3dprinting Archives - Europac3D

AME-3D EXTEND THEIR OFFER THROUGH INVESTMENT IN MULTIPLE SLA PRINTERS

Mark Beckett — Sun, 01 May 2022 20:30:54 +0000

AME-3D EXTEND THEIR OFFER THROUGH INVESTMENT IN MULTIPLE SLA PRINTERS

AME-3D, an industrial 3D printing service provider with more than 20 years of experience within the additive industry, has invested in two Uniontech RSPro SLA industrial printers from Europac3D. The new machines complement and expand AME-3D’s existing capabilities within the SLA and SLS service sectors.

The Sheffield based technology group, headed up by managing director Rich Proctor, has chosen a Uniontech RSPro 450 and RSPro 800 with build volumes of 450 x 450 x 400mm and 800 x 800 x 550mm respectively. This significant investment expands AME’s existing capabilities both in terms of the quality of parts that can be produced and the size of components that can be manufactured.

Proctor comments: “The installation of these SLA machines has seen an instant boost to our new business and we are now benefitting from enquiries for larger parts which we previously were not able to fulfil.”

Uniontech becoming the largest SLA manufacturer in the world

Uniontech SLA machines have significant advantages, but are perhaps lesser known in Europe and the US in comparison to some of the ‘big players’ that traditionally dominate. The Uniontech machines use only the highest grade compoments such as Panasonic, Optowave and Scanlab of Germany. These components combined with a granite recoating platform helps create an incredibly stable machine that produces the highest quality sidewall and detail on components within the SLA field.

Uniontech industrial systems also have an open source policy associated to the resins that can be run in the printers. In the case of AME they have chosen to run Accura Xtreme Grey on the RSPro 450 to continue to supply their existing customer base which is accustomed to parts manufactured in this material. The new machines are also proving to improve efficiencies as the parts coming out of the machine are significantly higher quality and with an improved surface finish. This means that parts now take only a third of the time to hand finish, reducing production times, cost and increasing overall productivity.

AME-3D also purchased a second interchangeable resin vat for RSPro 450 machine, that will run Somos Waterclear Ultra. This second resin vat enables the team at AME-3D to adapt to changing demand for different materials and swap to this clear material quickly and efficiently when required. This also helps reduce waste when printing multiple orders.

The second machine installed at AME-3D is a Uniontech RSPro 800. This system offers a significant addition to their service portfolio, increasinging the size of parts that can be built in a single piece to over 1 metre. Running with Somos Evolve 128 from Covestro, the white resin offers a fantastic balance between accurate detail and extremely easy to post process parts. It is similar to traditional thermoplastics and therefore makes it ideal for building end-use parts like jigs and fixtures, or prototypes for functional testing applications.

Build volume capability has increased by 8 fold, this means that low to medium production runs can be easily achieved in the space of a couple of builds. At the other end of the scale large automotive and aerospace protoypes can now also be built on this machine.

John Beckett, Managing Director of Europac 3D, adds: “This agreement is a further indication of Europac3D’s strong working relationship with AME-3D and the absolute confidence in the quality and performance of Uniontech printers. It’s increasingly clear that Uniontech is a brand to watch as they not only offer large volume SLA printers but can match any machine out there in terms of quality.”

Uniontech is rapidly becoming one of the largest manufacturers of stereolithography machines with over 5,500 SLA machine sales worldwide. Europac3d, based in Cheshire provide full sale and support of Uniontech machines with a reach across the UK.

The post AME-3D EXTEND THEIR OFFER THROUGH INVESTMENT IN MULTIPLE SLA PRINTERS appeared first on Europac3D.

Hitting The Target – Reverse Engineering and 3D Printing Archery Grips for Great Britain

Mark Beckett — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 12:11:41 +0000

3D Scanning and 3D Printing

Hitting The Target – Reverse Engineering and 3D Printing Archery Grips for Great Britain

Europac3D was recently approached by a member of the junior Great Britain archery squad asking if we could help with the reverse engineering and subsequent 3d printing of a replacement grip for his recurve bow used in competitive archery.

Typically standard grips, at this level of competition, need to be reshaped/adjusted relative to hand size and shooting style. Once this manual fettling is complete it is then necessary to reproduce/copy these adjustments for replacement grips and different bows. This is perhaps easier said than done and due to the manual fettling process results in no two grips ever matching perfectly.

