The 3D printing industry is helping to grow the market for 3D scanners, especially with the introduction of a number of low cost scanners. Are these scanners an alternative to more professional versions for your application?

Thanks in part to 3D printers, you now have a wider range of choices for 3D scanning, ranging from small hand held units like the Sense here for consumers, all the way to professional metrology based units.

According to forecasters, the market for 3D scanning should double from about $2.06 billion in 2013 to $4.08 billion by 2018.

The key deciding factors for selecting any scanner are accuracy, part size, set up requirements, and needs for robustness.