OBJ, STL, ASC, FBX and 3D3. For high-resolution color texture, there is an option to integrate DSLR cameras as long as they are manufactured by Nikon or are part of the Canon Rebel EOS Tx series.
Software and Computer Requirements
The scanning software is FlexScan3D, and you’ll need to have Windows 7 (64 bit), at least a quad-core Intel 2-GHz CPU or better, 4 GB of RAM, a 512-MB video card and 250 GB of free space on your hard drive. For most dedicated workstations, that’s pretty standard.
FlexScan3D is LMI’s proprietary scanning software that is only bundled with its HDI scanning hardware. The software has a few interesting features, such as “Live Scanning,” in which FlexScan3D tells the HDI scanner to trigger a new scan after detecting movement relative to the target, either by hand or on a mechanical or robotic rig setup. This is useful for reducing user movement between the scanner and workstation. Another useful feature is “Automated Mesh Geometry,” which speeds up the meshing of different 3D scans into a coherent 3D model, even if the 3D scans are not proximal to one another.
Cost
I’ve requested the cost from LMI Technologies and will update this information when it becomes available.
LMI Technologies was formerly known as Dynamic Control Systems, a company that was founded in 1976 until the name change in 1997. They are based out of Delta, Canada, and besides their HDI 3D scanning systems, the company has released Gocator 3D Smart Sensors, MikroCAD 3D Surface Metrology Systems and chroma+scan 3D sensors. LMI Technologies generally targets the following sectors: automotive, electronics, transportation, dental, rubber and tires and automation.
There really is no way to determine the efficiency of a new scanner like the R4x model without using it in situ, but I’m curious to know from readers, what are the questions you’d like to see answered about new 3D scanners?