To solve this problem Europac3D 3d scanned a grip that had been perfected by Thomas over time and fitted his hand perfectly. An Artec Space spider was chosen to complete the scanning because of its high accuracy and repeatability for relatively small components. The Artec scanner was born out of the need to scan objects in outer space and hence the name ‘Space Spider’, it has thermal stabilization and blue light technology that enables objects to be captured at incredible detail and precision. Total scan time was less than 5 minutes and a triangulated mesh surface model was then created inside of Artec Studio software.

Reverse Engineering with Geomagic Design X

The next stage for this reverse engineering project was to remove the original manufacturers logos and digitally re-cut the fixing holes to create precise parametric geometry ready for final 3d printing. The digital file was imported into Geomagic Design X software to make these adjustments. Design X allows the operator to quickly and easily interrogate imperfect scan data, create parametric CAD models that can be used in downstream CAD packages.

3D Printing Service for Archery Grip

The corrected CAD model was then passed to the 3D print team in order to manufacture 3 grips in total. PA12 nylon was chosen as the most suitable material for the grip, using SLS technology. PA12 produces exceptionally strong, durable parts suitable for ‘end-use’ parts such as this one. After 3d printing the models were then tumbled in a vibratory finishing machine to create a super smooth finish on the final grips.

The final grips were shipped within 7 days from receipt of the original part and the customer was extremely pleased, shooting more than 2000 arrows within the first week.

Complete UK 3D scanning and printing Service

Based in Cheshire, UK the Europac3D team has the unique position of being able to help customers at all stages of their 3D requirements, whether that be 3d scanning, reverse engineering, quality control inspection and/or 3d printing. Our unique skills set us apart from other 3d print bureaus by being able to help a customer even if they have no 3d modelling capability themselves.

If you would like to discuss a project with our team please call us on 0330 229 0175 or e-mail – sales@europac3d.com

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Prodways Launch P1000S SLS 3d Printer

Mark Beckett — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 11:04:27 +0000

Advancing the affordability of Industrial SLS Systems

Prodways Launch All New P1000s SLS Industrial 3D Printer

To meet the ever increasing demand for production 3D printed parts as opposed to prototyping, Prodways has launched the P1000s SLS 3D printer. The system has a large prodcution orientated build volume of 300 x 300 x 360mm, while still meeting industrial demands of speed, reproducibility or even traceability.

Reliability:
A 3D printer with an advanced temperature control system and a counter-rotating roller recoater allowing parts to be sintered with optimum quality. The ProMaker P1000 S is equipped with a Raylase brand scanner and a high quality 30W laser.

Ease of use:
With it’s fully accessible manufacturing platform and ease of use, the P1000 S 3D printer makes setup quick and easy. Its integrated software offers traceability of the parts produced and allows the remote intervention of application teams in support of your production.

Flexibility:
The P1000 S has the “Slicing on the fly” functionality allowing you to modify your production at any time. In addition, our teams have chosen to keep more than 50 parameters accessible free of charge in order to optimize your production of parts in series. Finally, to support you in the evolution of your productivity needs, it is possible to upgrade your ProMaker P1000 S to ProMaker P1000 X for more speed.

Suitable for Industrial Production:
Equipped with a large building platform (300 * 300 * 360), the P1000 S has a volume of 32L and reaches a speed of 1.4L / h. Its two powder feed tanks allow a complete job to be done in a few hours without the need for recharging.

Affordable:
The ProMaker P1000 S offers the best price / volume ratio in the industrial SLS® 3D printer category. Finally, it is delivered with validated parameters for all the available material free of by our application teams (PA12, PA11, TPU and PP).

December exclusive Offer – £150,000 Turnkey Package

To celebrate the launch of this ground breaking system Europac3D is offering the follwing for all orders placed in December:

All New P1000S SLS 3d Printer 300 x 300 x 360mm
Fill of PP1200 Material
Nitrogen Generator
Breakout Station
Material Mixer
Bead Blaster
Anti Static Vacuum Cleaner
Manual Crane
Installation And Training
1 Year Warranty And Preventative maintenance Kit

If you would like to discuss a with our team please call us on 0330 229 0175 or e-mail – sales@europac3d.com

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Wallace And Gromit Bench Statue

Mark Beckett — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 16:28:33 +0000

3D Scanning and 3D Printing

Wallace And Gromit Bench

Europac3D was recently commissioned to 3D scan a small maquette of the famous animated characters Wallace and Gromit, as part of a project to create a 7ft bronze statue in the centre of Preston. The maquette was designed by Aardman Animations and depicts Wallace and Gromit in the 1993 movie The Wrong Trousers.

