Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has announced the release of a new modular 3D laser scanner designed for large surface inspection for use with both its laser tracker and portable measuring arm devices. The new Absolute Scanner AS1-XL is built on the same SHINE technology as its flagship Absolute Scanner AS1, allowing it to collect extremely clean 3D data at very high speeds from even the most challenging surface types. With a wider scan line, the new scanner is designed for inspecting large surfaces and deep cavities across inspection applications such as aerospace panels, marine propellers and large automotive castings.
The AS1-XL boasts an ultra-wide scan line of 600 millimeters at mid-range. Together with its 1.2 million points per second point acquisition rate and 300 Hertz frame rate, this makes it ideal for scanning large surfaces quickly without losing inspection detail. The scanner also features an extended measurement stand-off distance of 700 millimeters, which paired with its 600 millimeter working range allows for hidden point measurement capability of up to a meter.
The proprietary intelligent exposure algorithms that make up Hexagon’s SHINE technology are key to the performance of the AS1-XL, allowing it to digitize almost any material, including multiple surface types and color finishes, within a single scan pass with no need for settings adjustment. It is this and the scanner’s automation compatibility that set it apart from the previous generation LAS-XL, a handheld-only device. The high measurement speed and large stand-off distance of the AS1-XL make it ideal for a wide range of automatable inspection tasks – the former allowing the scanner to keep up with modern robot technology rather than being a bottleneck to robot path speed, and the latter minimizing risk of collision by not requiring the robot path to pass so close to the inspection object.
As with the Absolute Scanner AS1, the AS1-XL has been designed with a modular concept that allows for compatibility with both Hexagon’s flagship laser tracker and portable measuring arm systems – the Leica Absolute Tracker AT960 and Absolute Arm 7-Axis respectively. The quick-mount design and minimal warm-up period make the AS1 and AS1-XL a hot-swappable combination, allowing users to move quickly back and forth between high-density detailed scanning and larger surface inspection using either a portable arm or laser tracker at a moment’s notice.
As with the AS1 and latest iteration of the Absolute Arm range, the AS1-XL is IP54-rated, allowing for safe and reliable operation in the challenging shop-floor environment into which quality inspection is increasingly being taken.
The AS1-XL is available to order now from local Hexagon representatives, and more information is available on the Absolute Scanner section of the Hexagon website.
About Hexagon
Hexagon is the global provider of digital reality solutions, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies. Hexagon has approximately 24,000 employees in 50 countries and net sales of approximately 5.2bn EUR.
Learn more at hexagon.com.
