GUIDES/101
Published on Mar. 19th 2025
3D Scanning 101: How to Choose the Best 3D Scanner for Your Application and Industry
This guide unpacks the key aspects of 3D scanning technology, its applications, and crucial factors to consider, helping you make an informed decision tailored to your needs.
In today's digital landscape, 3D scanning technology has become an essential tool for industries ranging from manufacturing and healthcare to cultural preservation and virtual reality. With its ability to capture detailed geometric data, 3D scanning accelerates workflows, enhances precision, and drives more intelligent operations. However, choosing the right 3D scanner can be daunting, given the many options available. This guide unpacks the key aspects of 3D scanning technology, its applications, and crucial factors to consider, helping you make an informed decision tailored to your needs.
1. Introduction to 3D Scanning: Technology, Tools, and Applications
1.1 What is 3D Scanning?
3D scanning is a non-contact technology that captures an object's geometric data to create a precise digital model. It uses structured light or laser beams to scan the object's surface. At the same time, sensors receive the reflected signals and calculate the precise position of each point on the surface. These data are then converted into a 3D model, which can be used for various applications such as inspection, design, and production.
3D scanning with FreeScan Combo laser 3D scanner
1.2 Common 3D Scanning Technologies
Different 3D scanning technologies cater to varying applications. Based on different working principles, 3D scanning technologies can be categorized as follows:
1.2.1 Laser Lines
Laser line scanning operates based on triangulation. Laser beams are projected as lines across the object's surface, and sensors capture the reflected laser to measure deformation. Using known angles and distances, the device constructs a detailed 3D model. Laser line scanners is ideal for industrial inspection, handling dark or reflective surfaces with ease. It typically offer metrology-grade accuracy for quality control applications.
Laser lines
1.2.2 Fringe Pattern
A projector projects pre-designed stripe patterns onto the surface of the object. Cameras capture the deformation of these patterns, and analyzing these distortions reveals the object's 3D shape. This type of scanner is primarily suitable for small to medium-sized objects. It excels at capturing objects with complex, detailed features. However, in environments with strong ambient light, the projected light patterns may be disrupted, affecting the scanning results. These scanners are particularly suitable for precision component design and inspection.
Fringe pattern
1.2.3 Speckle Pattern
Speckle is a 3D measurement technique based on random speckle patterns. A projector projects a random dot pattern onto the object's surface. Then, multiple cameras capture the deformation of the speckle pattern. The 3D coordinates are calculated using stereovision principles. Speckle scanning includes infrared speckle technology, features strong adaptability to ambient light, requires no target markers, and can operate without visible light, providing a very comfortable scanning experience. Scanners utilizing such technologies are highly suitable for art and cultural heritage, education and research, and VR/AR.
Speckle pattern
1.2.4 Photogrammetry
Photogrammetry uses multiple 2D images taken from different angles. Computer algorithms analyze the differences between these images to reconstruct a 3D model of the object. Photogrammetry technology relieshigh-resolution images and powerful software algorithms. This technology is best for large-scale object modelling.
Photogrammetry
Innovative scanners on the market integrate multiple technologies, such as laser lines combined with photogrammetry. Users can select the technology best suited to their application scenarios to capture 3D data of objects.
2. Choosing the Right 3D Scanner for Your Application and Industry
When selecting a 3D scanner, aligning it with your industry’s needs is essential. The following sections highlight key considerations for different applications.
2.1 Industrial Quality Control
3D scanning is widely used in industrial quality control industries such as heavy industry, aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, etc. These fields require high-precision measurements and scanners that are durable and adaptable to harsh environmental conditions.
- Heavy Industry and Aerospace: In these sectors, scanning large structures to inspect stress distribution, weld quality, and surface wear is common. The scanners must capture complex geometries and large areas while maintaining high precision.
The scanned data (left) and the machining allowance measurements (right)
- Automotive Industry: In the automotive sector, 3D scanning ensures vehicle parts' dimensional accuracy and assembly precision. Scanners for these applications need to meet manufacturing standards.
Car frame 3D scanning with FreeScan Trio
- Oil and Gas: In the oil and gas industry, 3D scanning is used for non-contact inspection of pipelines, pressure vessels, and other critical equipment. To ensure accurate performance, scanners must be rugged and capable of operating in extreme environmental conditions.
Using FreeScan UE to scan section of corroded pipeline
3D data on corrosion of the pipeline
Key scanner features for industrial quality control:
- Metrology-grade Accuracy (5-50um): Metrology-grade Accuracy is essential for inspecting most industrial parts like machined parts, weld seams, and wear analysis. Scanners must meet the highest accuracy standards, often with VDI/VDE 2634 standard certification, to ensure the traceability of measurements.
For a more detailed look at accuracy standards and calibration techniques to ensure accuracy, please refer to Ensuring Accuracy in 3D Scanning: Calibration Techniques and Accuracy Standards at SHINING 3D.
- Large Scanning Range: For large industrial structures, such as turbine blades or industrialmachinery, scanners must accommodate large areas, offering a comprehensive field of view while maintaining high accuracy.