3D Scanning Wallace And Gromit maquette

The task for the Europac3D team was to produce an extremely high-resolution 3D scan of the model, in order that all the original thumb prints and handmade artist impressions could be translated into the larger than life bronze statue. The Artec Space Spider was chosen for the job because of its high data collection rate of 1,000,000 points per second. This incredible resolution means that even the smallest of details can be captured by the 3D scanner and translated into the final sculpture.

The whole 3d scanning process took about 45 minutes to capture and then the huge data point cloud was converted into a triangulated CAD surface model or STL file using Artec Studio software. In addition, our in-house artists were tasked to add details such as the text on the newspaper which was prepared By Aardman animations.

The candidate model was then rendered using Keyshot software to help visualise how the statue might look when manufactured in bronze. This enabled, all parties such as Preston Town Council, Aardman animations and even Nick Park himself to inspect the digital model before actual production had begun. In addition to these rendered still images, the digital model was uploaded to Sketchfab, a 3d model visualisation platform, and given to Ian Banks of Atoll UK. Ian had been commissioned as the Public Art Consultant for the project by Preston Town Council and he was able to use the digital model for augmented reality visualisation in the proposed site for the installation. Using the camera of a smartphone or tablet the digital model of Wallace and Gromit could be placed virtually in position and walked around from all angles. This is a great tool to get a real sense of how the final sculpture might look like long before manufacturing begins.

Casting In Bronze

On approval of the final digital sculpture, the team at Europac3D then began to work closely with Castle Fine Arts Foundry to scale and cut the model into sections that could be formed to create the final 7ft bronze sculpture. A mixture of milling and 3d printing was used to create the pattern pieces. Milling was used for the large smooth sections, while Europac3d 3d printed the more detailed, complex shapes.

The finished bronze consists of a full size but stretched traditional street bench where Gromit sits to one side reading his local newspaper. Behind, Wallace wearing the ex-NASA ‘Techno Trousers‘ first bought for Gromit’s birthday in the film, and tilted on one leg, offers passers-by a happy thumbs-up.

End to end Service

The whole project has been an incredibly interesting challenge and has been a great example of how the traditional expert knowledge of bronze foundry casting can be combined with modern 3d scanning and printing techniques. The two teams at Europac3D and Castle Fine Arts Foundry continue to push forward into new and exciting projects that perhaps previously would not have been attempted.

If you would like to discuss a project with our team please call us on 0330 229 0175 or e-mail – sales@europac3d.com

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Sculpture Scanning Service Uk

Mark Beckett — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 19:10:34 +0000

Scuplture Scanning Service UK

The Future Of Sculpting in 3D

One of the most enjoyable aspects of running a 3D scanning bureau is the broad range of industries that the technology can be applied to, this includes medical, automotive, aerospace, heritage and sculpture to name a few. Getting an insight into these different industries and their relative requirements enables our technical people to have broad knowledge of different scanning hardware and software that is needed to provide the correct digital data unique to these different verticals. Perhaps this is one of Europac3D’s greatest strengths, a broad understanding to provide the ‘correct data’ for both 3D scanning and printing applications across may sectors.

Poppy Field

We were recently approached by sculptor, Poppy Field to 3D scan her life-size sculpture ‘Tip Of The Iceberg’. Poppy has been working on the project since late 2018 and it is intended to embody a 21^st century ‘liberté’. The starting point being the phrase ‘Tip Of The Iceberg’ and its use in discourse surrounding the #metoo movement.

There of several 3d scanners that could be used for such a project, however in this case our technicians used a Kreon Ace measuring arm and Skyline laser scanner. There are also technologies out there that can capture this type of shape quicker, however the Kreon system is unbeatable when it comes to large volume, high resolution data capture. The laser scanner not only picks up all the details of the human form, but also the small indents and sculptors marks that are formed during the creative process. These unique signatures are often what makes a piece of art and therefore our Europac3d team will always endeavour to produce the best data achievable.

