Brushing Up With CAD

3D scanning is a fast and accurate method of putting physical measurements of an object onto the computer in an organized manner, resulting in what is commonly called 3D scan data. There are many different methods for capturing the 3D measurements of a physical part, and therefore many different types of scanners.

3D laser scanning and 3D laser scanners can generally be categorized into three main categories – laser triangulation, time of flight, and phase shift. These laser scanning techniques are typically used independently but can also be used in combination to create a more versatile scanning system.

Laser triangulation is accomplished by projecting a laser line or point onto an object and then capturing its reflection with a sensor located at a known distance from the laser's source. The resulting reflection angle can be interpreted to yield 3D measurements of the part.

Time of flight laser scanners emit a pulse of laser light that is reflected off of the object to be scanned. The resulting reflection is detected with a sensor, and the time that elapses between emission and detection yields the distance to the object because the speed of the laser light is precisely known.

Phase shift laser scanners work by comparing the phase shift in the reflected laser light to a standard phase, which is also captured for comparison. This is similar to time of flight detection except that the phase of the reflected laser light further refines the distance detection, similar to the vernier scale on a caliper.

Packaging Needs

Blister packs and other thermoformed parts often present problems to design engineers. Frequently there are numerous complex shapes, blends and radii. Team Technologies, a manufacturer in dental, medical, cosmetic and industrial products, needed to manufacture two thermoformed blister packs, but had no way of creating the molds.

Team Technologies contracted 3DScanCo to create a new CAD model of the existing blister pack. 3DScanCo is an engineering company that specializes in 3D scanning for use in reverse engineering, quality inspection and CAD modeling. Available 3D scanning technology can meet a range of needs, having the capability to scan objects that range in size and complexity from a small dental implant, to an Airbus A319. 3DScanCo also handles projects that range in complexity from a single part turned around overnight, to six weeks of straight on-site work, scanning hundreds of parts.

Raw scan data was processed, merged, cleaned, aligned and eventually used to create an accurate CAD model of the physical part.

The Konica-Minolta Vivid 9i was used to optically-digitize the existing blister pack.

3DScanCo used the Konica-Minolta Vivid 9i to optically-digitize the existing blister pack. The raw scan data was processed, merged, cleaned, aligned and eventually used to create an accurate CAD model of the physical part. For this project the 3D Scan data was used as a modeling guide and a variety of surfacing and modeling techniques were utilized to capture the as-built condition of the object.

3DScanCo's scanning services provided Team Technologies with exactly what they needed – an accurate CAD model of their existing part. They were then able to use the CAD model to manufacture more blister packs. 3DScanCo's team solved two main obstacles for Team Technologies. First the process was extremely fast – from start to finish this project took 10 business days, without scanning the parts this process could have taken weeks. The other key hurdle that Team Technologies needed help overcoming was achieving an accurate model on the first try. Often in thermoforming applications several revisions of tooling and part fit tests must be run to find the optimal CAD model. By 3D scanning the physical object, the new blister pack was an exact match on the first try.