How to choose a 3D scanner?

With this article, I would like to give you, the readers, suggestions for questions that would be good to ask yourself when choosing a 3D scanner. In general, these questions and thoughts may not only apply to 3D scanners. They can also be easily transferred to other products.

Money | Device sales brand | Technical parameters | Calibration | The user interface | support

Money they almost always have the most weight when choosing a 3D scanner. Many people and companies try to find the ideal intersection between the price of the device and its technical capabilities when choosing a device. This is the ideal state. However, there are situations when the buyer is only interested in the price of the device and does not take into account his requirements and the technical capabilities of the device. A low price usually means that the given device is somewhat poorer or works differently than the more expensive one. From the logic of the matter, we can probably conclude that something is hidden behind the higher price. We will try to find out what it could be and whether it is important.

Device sales brand. A lot of people will say that with well-known brand products, they pay mainly for the brand. They may be right to some extent. Indeed, we are likely to pay more for a product that is proven and manufactured for a long time. However, it is also necessary to ask yourself what the money from sales is going to. For long-established companies, it is often an investment in employees and equipment. In practice, this means greater possibilities for quality verification, or provision of technical support. This requires considerable funds, especially if both are to be of high quality. I think that it is not possible to exclude larger companies from the selection because of the price of their products without a deeper knowledge of the quality of the products and related services.

Technical parameters of the selected 3D scanner. Few people buy a 3D scanner just to play. We all want it to meet our expectations and be of as much use as possible. So we have to think about what everything is supposed to do for us and what it could do for us in the future. This is not a small investment and it is necessary to think ahead. Won't we need, for example, to control production with greater precision in a year? So, in many cases, it is not a happy solution to save money on the purchase now, when in a year we will have to buy a new and better 3D scanner.

As the market develops, the bidding and sales practices become more aggressive. More and more I encounter the "paper can handle anything" approach. The technical parameters in the product sheets look very attractive. But how is it in reality? There is nothing easier than having the device demonstrated live. Have the measurement demonstrated on your own part and, for example, perform an accuracy test on a gauge or an object where you are absolutely sure of the dimensions (measured on another calibrated gauge). The ideal “objects” for measurement are parts from 500 mm to 1 mm with a rugged surface in 000D space. This is where the true accuracy of the offered device becomes apparent. For 3D objects (straight scale), 2D scanners don't have to mess with the calculation in all 3 axes.

To give you an idea, we can assess the following parameters: the accuracy of the 3D scanner, the scanning speed, how the scanner scans different surfaces (black surface, shiny surface, ...), the resolution of the polygon network (the detail of the resulting scan), the overall appearance of the resulting scan. It is best to check these parameters during a live demo.

Calibration. Every meter must be calibrated in order to measure correctly. Otherwise, the device always degrades over time (slight shocks during travel, temperature changes, shocks during measurement, etc.). It is highly unlikely that a 3D scanner would be calibrated at the time of manufacture and then never need to be calibrated again. The user probably starts to solve it after some time, or when, for example, he hits an obstacle with the 3D scanner. Why not find out in advance how the 3D scanner can be repaired or calibrated if it falls to the ground?

The user interface. When choosing a 3D scanner, the fact that the buyer will ideally work with this device every day is often forgotten. When choosing a suitable device, the software side of the 3D scanner and the ergonomics of the device body (weight, grip, size, shape) should also be tested.

The software should be user-friendly, but still leave the user options to work with the scanned data. No software is flawless and all software should be constantly improved. So it's a good idea to find out how many new versions are released during the year. Too many means many bugs that are quickly patched. Too little means that the software is not being worked on, or bugs are ignored and only a big version with news is released once a year. Or once every few years.

Support. If you purchase a 3D scanner, you should also receive training on this product. However, it is impossible to remember all the information immediately. People tend to forget less used functions and then it is hard to remember how and where to do something in the software after a certain time. So the question arises whether the seller of the 3D scanner can provide you with both knowledge support and support in case of damage / breakage of the 3D scanner. Who can you write to or call to ask for advice, or how, for example, to repair a 3D scanner. A company that is not only interested in sales knows that it should also take care of current customers. So it has dedicated employees dedicated to this no less important support for existing users.

Like many things, a 3D scanner needs some accessories to function properly. It is a good idea to find out what all must or can be added to the scanner. On the basis of these documents, a framework financial plan for the following years of operation can also be created. We can also include regular training of the operator in the plan so that they can constantly improve and work more efficiently.

So if you're going to choose a suitable 3D scanner, don't just look at the price and the leaflet. I recommend that you also check the things described above related to the operation of this device. By making the wrong choice, you will lose a lot of time and money.

Martin Hlavoň
(active in the field of scanning since 2010)