The Kreon Sykline laser scanner captures 600,000 point per second with a ‘paintbrush’ width of 200mm and is usually applied to accurately scan parts predominantly within the engineering field. In this case, the wide laser scanner rapidly captured the sculpture in around 1.5 hours and at a resolution of around 15 microns. The raw data set is initially captured as a ‘point cloud’ or millions of XYZ co-ordinate data points; it is then registered and converted into a 3D model in the form of a triangulated surface mesh or STL file.

3D Printing Service

The meshed 3D model created by the Kreon system was then sent to our 3d printing bureau, 3DPrintworx, whereby the model was hollowed and rescaled to 58cm. At 58cm the sculpture was too tall to fit in our 3d printers, so it was then sliced into two pieces, dowel pins added and corresponding holes cut into the opposite half . The two halves can then be accurately joined during post processing.

The final print was produced in PA12 nylon, a strong durable material that is great for printing small thin parts such as fingers in this example. The 3d printing process took about 10 hours overnight and then the 2 halves were cleaned using Dyemansion Powershot C. Finally, the two halves were bonded together to create the final model.

End to end Service

The whole process from scan to 3d print took around 7 days to complete. The application of the best technology at all stages of the process and knowledge learnt across a broad spectrum of industries allows Europac3D to deliver the highest quality 3d print and scan service from start to finish, without having to go to multiple vendors.

If you would like to discuss a project with our team please call us on 0330 229 0175 or e-mail – sales@europac3d.com

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We’ve Moved

Mark Beckett — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 12:37:21 +0000

Different times, different premises

We’ve Moved

We have had a busy few months here at Europac3D HQ moving and settling into our new premises. Our whole operation has been transported to a site located on a recently modernised business park in rural Cheshire. All of our 3D scanning and printing equipment is newly housed in purpose built surroundings that benefit from picture perfect views of the local countryside and a conveniently located café on hand to welcome our customers old and new.

You will now find us organised into two buildings. 3DPrintworx operates from a carefully designed facility, created to provide an optimal 3D printing environment. Operating as a 3D printing bureau, 3DPrintworx specialises in small volume production of PA11 and PA12 nylon components. Whilst our Sales, Marketing and Administrative operations are based in the Old Piggeries! An open space environment with a designated demonstration facility to showcase our range of 3D scanning equipment, including solutions from our longstanding partners Artec3D, Solutionix and Kreon.

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A New Era of Additive Manufacturing

Mark Beckett — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 15:03:05 +0000

Your future in 3D is HP Jet Fusion

A new era of additive manufacturing

The next generation of 3D printing technology moves beyond Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and is brought to you by HP Multi Jet Fusion. For those familiar with SLS you will be close to understanding this newer technology in additive manufacturing. From prototyping to production, HP Jet Fusion 3D printing technology is enabling industry from automotive to aerospace to bring their products to market faster than ever before. These 3D printing solutions provide speed, strength of part, accuracy and ground breaking economics – fundamental to an efficient manufacturing process.

What is SLS 3D printing?

Using the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printing process, parts can be produced by building up sintered powdered material one layer at a time.

At the start of the process an initial layer of polymer powder is spread across the build platform. A cross section of the part is then selectively sintered by a laser, fusing the particles of powder together . A new layer of thickness is then laid down by the build platform and the process repeats until the part build is complete.

The resulting part is a component encased in unsintered powder. Once removed from the powder and cleaned the part is ready for use or post processing.

SLS additive manufacturing is characterised by its use of material. Selected for functional application, thermoplastics are best suited for manufacturing end use parts and functional prototypes. These materials possess good mechanical properties as well as high impact, abrasion and chemical resistance.

Multi Jet Fusion

The HP Difference

Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) is the next level of industrial additive manufacturing technology. SLS production parts are built layer by layer by sintering thermoplastic material. The HP difference is the energy source, SLS requires a laser to scan and sinter each cross section, MJF dispenses a fusing agent onto the powder that is absorbed under infrared light.

MJF process

The technology in more detail

A layer of powder is spread across the build platform and warmed, close to sintering temperature. Step two draws from experience in the 2D sector – a carriage with HP ‘Pagewide’ inkjet nozzles passes over the bed, releasing fusing agent onto the whole layer of powder in less than 7 seconds. A high powered energy source passes over the bed and sinters the areas where the fusing agent was dispensed. This process repeats until the printed part is complete.

