LET'S TALK ABOUT 3D SCANNING

There are many factors to consider when selecting a 3D scanner.  What is your budget, what are you trying to scan, are you trying to scan quickly, do you need color texture, do you want high resolution as well as accuracy?  Which technology is best? What are you going to do with the 3D scan files?

Growshapes is focused on distributing structured light 3D scanners which project light patterns onto an object to capture the surface measurement. It scans a whole dimension, so it is quick. But even within the structured light 3D scanner category, there is whole range from low, mid to very high end with different manufacturers offering different hardware and software capability.

To help you figure out which 3D scanner best serves your objective,  we created a quick comparison of the 3D scan file of EinScan SE, EinScan Pro 2X and HP Pro S3.  Each 3D scanner has its Pros and Cons and it really depends on how much you want to spend and what you want to achieve.  So, download the file below and see if this helps you in your decision making. 

If you have realized that you need much more high resolution and high accuracy 3D scanning capabilities, definitly go for the more expensive industrial-grade eviXscan Heavy Duty Quadro.  The hardware and software is much more advanced.

3D scanner is not a "one-size-fits-all" type of tech product.  It's horses for courses for sure.

Recently the media picked up a story about how 3D printing saved the day to produce valves for an intensive care unit in Italy to treat COVID-19 patients.  The Italian startup company reverse engineered, and 3D printed these valves that are key components of Venturi oxygen masks that are connected to ventilators.  

When you read the details however, you realize they jumped various legal hurdles to do this - the valve is protected by copyright and patents with its blueprint not released but in an emergency case such as this one, the hospital seemed to have allowed them to reverse engineer the valve and 3D print them.  The CEO of the company that 3D printed the valves is now is explaining what his intentions were on his Facebook post and LinkedIn video (in Italian).

When emergencies of such enormous scale occur as is happening right in front of our eyes, you just want to help if you have the capability and technology to solve the problem quickly. But regulations exist to ensure safety and durability thus everybody in the 3D printing industry is doing a thoughtful balancing act. 

It is not clear if they used a 3D scanner or just used calipers to do the reverse engineering but 3D scanners can play a key role in enabling accurate and quick reverse engineering of physical objects.

Using 3D scanning technology, you can capture the surface dimensions of complex physical objects accurately and quickly especially with the structured light 3D scanners, then then reverse engineer with various CAD software such as Geomagic and Solid Edge which comes bundled with EinScan Pro 2X & 2X Plus to create a blueprint that can be 3D printed. 

Have a look at how you can reverse engineer products that are missing a blueprint by using 3D scanners.
https://www.growshapes.com/einscan-pro-2x-3d-scanner-series-bundle.html
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As more people are stuck at home with this unprecedented outbreak, various institutions are offering virtual experiences - New York Metropolitan Opera is streaming its performances for free, the Berlin Philharmonic is also doing the same and there are many museums that can be visited online.  You can see British Museum artifacts in full color 3D online on Sketchfab too.

People are realizing that a lot of things can be experienced virtually and consumed digitally. This is where 3D scanning comes in. 3D scanning can capture details of physical objects and convert them into a digiatal 3D surface model which can then be digitally archived and virtually experienced online.  Furthermore, physical objects can be replicated via 3D printing.

3D scanning is helping archeologist measure artifacts more accurately, musuems to create more precise  replicas and help preserve cultural heritage digitally as physical objects decay and could be destroyed.

Online shopping is still largely a 2D experience but this can evolve to become 3D as well.  The online world will try to replicated the 3D physical world further as online virtual experiences become a part of social interaction.

If you want to join the evolution to making the online experience 3D, check out the 3D scanners you can buy from Growshapes - eviXscan, EinScan and HP!