Next Engine Scanner

[toycept]

I'm considering purchasing a scanner and looking at the Next Engine scanner. I did a search of this forum
and see there was some activity on this question back in 2006. The scanner has since then gone through
some changes and would like to bring the question up again. Anyone using this scanner.. the more recent HD version?
Any comments, good, bad ... how does it work for you. Any info would be a help. Thanks

 

[SBaugh]

IMO, if your not using an arm, your not going to get a close tolerance. We researched the heck out of 3D scanners and finally decided on an arm, mostly due to the tolerance accuracy. The closet 3D scanner we looked at was from Roland. The model we looked at buying is LPX-600DS. The accuracy is .05 mm or .0019" (

http://www.rolanddga.com/products/scanners/lpx600/#specifications).

I would get a demo of both scanners before I would make a purchase. We drove to Chicago to see a machine first hand and watch it work... it wasn't bad at all.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
Berry Plastics
Cad Admin\Design Engineer
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"

faq731-376

 

[MikeHalloran]

In addition to accuracy/resolution, you need to look at the amount of labor that you will have to expend to get from a real object to a 3D representation of that object in a usable CAD file.

Bring an object of your own to any demo, and make the demo dude go through the whole process, or lead you through it.

I have no experience with scanners, but I have gone through the tedium of touching an object to produce a point cloud, and then trying to make use of the point cloud. Even just touching a circular edge at three points to generate a circle is fraught with uncertainty. Maybe your hand is steadier than mine. I suspect that some serious hands-on time with an arm will dampen your enthusiasm.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[SBaugh]

As for the Arm I think it varies on the Arm you select and the software that is being used. We went with the Microscribe with Point2CAD software. I have never used it, but from what I was told it can create models from Sketch geometry that is created from touching the object. This allows us to brings models into SW very easily. We can create Point cloud data if we want to, but its not the usual practice.

Mike is right about having them test your products. That's what we did with Next Engine scanner and they done a poor job at it. The Roland scanner done a much better job, but we would have to learn another piece of software to get a usable model into Solidworks. Since the Arm allows us to create Sketch geometry, right inside of Solidworks it made it much easier to select the Arm.

Cheers,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
Berry Plastics
Cad Admin\Design Engineer
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"

faq731-376