Once the build finishes, the entire powder bed containing the encapsulated parts is transferred to the processing station. Just like the SLS process, completed parts are encapsulated in powder and need to cool down before they can be removed and finished.

– Shorter lead times

Unlock production additive manufacturing opportunities with improved build times, greater reliability and greater throughput. Many thousands of parts can be manufactured in just one 12 hour print build, making it ideal for volume production runs of ‘end-use’ parts.

– Stronger parts

The HP Jet Fusion build process is self supporting and therefore negates the need for complex support structures during the build process. Highly detailed parts, with complex internal geometries can be built with ease.

Unlock your production potential with HP Additive Manufacturing

MJF for functional 3D printed parts

Our partner and technology giant HP have developed and launched MJF industrial 3D printing technology that has the capacity to quickly and accurately produce functional prototypes and end use parts for a variety of applications.

Design and manufacturing with HP Multi Jet Fusion, the all new 3D printing technology. From prototyping to production HP has 3D printing solutions to suit all budgets and capabilities, providing machines that fit with education settings to those requiring efficient manufacturing solutions.

Automotive

Consumer Goods

Industrial

Additive Manufacturing

Aerospace

Education

Healthcare

3D Print Service Bureaus

The right material

Introducing HP Nylon 3D Print materials

HP 3D printing material has been engineered to produce functional parts for use across a variety of industries and succeeds in providing the most efficient balance between performance and reusability. Manufacture strong production parts and functional prototypes whilst still achieving excellent finish, detail and dimensional accuracy.

Parts produced in HP material are similar to those built in the SLS process. However, HP nylon benefits from isotropic properties in x, y and z directions during the printing process. The Jet Fusion process therefore creates parts that possess unbeatable temperature and chemical resistance, making them much stronger.

HP material provides a market leading balance between performance and reusability. Easy to process material allows for productivity with less waste and ultimately much lower cost. Up to 70% of surplus powder can be reused build after build, minimising waste whilst still achieving part quality. No throwing away anymore!

HP PA 12 Nylon

Strong & Durable

This highly reusable material creates strong, low cost, quality parts. HP PA12 is a robust thermoplastic capable of producing high density parts, with detail and strong structures.It provides excellent chemical resistance to oils, greases, aliphatic hydrocarbons and alkalies. Making it ideal for complex assemblies, housings, enclosures as well as watertight applications.

Download the datasheet

HP 3D High Reusability PA11

Strong & Flexible

HP PA11 tensile and durable, making it high impact resistant and the best choice for producing ‘snap fit’ plastic parts, as well as those that require a high degree of flexibility – for example prostheses, orthotic insoles, sports goods and living hinges.

Download the datasheet

HP 3D High Reusability PA12 Glass Beads

Rigid & Functional

This glass bead filled (40%) thermoplastic material possesses optimal mechanical properties and high level reusability. Providing dimensional stability along with repeatability, HP PA12 with glass beads is perfect for applications requiring rigidity like enclosures, fixtures and tools.

Download the datasheet

Download HP Materials White Paper

The detail

HP Jet Fusion 3D printers

HP Jet Fusion 580 Colour 3D Printing Solution

Print fully functional parts in full colour
Achieve accurate and intricate detail
Speed up the design cycle
Print faster and at ½ the cost

The most compact offering within the HP portfolio of 3D printers, designed for convenient in-house automated production, specifically tailored for small to medium size product development teams, design firms and Universities.

A compact design that is suitable for office and classroom environments. Boasting cleanliness and ease of use this solution provides material mixing, loading, printing and reclaiming all in one machine.

HP Jet Fusion 4200-4210

Produce large numbers of parts per day with continuous printing
Utilise a large range of thermoplastic materials
Fast, reliable and extremely easy to use
Print faster and a ½ the cost

Reinvent how you prototype and produce functional parts, this 3D printer delivers quality output up to three times faster than traditional SLS machines and at half the cost. The HP Jet Fusion 4200-4210 model is ideal for printing functional prototypes or for short production runs.

