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25 Jan 2007 - Materialise invests in high-end optical 3D digitiser


Assuring full Dimensional Quality Control

 

We recently invested in a new technology to improve our quality and broaden our range of services to our customers. By implementing a high-end flexible optical 3D digitiser we are now able to offer a measuring and digitising service, to assure a full dimensional quality control and last but not least, to enable the full circle of reverse engineering in-house.

Jo Massoels, Inspection Manager, Measuring & Digitising Services, Materialise

Measurement room at Materialise headquarters

High-end 3D Digitiser

The GOM ATOS II measuring system Materialise invested in is based on the principle of triangulation. The projected fringe patterns are observed with two CCD cameras. The 3D coordinates for each camera pixel are calculated with high precision and a polygon mesh of the object's surface is generated. To maximise the quality of reports the device is installed in our brand new optimally conditioned measurement room.

 

The ATOS system

BMW MINI Cooper components on the Euromold2006 show in Frankfurt - the front part has been scanned & measured

Dimensional quality control and inspection

This flexible optical scanning device allows us to integrate a full dimensional quality control in our business process. The motivation behind this is the continual drive to treat our technologies as real production techniques.

 

Colour map - front side wing of BMW MINI Cooper

From now on, the Materialise team is able to check indicated critical dimensions and features (e.g. CMM inspection points), to offer section based analysis and complete customer specific measuring reports using different alignment methods (e.g. RPS).

 

Our Magics RapidFit software creates support systems that have a unique fit to the part and consequently facilitate the digitising process

Digitising all your components

Scanning and measuring flexible plastic components is a highly specialised task. As plastic objects are not self-supporting, they need a different kind of fixture system compared to parts in much less flexible materials like steel or aluminium.
Thanks to our in-house developed software, the RapidFit module in Magics, we can make freeform fixture systems ideal to support RP materials. This allows us to digitise plastic components, from tiny connectors to car bumpers, accurately and cost-efficiently.
Besides RP components, we also digitise parts and arts to create surface and solid models for analysis and storage purposes.

 

Full chain of reverse engineering

Materialise now completes the full circle of reverse engineering by enhancing the synergetic power of our software development (3-matic) and our rapid prototyping production with the creation of a new scanning unit.
Our extensive knowledge in triangulation combined with the ATOS scanner will strengthen our pole position in personalised manufacturing, in the reproduction of parts and arts and retro-fitting. 

 

What is in it for you?

3 new services:
  • Improved dimensional quality control and measuring reporting service
  • Digitising to STL for reproduction of parts and arts
  • Scanning and creation of solid and surface models (e.g. IGES, STEP)

 

About Materialise

Materialise started in 1990 in the sector of rapid prototyping. Since that time, the company has experienced an exponential growth and has become a worldwide leader in the Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing industry, with references in the medical, automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics business.
Materialise aims at staying the largest provider of plastic prototypes, offering the widest range of technologies and largest capacity to support its customers in their product development process.  

Contact

Materialise Industrial Services
Technologielaan 15
3001 Leuven
Belgium
Tel.: +32 16 39 66 11
Fax: +32 16 39 66 00

Press contact: Griet Van Wesemael, griet.vanwesemael@materialise.be

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