3D scanning is the perfect solution for the aviation industry. With excellent accuracy and portability, it can check dimensions easily for replication or MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul). Instead of only a few data points, our Scantech scanners, like the KSCANMagic can capture many points per second for the most accurate inspection or reverse engineering procedures.
The main benefits of 3D scanning in aviation are as follows.
3D Scan to Reproduce Accurate Dimensions of Any Part
With varying 3D scanning systems like KSCAN magic and TrackScan, large parts like wings can be captured to generate accurate models or analysis on location without removing them from the aircraft. This could be for damage analysis, historical restoration, or the movie industry.
Reproduce Any Current Component
Due to the changing technology, more aviation companies are designing new parts based on the original designs instead of starting over again. With some aging aircraft and helicopters, 3D scanning services allow us to take existing components from working aircraft, model them, and use that data to make parts for MRO. We have done this at www.3dre.ca for an aging fleet of Bell 214 water bombing helicopters, which allowed us to scan and model T-cap structures for the tail boom and work with DAR engineers to remodel and make new drawings to manufacture these sections.
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T-cap for Bell 214 Helicopter modelled from an old part. |
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Bell 214 Bulkhead section scan data from tail boom. |
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Entire tail boom bulkhead components modelled from a crashed helicopter; new tooling made. |
Making New Components
With the acquirement of the exact measurements, you can generate new components with the scan data. Generating CAD of the area of concern allows engineers to create new models that fit within the envelope without interference. This keeps aging fleets in the air with updated features. In this case, a helicopter was scanned since there was an engine replacement program and new cowls were to be designed.
Aircraft Wing Inspection
When the aircraft is in flight, the wings deform under the load. The in-flight deflection of wings dramatically impacts the aerodynamic performance of the airplane, which is difficult to inspect and qualify using conventional methods.
Generally, any airplane must be inspected based on duration in the field or flight hours.
Our Scantech scanners perfectly inspect the deformation of aircraft wings. The technicians acquire the wing’s position and space using the MSCAN photogrammetry system and capture the defined point cloud3D data with the KSCAN-Magic handheld scanner or the TrackScan system.
When the Scan data is collected, the technicians generate a report comparing the scan data to the CAD model and generate a colour deviation map showing the damage or deformation.
The defect or dent, like width, length, and depth, are defined using colour map comparison. The report shows how the two differ in detail, allowing every detail to be seen.
In conclusion, availing 3D scanning services in Ontario and modelling services at 3DRE saves time and guarantees accuracy with the abundant amount of highly accurate information collected. This allows the redesigns and adjustments to be perfected in CAD before any parts or tooling is manufactured, reducing costs and speeding up the process.
Reach out for a quote on 3D scanning services in Canada.