LET'S TALK ABOUT 3D SCANNING

1. Background

Chris loves driving around Lake Tahoe in his open-top Jeep Wrangler, enjoying the blue skies and fresh air. The Jeep Wrangler is his vehicle of choice for fun adventures and transporting his wet dog after a swim in the lake. One day, Chris noticed that one of the auxiliary light mount brackets at the front had cracked. Initially, he planned to search for replacement parts, but then he heard about Growshapes' 3D scanning technology. Intrigued by the idea of reverse engineering and 3D printing the bracket, he contacted Growshapes to explore the possibilities. The original bracket mounts were made of plastic and had cracked under stress, so Chris was looking for a solution that would be stronger and more durable than the originals.

​2. The Tools and Method

Growshapes used Einscan Pro 2X 2020 to 3D scan the cracked plastic bracket mount and worked with an engineer at Uniformity Labs to reverse engineer and create a metal 3D-printed replica.

3. The Reverse Engineering Process

Step 1: 3D scan the bracket mount to capture complex geometries using Einscan Pro 2X 2020

Growshapes received the broken plastic bracket mount from Chris. Judging from the size of the part, we decided the best scanning tool was the EinScan Pro 2X 2020 that can capture intricate details with high accuracy, especially in fixed scan mode using it in conjunction with the automated turntable.  For small objects, EinScan Pro 2X is the way to go for sure.  It captures fine details as point cloud data, then converts it into a mesh that can be exported as an .stl file into a CAD software such as Solidworks. 

Growshapes 3D scanned the black plastic part that had a fracture on the main wall of the bracket mount. You can see the fracture in the scan results below.  We scanned the bracket in fixed mode to digitally capture accurate data of this small part.  Fixed scan mode was chosen to use the 3D scanner with the automated turntable. There was no need to put any markers on the parts as the scan was aligned to the markers on the turntable and didn’t even require spraying even though the part was black. The Einscan Pro 2X 2020 uses structured white light technology and the software allows for the capture of dark parts.

The steps that were taken from editing the scan files to  print:

1. The scan was imported into CAD software as points and surfaces
2. Measurements were collected and construction geometry such as planes, contours, etc. were extracted from the scan data
3. The bracket was modeled from this reference geometry generated by the scanned data
4. That design was then "optimized" for additive manufacturing, removing as much material as possible, adding lattices
5. The optimized design was exported from CAD as an STL file
6. The STL file was sliced in Netfabb using the latest EBPA
7. The SLM 125 (for AlSi10Mg) and SLM 280 (for 316L) were prepared and the prints launched
8. The builds were removed from the machine, cut off of the build plate, and sonicated
9. Supports were removed by hand

Some of the challenges Marlon faced specifically for optimizing for additive manufacturing:

• Required other software beyond just the CAD software. Other software, such as nTopology, simplifies modeling more organic shapes conducive to additive manufacturing
• Limited information about the end use of the bracket (how much it was going to support, environmental conditions, etc thus had to make assumptions

Things specifically engineered to optimize for 3D printing:

• Material removal for light weighting
• Lattices for additional stiffness
• Kept overhangs to 45 degrees to minimize support and post-processing
• Made assumptions regarding loading and boundary conditions

The original bracket was made from injection molded plastic but the plastic gave way to stress over time. The metal bracket should be stronger than the original plastic bracket mounts.  Marlon decided to use 316L (stainless steel) as is resistant to corrosion in harsh weather and can withstand varying temperatures. Injection molding requires a substantial investment in tooling thus requires volume production but with additive manufacturing, one-off print is possible with drastically shorter lead times. 
​
See the full additive manufacturing workflow​ below:

Chris is happy with the new and improved auxiliary light bracket mount that is stronger than the original one that came with the Jeep Wrangler.  He won't have to worry about having another stress fracture in the bracket mount.  Reverse Engineering is not just about replicating but also about improving upon the original design!  

Check out the mounting brackets that were fixed onto the Jeep Wrangler below.

The project group folder contains different kinds of files. The project group directory links all projects in the group. The project directory links all data files belonging to this project and the rest are project data files. When moving the project group, the user needs to move all the folders in the project group. 

When opening the project, the user needs to locate the folder where the project group was saved and open the corresponding directory files.The project group folder contains different file formats. The project group directory links all projects in the group. The project directory links all data files belonging to this project and the rest are project data files. When moving the project group, the user needs to move all the folders in the project group. 

When opening the project, the user must locate the folder where the project group was saved and open the corresponding directory files.

We just wanted to say "thank you" for being our customer and buying 3D scanners from Growshapes!

We continue to add select 3D scanners based on structured light technology this year.  We have now updated our website with the addition of  Shining 3D EinScan 3D scanners including the latest and greatest EinScan Pro 2X and EinScan Pro 2X Plus (bigger scan range vs. 2X) . These 2 new models were announced at Formnext 2018 in Germany this month.  Prices start from $5,499.

Key to note on EinScan Pro 2X Series:

• Improved UI: Post scan resolution setting option during data processing for faster scanning
• Faster scan speed: Processes up to 1,500,000 points per second (30 fps) under Handheld Rapid Scan Mode (Pro 2X series has 4 scan modes, same as the Pro models)
• High Speed Data Transmission: USB 3.0
• High Accuracy: Single scan accuracy under Fixed Scan/Auto Scan Mode is up to 0.04 mm
• Includes the Solid Edge SHINING 3D Edition software.  Created from the collaboration between Siemens PLM Software and SHINING 3D, this software includes reverse engineering, generative design, and simulation together with CAD tool in one platform

So if you were thinking of getting a versatile handheld 3D scanner, check out the new EinScan 3D scanners!