Old Planes Kept In the Air By 3D Laser Scanning Services

Still flying around, thanks to 3D laser scanning services

Military aircraft has been around for over a century. Even today there are planes being operated that were designed and used 50 years ago. What does this tell us about the quality in design of those planes?  It says to me that they did a pretty good job. You don’t see too many cars made in the 1970’s on the road these days. They have been replaced with a much better quality car. While the cars may have gone to the junkyard, some of those old war planes are still lifting cargo. One example is the B-52. The B-52 came into operation in the mid-1950s. With some maintenance and little upgrading, the plane is expected to keep in operation for another 20 years. That show us that good design goes a long way. That is just one example. There are other older planes that are still operating today. 3D laser scanning services and reverse engineering has played a part.

3D laser scanning makes Parts for the oldies

Reverse engineering and 3D laser scanning services is key to reproducing out of production parts for planes that are still flying the skies. These technologies make it possible to recreate a part in a rather speedy and cost efficient manner. Needed parts can be manufactured by using existing parts. Reverse engineering simply means taking the existing plane apart and figuring out the design from the actual components instead of going off of a CAD models and designs on paper. 3D laser scanning services technology can capture the shape of each actual part and then store it as a digital file. The plane part can then be reproduced using that file. In fact, whole planes could be pulled apart and digitized this way, so that the scanning process only needs to be done once.

3D Laser Scanning services playing its part

The most impressive thing about reverse engineering and 3D laser scanning services is it’s speed, cost efficiency, potential for reviving any part that is out of production. 3D laser scanning has done an incredible job at making a part when in it needed fast. There have been instances when airline had grounded planes that need to be up and running fast. 3D scanning got the job done fast. In about a days time the part was 3D laser scanning and had a new part cut. In such a short time that plane was back up and running. Doesn’t Sound too complicated.  

Something to be careful of when 3D laser scanning

Reverse engineering and 3D laser scanning has some dangers to be aware of. The key first making sure that the scanning equipment is of the quality that is going to give you a correct fitting part. The second things is to remember that a lot of time the part being scanned is a damaged part. That means that the person who does the post-scanning work needs to make sure the digital file of that airplane part is correctly adjusted.  

Plane enthusiasts should be excited about all of this. There should be no reason why old planes should not still be taking the skies since 3D laser scanning and reverse engineering can reproduce parts.  

Keep reading: more articles about 3D scanning

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