3D laser scanning case study | Arrival 3D, Inc.
Recently we were approached by a customer with an interesting request. He brought in an abstract sculpture that he made years ago and requested it to be scanned. He will then use the scan data to reproduce the sculpture with our 3D printing services for presentations and eventually give the data to a structural engineering company to be built at a much larger scale in Los Angeles.
First steps
The first challenge with this project was that the original sculpture was chromed. Typically with dark or reflective parts, we need to mat down the surface with powdered spray to that our 3D laser scanner can accurately pick up the dimensions of the part. We did not want to jeopardize the aesthetic integrity of the original art, so we came up with a simpler solution and used automotive tape. After carefully taping the sculpture as close to the contours as possible, we were ready to start the 3D laser scanning process.
3D printing and cad modeling
With the 3D printed sculpture as well as the CAD model, our client can now begin preparations for presentations to potential donors and go directly to an engineering company to actually build the massive installation. We are incredibly excited to see where this project goes and proud of our results. We will definitely keep you updated with the progress of this project with a follow-up post.
Smoothing it out, erasing seams
With the raw scan completed, our modelers worked their magic and removed the extra layer of tape from the scan and created a completely smooth CAD model of the sculpture. Once the meticulous modeling was done, we then sectioned out the sculpture into 5 separate pieces for 3D printing.
Now equipped with the 3D printed parts back in our California office, we combined the 5 pieces. Thanks to the careful modeling done by our experts, fitting was a breeze. We added epoxy to make sure that the parts came together into 1 complete 3D printed piece and to get rid of the seams. Once the epoxy dried, the full assembly was sanded down to make it as smooth as the original sculpture.
The completed sculpture will be somewhere between 50-60 feet tall after it is completed. Beneath is a sample of how the sculpture will be to scale.
This is a great example of how 3D laser scanning, 3D modeling, and 3D printing can expedite projects large and small. If you’re interested in our 3D laser scanning services, give us a call!
