IMTS 2014 conclusion: 3D Scanning is now a must in any manufacturing process

Imagine getting to work and your boss says: « We no longer need Internet at our desks. From now on, we’ll get what we need from the library. » That may sound absurd, but ask Generation X: They do remember that time when Internet wasn’t part of the normal workflow. (And it is not that long ago!) Technically, it is possible to do without, but working with it makes our lives much simpler, and our work is accomplished much faster. Just like Internet has become an essential tool in our day-to-day tasks, so will 3D scanning in any manufacturing process in a few years from now.

Not just a fad. A long term trend.

This is a trend that Daniel Brown, Creaform’s HandySCAN 3D product manager, has identified over the last years. Being in the 3D scanning industry for close to a decade, Daniel Brown attended this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, IL., to educate people about 3D scanning technologies.

Daniel Brown (on the right), Creaform’s HandySCAN 3D product manager, at IMTS 2014 in Chicago, IL. 

« The manufacturing world realizes that sooner or later, 3D scanning will have to become one of the standard steps in the manufacturing of their product. Funny to think that a few years ago, 3D scanning was still the new weird thing that you observe from a distance, like a kind of witchcraft! » Now, people are educated and many types of industries have integrated 3D to their product development process. The automotive, aerospace and heavy industries are only a few. In the last years, 3D has also become an essential tool for the assessment of pipeline corrosion and mechanical damage or for hail damage on aircrafts.

From the reverse engineering of parts in the designing process to the inspection on the production line, 3D solutions add accuracy and simplicity to the whole process.

Reverse engineering can be used in the designing process of dies, molds, fixtures, jigs and patterns. It can apply to a wide range of fields and industries, going from the automotive to museology and heritage preservation. 

The biggest gain for manufacturers is that time to market has been considerably reduced, making it a major inconvenient for manufacturers that don’t integrate such a technology. In other words: You don’t plan on making the big leap? You’re out.

IMTS 2014: The pulse of the manufacturing industry across the globe

Understanding the importance of 3D scanning is one thing. Educating the crowd and keeping the industry in the loop is the next step. This is why Creaform attended IMTS in September, a major venue for manufacturers across the globe. Leading show of its kind in America, IMTS has brought together a little over 114,000 visitors this year. Over 2,000 exhibitors displayed their products and productivity solutions at McCormick Place in Chicago, covering 1.2 million net square feet of show floor. For Creaform, and as a major league player in the metrology industry, this is a no brainer: attending this venue is essential to get the pulse of the manufacturing industry and to to provide the visitors with educational content about 3D metrology solutions.

The crowd, much more educated about 3D scanning, is still in awe with how simple it is to produce a highly accurate 3D model in just about no time.

According to Stéphane Auclair, Vice-President, Marketing, Creaform has built a solid credibility over the years: « When our company launched its first handheld 3D scanner in 2005, we had a very disruptive and different approach to 3D scanning and therefore felt we had to scream to make ourselves heard. But now that we have a place of among the other big players in the industry, people are looking for us. We come through the main entrance with great confidence, and we’re proud to refer to ourselves as a 3D metrology solution company that provides its clients with highly performant, portable and easy-to-use 3D scanners and software! »

Creaform’s new 3D products’ performance: Outrageous? Most definitely!

Nowadays, the demand is oriented toward automated scanning solutions ─ robot-mounted scanning solutions, for example. The latter allows a repetitive inspection of the parts directly on the production lines. Accordingly, the market is evolving to respond to that demand and so is Creaform, with his MetraSCAN-R. This specific market has already lots to offer and will evolve and grow over the years, along with scanning technologies that will also gain accuracy and speed! Thanks to its TRUaccuracy technologies that allow to measure parts with high accuracy regardless of the conditions of the environment or of the precision of the robots, Creaform is without any doubt very well positioned.