3D laser scenner

[toneV8]

Dose anybody work with 3D laser scenner.How much cost scenner accuracy 0.1mm maybe more.

[ImanCarrot]

Do you mean a Laser Interferometer?- these are used to measure the profile of a surface and usualy have an output beam size of around 6 inches. They operate at various wavelengths (usualy 633nm in the visible spectrum and 10.6um for the infra- red).

I've built a few of these and if set up properly you can measure surface "form" (ie departure from perfect) down to a twentieth of a wavelength of light. At 633nm (Helium Neon Laser) this equates to about 32nm (yep- that's 32 nanometres)- it's difficult to measure lower than this because light starts diffracting at less than a twentieth of a wavelength.

Anyway, I may be off at a tangent, but if it is interferometers you are talking about Armstrong Optical here in the UK are good, WYKO in the States make nice ones, Precision-Optical Engineering in the UK used to do them, but I don't think they do any more. I think Lambda Photometrics do them too.

Hope this helps. Shout if you need more info

[toneV8]

I think more like this and similar. 3D scanning for non-contact measurement applications.http://www.faro.com/Products/ScanArm.asp

[ImanCarrot]

Ah, sorry! my mistake- I don't know anything about those things. Apologies for wasting your time!

[HenryCNC]

Laser sensors on the end of an arm are probably the cheapest way to collect lots of data. I work with white light scanning systems, but they are VERY expensive. Please take a look at the companies on this page:

http://www.geomagic.com/support/resources/

Most distributors will do service work, so if you only have a few jobs a year it will be easier to have someone else do the scanning for you.

Almost always, the biggest challenge is what to do with all the data. There are software packages that will machine from a mesh (STL file) but they tend to be expensive too. For example, WorkNC, MasterCAM, Tebis, etc. Make sure you solve this problem first, otherwise your scanning efforts will not do you any good.

Henry