Why Use a 3D Scan Service for really small parts in the first place?
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Here is an example of scan data of a part only 18mm long it is an injection molded component.
Non-Contact which prevents distortion and movement of the part.
- Millions of points per second.
- Can measure areas impossible by calipers.
- Prevent damage or warping when in a holding fixture
- Can measure delicate parts!
What can be scanned!
Jewelry, Dental parts, Medical parts, Plastic parts for controllers, Springs, Screws just about anything!
Another example of a tooth cast for a dental application was scanned.
There are four main issues with 3D Scanning really small parts.
- Point to point spacing to get the detail
- Accuracy
- Data alignment
- Reflective or Dark surfaces
How do we solve these problems!
- Scan of a tooth for a dental application. First is getting the point to point resolution down tight enough so that we can analyze the fine delicate details on something as small as a ring, thread or small medical device, even for some of the most powerful 3D scanners on the market. With our professional grade Steinbichler Comet 5M L3D and using our 100mm field of view lense we can achieve 50um space between points but as we scan overlapping data will reduce this point density as we do.
- Accuracy is the second point as with such a small object an accurate measurement can cause the data to unreliable. With our professional grade Steinbichler Comet 5M L3D and using our 100mm field of view lense we can achieve 10um accuracy per scan.
- Data alignment is just as important since now each scan needs to be aligned correctly and accurately to ensure the data is clean. Each scan has a tolerance applied to align to either the geometry of what you are scanning to target markers like spheres or photogrammetry targets.
- Lastly some scanners don’t deal with reflective or dark surfaces. In order to 3d scan the part must be preferable matte white . This requires coating the object with a powder like Mangaflux or Tinactin. This must be done carefully as adding a layer of powder or paint to a small object can skew the dimension or fill in small holes.