HP Jet Fusion 5200

Latest technological innovation
Fast, continuous production
Compatible with a range of thermoplastic materials
Achieve Lower cost production parts

The latest innovation from the HP 3D printing technology has been designed to sit within volume additive manufacturing environments. Introducing the most efficient and economical system to date the system boasts streamlined mixing of materials and integrated cooling units. Whilst still boasting unique print times and product quality build after build.

HP Processing Station with fast cooling

An end-to-end solution

Comprising a printer, build unit and processing component with fast cooling, the HP Jet Fusion 3D printers provide a complete production solution.

An integral, automated processing system provides a cleaner loading and mixing experience. A build unit moves onto the printer, once the build is complete the unit can be transferred back to the processing station. The processing stations benefit from a fast cooling module allowing users to benefit from more rapid access to parts.

Fast, Quality, Cost Effcient Results
MJF is unparalleled as a 3D printing process. Offering superior end-to-end production solutions than similar processes like SLS. HP Multi Jet Fusion offers a fast and advanced way to create parts on demand.

Brought to you by EuroPac3D – Get in touch today to discover how digital manufacturing can transform your business.

Contact Us

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A hidden GEM in Jewellery 3D Printing

Mark Beckett — Sat, 04 Apr 2020 10:37:12 +0000

The future in 3D

A hidden GEM in jewellery 3D Printing

Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology is the perfect partner for jewellery design and production. This process of manufacture provides the highest level of precision, detail and productivity, allowing the designer to create with no limits. For those looking to embrace a more innovative production cycle over more traditional methods SLA 3D printing is the key.

An accessible form of 3D printing, the DWS range of machines provide solutions to enter the digital arena at low cost with desktop convenient machines. At the other end of the scale stand alone machines offer increased productivity for manufacturers looking to upscale.

To complement their hardware offering, DWS have one of the largest ranges of printing materials available on the marketplace. They offer a range of wax based substances for use in ‘lost wax’ investment casting of precious metals. As well as ceramic based solutions for the direct production of jewellery pieces. All easily and efficiently swapped from one build to another.

How Does it work?

As one of the most popular 3D printing techniques in the world, additive manufacturing works by using high powered lasers to harden liquid resin that is contained in a reservoir, to create the desired 3D shape. In summary the process hardens liquid resin into solid plastic 3D models.

DWS machines are characterised by the unique ‘upside-down’ position of the 3D print platform and the laser which is located underneath the resin tank. The bed moves in and out of the resin reservoir building up the highly precise model layer by layer until completion. This means that the resin material is used efficiently and economically. In addition, the compact and clean nature of the build reservoir provides the user with the flexibility to swap material easily, with no mess or wastage.

Introducing IRIX

‘Irix’ – meaning digital stone, is a brand new material created by DWS. This digital stone replicates the main characteristics of naturally occurring materials that would traditionally be used in jewellery production. Thanks to this exciting development designers can now 3D print beautifully ornate and detailed designs in a range of colours. This material is available for use on the J Series of DWS printers.

Francesca Gabrielli, a contemporary jewellery designer from Rome has 3D printed her bracelet designs in Irix. ‘Onda’ is inspired by the waves and ‘Rosaphina’ displays a texture of roses. Both bracelets capture sharp and precise detail characterised by the 3D printing process. The choice of material colour complements the design and texture.

3D printing jewellery allows for the realisation of any design and pattern, giving the designer freedom of creativity and expression. This is often perfect for bespoke or individually commissioned pieces.

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Combination 3D Scanning

Mark Beckett — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 10:32:46 +0000

NEWS STORY

Combination 3D Scanning To Solve Complex Tree Scanning

There is an ancient forest buried beneath the beach between Borth & Ynys Las on the west coast of Wales, north of Aberystwyth. 6000 years ago, a rise in sea levels covered the land, which has resulted in the forest being buried beneath the sands of the beach. Today, at low tide, gnarled & eroded stumps are revealed, preserved by the sand and the peat in which they lie.

Recently Europac3D was approached by Robert Davies a contemporary artist living in the area, with the task to implement combination 3d scanning of an oak tree like the ones that once dominated the area on Borth beach. The final goal of the project is to cast a single Ceredigion oak tree in the inter-tidal zone on the beach adjacent to, but not within, the visible section of the ancient forest. The idea relates to our changing climate, evidenced by the work of the IPCC, and the rise in sea levels that is being recorded. It has resulted in Natural Resources Wales declaring that ‘there will be managed realignment from Ynys Las 2025 and Borth from 2055’. Tree will draw attention to this unfolding narrative and will relate to the last time this landscape was inundated. It will interact with the tide as it falls and rises twice each day (the submerged forest is only visible about 25% of the time). Tree would communicate these changes and make reference to an historical past around which myths and stories, like the Cantre’r Gwaelod, exist. These stories are central to the culture of Wales.

