Designing in 3D is a barrier to entry for many 3D printing enthusiasts. By providing customers scans of objects they wish to recreate, we’re taking the first small steps to tear those barriers down.
Valencia, CA (PRWEB) April 02, 2014
Solid Concepts Inc., the leader in dedicated additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping services since 1991, will now offer 3D scanning and recording of objects for future replication with 3D printing. This service, never before offered by Solid Concepts, gives the capability of 3D printing to everyone, regardless of 3D modeling expertise.
Solid Concepts’ 3D scanning technology is known as laser triangulation scanning. Directed light reflects back from the object scanned to record the object as millions of polygonal triangles, or a fine mesh. The scanner records the polygonal triangles to comprise a full three dimensional object, which is then translated into an STL file ready for immediate replication with 3D printing. While many designers model their 3D designs from scratch using special (and often expensive) 3D CAD programs, when replicating a part that is already in existence it is exponentially more helpful to begin with a scanned object to eliminate unnecessary time modeling an object from the ground up.
“We realize designing in 3D is a barrier to entry for many 3D printing enthusiasts,” says Vice President of Marketing, Scott McGowan. “By providing customers scans of objects they wish to recreate, we’re taking the first small steps to tear those barriers down.”
3D printing begins with an STL file. STL – Standard Tessellation Language – files are the industry standard for rapid prototype or 3D Printing. STL files record and save information from 3D CAD data as hundreds of polygons, or facets, defined by vectors and vertices. These polygons instruct 3D Printers during the additive layer manufacturing process. Solid Concepts provides scanned objects with tolerance integrity ready for replication.
Objects that qualify for 3D scanning with Solid Concepts:
- Part size within 2” x 2” x 2” to 36” x 24” x 36” qualify (this size is project dependent; objects outside of these constraints may qualify)
- Solid Concepts is able to record counter bores and internal features up to 5” deep (line-of-sight)
- Surface of object: shiny, rough or smooth can be scanned easily
Solid Concepts will provide simple file cleanup to all parts. Parts scanned will be saved as STL files only. Return shipping of scanned objects will be included in the service. Learn more about Solid Concepts at http://www.solidconcepts.com.
About Solid Concepts
Solid Concepts Inc. provides custom manufacturing solutions via additive manufacturing, rapid prototyping, CNC machining, cast urethanes, injection molding and tooling. Since 1991, Solid Concepts has provided engineering expertise from multiple fields to bring success to new products in the aerospace, medical, consumer product industries and more. Capabilities in PolyJet, Stereolithography (SLA), Plastic and Metal Laser Sintering (SLS & DMLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), QuantumCast™ Cast Urethanes, CNC, Tooling and Injection Molding allow for low to high volume production of plastics, urethanes, and metals directly from design data, resulting in significant time and cost savings. ISO 9001 and AS9100 certifications. http://www.solidconcepts.com