Metrology-Grade Desktop Scanner May Help Reduce Time to Market

The Artec Micro scanner captures details four times smaller than what is visible to the human eye, and may reduce the product design, prototype and production cycle by weeks.

A newly released desktop 3D scanner boasts the ability to accurately measure and scan materials a tenth of the size of a single grain of salt.

Artec 3D, a developer and manufacturer of 3D hardware and software, has released its newest scanner, Artec Micro. The company’s most accurate 3D scanner yet, Artec Micro is a metrology-grade desktop 3D scanner equipped with blue LED lights and twin cameras. These lights synchronize with the scanner’s dual-axis rotation system to create digital copies in high-resolution colour using minimal frames.

President and CEO of Artec 3D, Artyom Yukhin, said the new scanner will fill a niche market for creating extremely accurate digital reproductions of small parts and products.

“At a point of accuracy of 10 microns, Artec Micro is capturing details that are four times smaller than what is visible with the average human eye,” Yukhin said.

To use Artec Micro, an object is first placed on the circular scanning platform. The user then simply chooses from a variety of smart scanning paths before beginning the scanning process. This can be viewed in real-time within the Artec Studio, where the scan data is processed. After scanning, the final model can be exported to CAD/CAM software such as SOLIDWORKS, Control X, PolyWorks Inspector and Design X.

While the new scanner can be a tool for geometric tolerance testing, precision mechanics and reverse engineering applications, its easy-to-use and versatile technology may also benefit non-engineering industries such as dentistry and jewelry design.

For more on 3D scanning, check out 5 Questions on 3D Scanning.