ARTEC3D WHITE LIGHT, LEICA TERRESTRIAL AND DRONE COMBINATION 3D SCANNING

The technical Task

The primary role for Europac3D was to create a digital replication of an authentic Ceredigion Oak Tree that could be used in the manufacture of the physical manifestation of the tree. To make the task particularly challenging Robert identified a tree located on a steep hillside, a couple miles inland from Borth beach that best represented his vision.

From a technical perspective the 3d scanning of a tree is perhaps one of the more challenging objects you might come across, combine this with a steep hillside, densely populated wood and you now have a serious challenge. The technical bods at Europac3D were scratching their heads for a little while, but then concluded that to do this job properly they would need to literally throw the ‘kitchen sink at it’ to solve the many complex technicalities of completing such a job. They called in a crack team of 3d scanning professionals, all leading experts within their chosen fields of specialism.

It was decided to use just 3 technologies, in order to best capture the tree from all angles and perspectives. To capture the lower parts of the tree in high resolution an Artec Leo handheld 3D scanner was chosen, then a Leica terrestrial laser scanner was used for the mid-section of the tree and finally airborne drone photogrammetry was used for the high bits that traditional scanning techniques could not reach.

This Artec Leo was the perfect choice of 3D scanner for capturing the lower areas of the tree, with a capture window of 500mm by 800mm it was the ideal choice to rapidly capture the geometry of lower areas and guaranteed that the most visible, intricate areas of the final physical tree would be captured in the highest quality. Beyond winching our operator into the canopy of the tree there is a limit to what you can realistically capture with this type of technology and therefore to reach the areas beyond hand scanning height Europac3D brought in our good friends from Efficacy4D. A specialist in terrestrial laser and drone photogrammetry scanning Efficacy4D bring a wealth of knowledge in large object scanning that is renowned throughout the film and TV sectors.

Using a Leica terrestrial Laser scanner, Duncan Lees of Efficacy4D, was able to enthusiastically and energetically manoeuvre the scanner about the hillside to capture those areas beyond which a handheld 3D scanner simply cannot reach. Strategically positioning the scanner in key locations about the forest, Duncan was able to maximise his extensive experience to capture the higher areas of the tree to (up to 10M high) that cannot be reached with traditional handheld scanning technologies.

At this point our technicians had captured the lower and higher parts of the tree, however all from a low-level perspective, which means essentially that the tops of the branches had no 3D data. To solve this problem, the experts from Visualskies were brought in to add the vital 3^rd technology to complete the jigsaw of this 3D scanning conundrum. Drone photogrammetry, which involves the capture of high-resolution images taken from a SLR camera attached to a drone, was then used to collect data from above the canopy of the surrounding trees. The combination of these 3 technologies gave our engineers the best chance of capturing 100% data of the chosen tree in question.

What is perhaps significant here is that these are 3 technologies that are not ordinarily combined. Terrestrial laser scanning is most commonly used within the surveying industry for capturing buildings and structural measurements, while handheld scanners are typically used for applications such as medical, engineering and artistic design. These 3 technologies have their own industry standard software and workflows, however, are rarely combined.

The 3 sets of point cloud data were carefully registered and combined by the experts at Europac3D to provide a composite 3D mesh surface model in the form of an STL (Stereolithography) file, which is suitable for many downstream applications including its future physical manufacture. It is also possible to visualise the digital version of the tree in many AR/VR applications, giving an impression to how it might look when it takes its physical manifestation. If anything, this may well be the legacy of this project, a piece of digital artwork that helps communicate and visualise our past and the consequences of climate change.

As a technology solution provider, Europac3D has perhaps the broadest range of 3d scanning and printing technologies on the market in the UK and it is this ‘application knowledge’ that sets us apart in our offering. Please contact us if you have tricky application requirements, this is the bit where we excel!

