Geeks and nerds love it, and we all know its cool stuff, but did you know that one day 3D scanning could save your life?
3D scanning services are often thought of as cool gadgetry for designing interesting buildings or unique new products, or increasing the performance of existing products (make a golf ball 10% faster, etc). But there are several areas where 3D scanning technology intersects with real world health and safety.
If you work in a machine shop or manufacturing plant, there are many hazards to your health there. You could get your shirt caught in a moving machine, and get pulled into its works to your demise. 3D scanning services allow engineers to construct well-fitting
machine guards that keep workers clear of anything dangerous that may come into their path. There is also the prospect of the place catching fire. Using 3D scanning technology, engineers can design a fire sprinkler system that completely covers the entire plant, ensuring that if a fire should break out it will be controlled quickly. Let’s say you work in a nuclear reactor facility. Nuclear reactors are highly controlled environments for obvious reasons. Even the air itself inside the facility is controlled, and the entire facility is kept under negative pressure to ensure that if there are any openings to the
outside, air comes inward instead of the other direction. 3D scanning services
help engineers to calculate the volume of air needed by the air handling
equipment, ensuring the health and safety of the people working there in case
there is any kind of release.
There are certain objects in life that must not fail, such
as metal structures and supports that are holding up buildings, platforms, even
things like cars and bikes. When items like these are poorly manufactured,
resulting in internal cracks or air bubbles, how does the manufacturer know if
they are producing inferior and structurally compromised products? They can use
3D scanning services with industrial CT scanning to inspect their products for
flaws, making sure they are safe for use.
3D scanning services are often used by makers of firearms to
increase the quality of their products. The US military is an especially big
user of 3D scanning services. 3D technology is a big reason our military and
police have advanced, reliable tools to keep themselves and us safe.
When it comes to health, perhaps the most direct benefit of
3D scanning services is to the medical products industry. They are constantly
innovating new life-saving products, and this is accelerated by using 3D
scanning and rapid prototyping. Any of us may one day find ourselves on the surgery
table with our lives being saved by some new technological advancement that was
developed with the aid of 3D scanning services. That is not to mention that
medical CT scanning itself is a type of 3D scanning service that has profound
and far reaching impact on people’s health. Being able to see organs without
having to break the skin is an incredible diagnostic tool.
How about that airplane trip you are taking this vacation?
Wouldn’t you like to know that someone didn’t place something dangerous like a
bomb on board in the checked luggage? A new 3D scanner that the TSA uses can
screen for these things much more effectively than in the past.
So next time you hear about 3D scanning services, remember
that it is not just for video games and nerds and may save your own life some
day.