- Strong Environmental Adaptability: Industrial environments often present harsh environments withextreme temperatures, vibrations, or dust. Scanners must be rugged enough to perform accurately in these environments, so portable, wireless scanners are commonly used in such settings.
- High Resolution: High resolution is critical for industrial quality control because it enables precise inspection of intricate components and detection of minute defects. Many industrial applications, such as aerospace or automotive, involve parts with complex geometries or stringent tolerances where even minor imperfections can impact performance or safety. High-resolution scanning ensures fine surface details, such as small cracks and sharp edges, are accurately captured in the 3D model. By delivering highly detailed and accurate representations, high-resolution scanners empower engineers to conduct comprehensive analyses and identify issues early.
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2.2 Reverse Engineering and Product Design
Reverse engineering and product design often demand high details and surface material adaptability, especially in industries such as healthcare, art, design, and cultural heritage.
- Healthcare: 3D scanning captures human body shapes for prosthetics, orthotics, and surgical planning. Accuracy is paramount, as even small deviations can impact medical outcomes.
Scanning a patient’s arm using the EinScan H 3D scanner
- Art and design: Artists use 3D scanning to digitize sculptures and installations, facilitating complex design workflows and enabling digital art preservation. The scanners must beversatile and adapted to different surface materials, as they need to handle different material types and capture intricate details.
Data of a sculpture by Swedish artist Lisa Jonasson
- Cultural heritage: High-resolution 3D scanning helps digitally preserve artefacts. Outside scanning, adaptability and performance are essential to capture historical objects' intricate details.
Digital Archaeology at the Museum of Fine Arts: 3D Scanning Etruscan Sarcophagi
Best scanner features for reverse engineering and product design:
- High accuracy (<100 um):It’s essential for capturing fine details in medical and engineering applications, the accuracy requirement is usually less than 0.1 mm.
- Multi-functional: The objects scanned by the art, design, and cultural heritage industries often come in a variety of sizes and materials. Therefore, scanners with multiple light sources and various scanning modes are suitable.
- Portable: Cultural preservation often requires on-site scanningcapability for heritage preservation and fieldwork.
- High resolution and Color Texture Capture: For art and cultural heritage preservation, capturing fine details and accurate textures is crucial.High-resolution scanners ensure that intricate surface features, such as engravings or subtle textures, are faithfully reproduced. Additionally, high texture quality allows for the precise replication of colors and patterns, preserving the visual authenticity of scanned objects.
2.3 Digital Twins (Virtual Duplication)
Digital twins involve creating virtual colourful replicas of physical objects for education, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and 3D printing.
- Education:3D scanning digitizes real-world objects for teaching demonstrations, research, and interactive learning, offering an enriched educational experience. The chosen scanners should be user-friendly, affordable, and capable of capturing enough detail to display the objects without requiring extreme accuracy.
A middle school teacher uses a 3D scanner to help students understand the history
- AR and VR: High-fidelity 3D models help create immersive virtual environments, enhancing the realism of virtual scenes. Scanners with excellent texture capture capabilities are ideal for generating vivid models.
3D scanning of the human body for creating metahuman
Scanned data of the human body
- 3D Printing: Accurate digital models are essential in 3D printing, but detailed surface textures are also important to ensure that the printed objects resemble the originals.
Scanned data of the human body for 3D printing
3D printed model
Best 3D scanner features for digital twins:
- Colorful Texture Capture: The ability to capture fine surface details, enhancing realism in AR/VR applications.
- Ease of Operation: Scanners should be user-friendly, especially for educators, students, and designerswho may not have technical expertise.
3. Other Factors to Consider When Choosing a 3D Scanner
3.1 Software Compatibility
The data generated by 3D scanners needs to be processed, analyzed, and visualized using specialized software. Different scanners may be compatible with various post-processing tools, design software, and inspection platforms.
- Industrial Quality Control: PolyWorks, GOM Inspect, Geomagic Control X.
- Reverse Engineering & Design: Geomagic Design X, SolidWorks, Autodesk Fusion 360.
- Virtual Duplication: Unreal Engine, ZBrush.
3.2 Budget and Cost-Effectiveness
The cost of 3D scanners varies widely, ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands and even more. Therefore, it is essential to clearly define the budget range and performance requirements before making a purchase. For virtual duplication applications, consumer-level 3D scanners with colourful scanning functions typically meet basic needs with a budget of approximately thousands of dollars or even cheaper. Reverse engineering and product design usually require scanners with complex surface materials adaptability and seamless usage compatibility with CAD software. Multi-functional structured light or laser scanners are suitable for these applications, with a budget generally in the range of ten thousand dollars. Industrial inspection has the highest accuracy requirements and a harsh manufacturing environment, and the budget typically starts from twenty thousand dollars.
Selecting the right 3D scanner depends on your industry, accuracy needs, and budget. Whether you need high-accuracy quality control, detailed reverse engineering, or digital twin creation, there’s a perfect scanner for you.
Need expert advice? Contact us for a free consultation to help you find the best 3D scanning solution for your application.
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