3D scanning technology is widely used in a variety of fields, with the automotive industry being a typical example of such an application. Providing significant advantages in fierce competition among car manufacturers, 3D scanning can be applied throughout the entire vehicle production cycle:

During the design and development phase, 3D scanning can collect 3D data of the outline of a product and its parts, which helps engineers improve the outline, modify the design, check its ergonomics, perform virtual assembly, adjust the prototype, etc.
During the manufacturing phase, the technology can be used to inspect the quality of the whole vehicle, as well as its components, in order to ensure that the product meets the requirements.
During the after-sales service and repair stages, 3D scanning can help detect and analyze deformed parts for troubleshooting purposes.

Case study

A startup accelerator company has prepared a Tesla Model 3 to collect data about the whole vehicle and its specific components. With ScanTech's 3D scanning technology, they aim to perform digital modeling of the entire vehicle and all of its dismantled parts as well as digitally rebuild it at a 1:1 scale by means of 3D printing technology.

For large objects such as a car, the scanning area and speed are of great importance. Tesla Model 3 is 4.7 m long, 1.85 m wide, and weighs 1614 kg. A narrow scan area would require multiple splices to obtain complete 3D data, leading to errors. At the same time, the area and speed of scanning will have a direct impact on the efficiency of work.

Being a complex industrial product, a car requires the increased accuracy of a 3D scanner. A higher precision leads to the greater correspondence of the digital model to the real object, allowing for an in-depth analysis and study. The scan result is also affected by the scanner's ability to operate normally on difficult positions such as curved surfaces, deep holes, dead angles, or black surfaces.

ScanTech 3D solution

The KSCAN-Magic 3D scanner uses infrared laser technology in combination with a blue laser, being also equipped with a photogrammetric system. The device features a scanning area of up to 1440 mm × 860 mm, scan speed of 1,350,000 measurements per second, accuracy of 0.020 mm, 0.010 mm resolution, and volumetric accuracy of 0.030 mm/m. It is suitable for high-precision scanning of large areas, which makes it ideal for scanning the entire Tesla vehicle.

In terms of car parts, the KSCAN-Magic can perform ultra-fine scanning with 7 parallel blue laser lines and deep hole scanning with one blue laser line, allowing for accurate 3D deep holes and dead angles. The scanner effectively works even on reflective and black surfaces.

As a result, the KSCAN-Magic composite 3D laser scanner is a truly multipurpose device. This makes it possible to 3D scan the entire vehicle and all dismantled parts without the need for any other device.

Photogrammetric system

Because of the large volume of the vehicle for an ordinary 3D scanner, the process requires plenty of work. However, with the KSCAN-Magic, the workflow can be simplified and improved, as the built-in photogrammetry system allows for more accurate 3D data on positioning markers and parts, with an increased precision of 0.015 mm + 0.030 mm/m. The data accuracy can be further improved with the use of the MSCAN L-15 Photogrammetry system, making the scanning process capable of achieving accuracy of up to 0.015 mm + 0.015 mm/m.

Laser 3D scanning

Scanning Tesla comprises scanning the entire vehicle and its parts such as the interior of the vehicle, seats, and steering wheel. The KSCAN-Magic has five modes of operation: global large-area scan with infrared laser, rapid scan with blue laser crosses, parallel fine scan with blue laser, deep hole scan with single blue laser, and built-in photogrammetric system. It is possible to easily switch between different modes of operation for different parts.

Besides, the KSCAN-Magic is a handheld 3D scanner. Its portability and flexibility make it easy to use in tight spaces such as a car. It can also be applied to shiny and black surfaces without the need to spray powders, thereby reducing damage to the vehicle body.

Getting STL data

For further processing and obtaining an accurate 3D model, the user should import the scanned data into the professional 3D software ScanViewer. Then, using 3D printing, we get a Tesla model at a 1:1 scale.

A 3D scanning solution can accelerate product development, improve inspection efficiency and quality of vehicles and auto parts, and help manufacturers occupy leading positions in the highly competitive environment. In addition, 3D data can also be used in car repair training. In this case, ScanTech allowed the customer to import this data into their digital car repair training base for virtual simulation training to meet the needs of educators and students in 5G+VR/AR.

Accurate measurement of Tesla with KSCAN 3D Scanner