For More Information Contact Europac3D on 01270 216000 or sales@europac3d.com

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Kreon Measuring Arms ISO 10360-12 Certification

Mark Beckett — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 11:55:59 +0000

NEWS STORY

Kreon Measuring Arms ISO 10360-12 Certification

From February 2020 onwards, Kreon Measuring Arms will be ISO 10360-12 certified. This international certification requires common tests to be performed by all suppliers within the sector to ensure greater transparency of product specifications for buyers.

The standard applies to measuring arms fitted with a probe, whereas tests for arms with a 3D scanner are based on the 10360-8 standard. The 10360-12 tests result in new designations for the technical documentation of measuring arms, such as LDia, PForm, PSize and EUni (as described in detail below). 6- and 7-axis measuring arms are specified using the same tests.

Kreon Measuring Arms ISO 10360-12

Test 1, two results:
Size error on a sphere, tactile

PSize (PSize.Sph.1×25::Tact.AArm)

The PSize value expresses the error when measuring the size of a geometry, specifically the diameter of a sphere. It is calculated as the difference between the diameter of a least squares sphere, deduced from 25 points measured, and the calibrated diameter of the sphere (Figure 1.3).

Form error on a sphere, tactile

PForm (PForm.Sph.1×25::Tact.AArm)

This test, based on the preceding one, establishes the distribution of contact (tactile) measurements over a sphere. 25 points are probed on a calibrated sphere, and a least squares sphere is derived from these 25 points. The test result is the thickness of a shell encompassing the 25 points, the center of which is the least squares sphere (Figure 1.4). This process has to be repeated for two positions of the sphere within the volume of the measuring arm. The worse of the two results is used.

Test 2: Articulated location error, tactile

**LDia(LDia .5×5 :Art :Tact.AArm)**

This test determines the errors caused by the articulations of the arm, primarily axes 5, 6 and 7 of the joint. 5 points are probed on the sphere with the probe pointing in the same direction (Figure 3.1), and this process is repeated in 5 different orientations (Figure 3.2). The center of optimum adjustment of the sphere is calculated for each set of 5 points. The diameter of the smallest sphere encompassing the five centers calculated is the result of the test. The process has to be repeated for two positions of the sphere within the volume of the measuring arm.

Test 3: Length measurement error, unidirectonal, tactile

EUni (EUni :0 :Tact.AArm)

The EUni test establishes the unidirectional length error between two probed points. It is based on 105 length measurements, each obtained by probing two spheres. This test is carried out over the entire volume of the measuring arm (Figure 2), taking the motion of the arm’s elbow into account. The test result is not an average but corresponds to the greatest error out of the 105 measurements. The closer the result is to 0, the greater the accuracy of the arm within its volume.

Test 4: SPAT

This complementary test, found in the annex to the standard, can be used to rapidly check the performance of a measuring arm. It determines measuring accuracy with the probe immobile and the elbow moving from left to right (Figure 4). The probe is positioned in a cavity, and 10 points are measured at the same position while the elbow moves back and forth. For a 7-axis arm, the joint has to be swivelled around by 180° before returning it to its original position. The result is the radius of the smallest sphere encompassing the 10 points measured.

For more information about Kreon Measuring Arms in the UK please contact us on 01270 216000 or sales@europac3d.com.

The post Kreon Measuring Arms ISO 10360-12 Certification appeared first on Europac3D.

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Kreon Measuring Arms ISO 10360-12 Certification

Kreon Measuring Arms ISO 10360-12 Certification

From February 2020 onwards, Kreon Measuring Arms will be ISO 10360-12 certified. This international certification requires common tests to be performed by all suppliers within the sector to ensure greater transparency of product specifications for buyers.

Test 1, two results: Size error on a sphere, tactile

PSize (PSize.Sph.1×25::Tact.AArm)

Form error on a sphere, tactile

PForm (PForm.Sph.1×25::Tact.AArm)

Test 2: Articulated location error, tactile

LDia(LDia .5×5 :Art :Tact.AArm)

Test 3: Length measurement error, unidirectonal, tactile

EUni (EUni :0 :Tact.AArm)

Test 4: SPAT

For more information about Kreon Measuring Arms in the UK please contact us on 01270 216000 or sales@europac3d.com.

Test 1, two results:
Size error on a sphere, tactile

**LDia(LDia .5×5 :Art :Tact.AArm)**