3D SCAN Service

3D Scanning

3D scanners enable us to create a digital spatial image from real objects. This has a practical use for example for exactly capturing the surface of machine parts or for the structural survey of buildings.

In the first step, the image produced by a 3D scanner consists of a large number of points in a spatial coordinate system. These points are described by their position coordinates in the space. In addition, the gray values for the points can be captured with some scanners.

We call the result of the 3D laser scanning process a three-dimensional point cloud, or just a point cloud.

For mechanical engineering scanners are used with approx. 0.1 mm resolution. In terrestrial laser scanning for surveying of building and larger structures a resolution of about 1 mm is achieved

Data formats in 3D Scanning

Most 3D scanners can generate STL data from the scanned point cloud. STL stands for Surface Tessellation Language or Standard Triangulation Language. STL describes the surface of the scanned object no longer by the dimensions of every point in the point cloud, but, but rather by a large number of small triangles that cover the surface of the scanned body like a net.

Most  CAD systems can import STL files and display them on the screen.  Although these geometric information represent a simple three-dimensional data model, they are not the data model, that  the CAD designer or an architect requires. They needs for their work a structured CAD model, which is composed of geometric shapes and defined by dimensions.

The use of STL data is therefore limited to applications that do not require significant modification of the scanned body. Thus, for example, it is possible to scan an existing object, output in STL and then reproduce it with a suitable 3D printer.