Rescue Missions, Surveillance, Filming and More, Made Possible With 3D Scanning
The list of use cases of 3D scanners keeps growing. And companies like Tech Strake are at the forefront of the expansion.
Customization
Adding a camera mount to the undercarriage of a helicopter might seem like a pretty straightforward undertaking. But aspects like aerodynamics, flight performance, balance, and maneuverability need to be considered in order for the mount to deliver its desired results without hindering flight performance.
That makes aircraft customization a complex task, even for specialists like Masakazu Hikichi, CEO of Tech Strake, and the man tasked with fitting the camera mount to the helicopter’s body
“[Aircraft customization] is important because it is for a valuable public service: customization of rescue helicopters, police helicopters, and terrain scanning by the Geographical Survey Institute,” said Masakazu.
“Different industries need this kind of mount for photo work, and a lot of the time, a mount may not be easily available,” Hikichi explained. “For safe installation and to reduce the risk of dangerous flight or something falling off, these large mounts have to be custom-built.”
This level of customization requires tools that offer a high level of precision and accuracy, while also being light, portable and reliable enough to use in tight spaces and around particular angles. Tools like the Artec 3D Eva, which is currently Artec 3D’s most popular scanner thanks to its light weight and reliability, and the Artec 3D Space Spider, specializing in capturing intricate details of large industrial objects in high resolution, with steadfast accuracy and brilliant color are perfect for this kind of application.
“Eva is very light and easy to carry around,” Hikichi said. “It gets into tight spaces and still has a wide field of view and distance, while Space Spider can get into small crevices, and into parts with very small spaces, while still producing a highly accurate scan.”
3D Scanning Is Essential for Creating Customized Objects
Without 3D scanning, manufacturers of custom fabrications run into countless risks associated with the manufacturing process. A single, hand-held device like Eva can save countless hours of reworking, rewelding, and re-measuring.
Another benefit of using portable 3D scanners is possibly the most valuable: time.
Before utilizing Artec 3D devices, the Tech Strake team would use manual measuring methods like molding plaster, calipers, and other manual tools. This not only isn’t as accurate but can also cost a team hours, if not days, on just measurements alone. Using manual tools, you’re looking at the potential for a project to take far longer than estimated.
To put things into perspective: previously, the Tech Strake team would normally take months to completely fabricate and install a custom mount. With the Artec 3D Eva and Space Spider, The entire project was ready in just two weeks.
The ability for teams to shorten their production timeframes by astronomical margins makes using advanced 3D scanners a no-brainer. Couple that with teams needing fewer reworks and remeasurements, and you get a product that not only improves delivery timeframes but also decreases the working costs of individual projects.
Artec 3D scanners are helping teams daily. They’re improving delivery timeframes, costs, and data processing accuracy. We see their potential to impact lives, and we’re always looking for new ways to enable more professionals with these remarkable pieces of technology.
We’re passionate about providing other professionals with 3D scanning, 3D scanner sales, and mechanical engineering services. And we stock the full range of Artec 3D scanners, whether you’re looking for micro-applications in jewelry or dentistry, or larger applications like deformation analysis.
If you’re looking to innovate, improve, re-engineer, or simply create better products and services in your field, we’d love to hear from you.
Inspiration and content for this article was provided by the following blog: https://www.artec3d.com/cases/designing-camera-mount-for-helicopter