Scan-to-CAD-to-manufacture is leveling the playing field in the automotive aftermarket and beyond.
Autodesk has sponsored this post.
When you think of a manufacturing sector that’s leading the way in terms of technology adoption and advanced workflow, you could be forgiven if the automotive aftermarket isn’t the first sector that comes to mind.
Technology adoption in manufacturing tends to invoke the image of massive companies with huge capital investment budgets and highly repeatable assembly line operations that leverage expensive technology to wring every ounce of efficiency from their automated production cycles.
Automotive aftermarket companies approach technology adoption with a different mindset. They are smaller, more nimble companies. They have less available capacity and are set up for high-mix, low-volume production. This level of agility is less a choice than a requirement for these companies, which are forced by customers and competition to constantly innovate their products and methods to address demand for everything from the latest high-performance automotive trends to replacement parts that haven’t been made in decades.
These companies are constantly on the lookout for new technology and tools that can improve product design, manufacturing workflows and time-to-market. One of the latest design technologies revving up the auto aftermarket is photogrammetry and the scan-to-CAD workflow it enables.
The Evolution of Scan-to-CAD
Photogrammetry is the practice of creating 3D digital files from scanned photographs. The process involves taking overlapping images of an object, structure or space and converting them into 3D digital models. The process itself isn’t new—in fact, it’s been around in some form or another since the 1980s. But thanks to advancements in imaging technology and new functionality built into design software such as Autodesk Fusion 360, photogrammetry has become a far more accessible technique to a greater number of companies.
It was originally developed for reverse engineering. Companies wanted to take an existing part or product they had no historical data on and find a way to get it into a CAD or CAM system to reproduce it or make changes. The method held a lot of promise, but equipment was cost-prohibitive and you needed a highly educated, very experienced team to make it work.
Things have changed dramatically since then. When photogrammetry got its start, the computing power required to process the images, crunch the data and develop a model filled a room—now it can fit in your pocket. The technology is cheaper, more extensible and easier to adopt with less education and experience. And it’s starting to make a major impact with smaller companies trying to punch well above their weight.
“We’re seeing scan-to-CAD becoming an imperative workflow for these companies,” says Trent Still, senior manager, technical marketing, design and manufacturing at Autodesk. “Effectively what’s happening is, regardless of your budget, you can take out your phone, use photogrammetry to take hundreds of images from all different angles, get a 3D model from that, and all of a sudden you can reproduce the part.”
In a sector such as the automotive aftermarket, where custom-built is king and virtually no price is too high to make a classic car look perfect, this workflow is a game changer. Reproducing components originally made decades ago using far different methods compared to what we use today is an inherently complicated process. With scan-to-CAD, these companies can scan engine compartments or interiors to get the exact CAD specifications, check safety protocols or create engine components that will fit within the volumetric space of an engine compartment. And you no longer need a $50,000 scanner and a PhD. You can use your phone, or buy a high-quality, hand-held scanner (essentially a LiDAR unit) for around $500.
“You walk around the part, scan it in a couple seconds and export different file types, but predominantly it’s a mesh. From there you can upload the meshes,” says Still, adding that even five years ago you needed multiple solutions to manage all that data—something that handled the mesh, a point cloud system to turn that mesh into a solid body, and then a CAM solution to manufacture it. With software like Autodesk Fusion 360, the power comes from combining this scan-to-CAD workflow with next-generation simulation, generative design and advanced manufacturing such as metal additive. This makes it possible to scan an engine compartment and, using an add-on to the same software platform, simulate the generative fluid paths of the turbo cooler. Then you can export the file so it can be printed using Inconel on a metal sintering machine, all in the same amount of time it would have taken the engineer to make the CAD design just a few years ago.
Scanning Everything to CAD
Being able to produce an exact replica of a 70-year-old car part—as cool as that is—is just one application. People are applying this technique to solve problems in all sorts of industries, significantly reducing the lead time, cost and difficulty of solving manufacturing problems compared to just a few years ago.
One such example is the massive printing presses owned by The Washington Post, the oldest of which began operating in 1948. No longer able to buy off-the-shelf parts to maintain it, Still says maintainers are now starting to scan the broken parts and give a manufacturer the resulting mesh to build spares. “It’s changed the ease of use and the accessibility of being able to do [this kind of stuff] correctly. And there’s not a ton of options out there, which is what makes Fusion 360 such a good fit.”
Another interesting application stems from the devastating fire that almost destroyed Notre-Dame, the medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in Paris, France. Historians, engineers and architects are using the technology to return the cathedral to its former glory. “All of a sudden, they’re able to 3D scan this piece of architectural history and have a real-life CAD version of something that was created centuries ago,” says Still.
It’s easy to see a lot of applications where scan-to-CAD technology and workflow can be a game changer. From new product design to making your own spare parts, all you need is minimal investment in hardware and an add-on to software you already use daily. Punching above your weight has never been easier.
Learn more about the scan-to-CAD workflow at Autodesk.com.
