Creaform, a worldwide leader in portable and automated 3D measurement solutions, will be showcasing at Formnext its latest portable 3D scanner generations, the HandySCAN BLACK and Go!SCAN SPARK, to the additive manufacturing industry. The contribution of 3D scanning combined with additive manufacturing to the design process contributes to saving time and money.

Computer-aided design (CAD) is defined as the use of computers to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. CAD software enables designers and engineers to model shapes, whether basic, complex, or a mix of both, in addition to adding features to ultimately produce objects. The CAD process, however, is a closed digital procedure, meaning that all the functions happen digitally inside the computer.

An object can be designed directly in CAD software, or it can be shaped physically using clay or other materials. Nevertheless, a bridge between the real and the digital is necessary to transition from a CAD model to a physical part. This bridge is made possible thanks to 3D scanning, which is the way in, and 3D printing (also called additive manufacturing), which is the way out of the CAD process. Thus, a 3D scanner, a 3D printer, and CAD software generally form the ecosystem of product design. These different steps - 3D scanning, 3D data processing, 3D printing, and iterations on the 3D printed part that can be rescanned - occur in a loop until the final design is reached.

3D scanning facilitates the design of objects with organic forms and a specific signature that cannot be modeled easily. Additive manufacturing makes it possible to machine parts that were previously impossible to produce. The contribution of both 3D scanning and additive manufacturing to the design process contributes to saving time and money. Indeed, the number of iterations to get the final product with the right dimensions is reduced dramatically, and the costs associated with prototyping are minimized.

Therefore, 3D scanning and additive manufacturing provide a way “in” and “out” of the digital world. Any further production steps can be exported, documented, modified, confirmed, and reimported into CAD. This ensures maximum quality and efficiency of the entire product design process.

“Formnext is the ideal platform to introduce our latest 3D scanners. 3D scanning is an integral part of the digital world. With the HandySCAN BLACK and Go! SCAN SPARK, manufacturers can save time and money in the product development process while optimizing their production processes “, explains Simon Côté, Product Manager at Creaform.