Services FAQs
Central Scanning Services FAQs
At Central Scanning, we offer the following as our ‘core services’:
3D Scanning
3D Scanning to create STL files:
Do you come to our company for 3D scanning or do we take parts to Central Scanning?
We either scan at our facility in Bromsgrove or we visit your or your clients’ facility and perform the scanning there. (most of the equipment is mobile).
Is there a difference in the costs?
Scanning at our facility is the cheaper option as we do not have any transport costs.
What do we get from the scanning process?
Generally speaking, as a minimum, we provide an STL file of the part/parts that have been scanned.
Typically, you would use those parts to reverse engineer and/or inspect at your facility if you have the right software or perhaps to 3D print from.
What about if I need Inspection, Reverse Engineering, 3D Printing doing after the scanning?
Central Scanning offer all of the above services. We have various inspection and reverse engineering software packages, about 14off 3D printers on-site and several more with partners we work with when needed.
Reverse Engineering
What is reverse engineering and what is involved?
Essentially, reverse engineering is creating a CAD model of the items we have scanned for you. There are two main types of reverse engineering which are (a) Design Intent and (b) Nurbs models.
- Design Intent Modelling is creating a model of the item as it would have been designed when manufactured. For example, if a ‘flat’ surface has ‘sunk’ a bit due to the moulding process, Design Intent would make the surface ‘flat‘ again as it should be.
- Nurbs Modelling, in the above example would leave the ‘sunk’ surface in the data to reflect an ‘as manufactured/moulded’ surface, reflecting the part as it is as opposed to how it was designed.
The process is manual with a small degree of automation with the software being able to identify key features on a part such as planes, cylinders etc. These help the designer to build up the data using these features as a starting point.
Which software do you use to Reverse Engineer?
We have several and pick the best one for the particular job – Geomagic Design X, NX, Solidworks, QuickSurface, Rhino to name a few. Some are more suited to particular applications that others.
Do you only reverse engineer your own scans?
No, not at all. We have several clients that have scanners of their own or who may work with other scanning bureau’s who do not have the capability or capacity to reverse engineer and hence we provide that service to them.
All of the work is done under NDA to make sure that you and/or your client is comfortable that the data is kept securely. At the end of a project, if required we can delete all of the project from our server and sign an agreement to confirm. We are ISO9001, ISO14001 and Cyber Essentials PLUS certified.
How do we know that scan data we gave you has been reverse engineered to reflect our data?
Using the inspection software tools we have, we can show you that the data and scan match. If there are any discrepancies due to the type of modelling (Design Intent/Nurbs), they can be discussed during the process. With the experience our engineers have, they can usually make a judgement call and if unsure, consult the client before proceeding.
How long does reverse engineering take?
A very simple job can be an hour. Some of the more complex items or perhaps a car bodyshell can take several days and a complex assembly of parts could take in excess of a week. It is very much dependent on the complexity of the items and the number of surfaces and features used to make up the final design.
Inspection
What is Inspection and what is involved?
As with many things in data to day life, inspection is the process of comparing a ‘reference’ against an ‘actual’ item. The ‘reference’, often referred to as the ‘nominal’ is the item that the part being made should be dimensionally the same as. (You could use a calliper or tape measurement for a simple measurement).
With scan data, you create an alignment between the ‘nominal’ and the ‘actual/scan data’ which sets the datum for measuring and you then compare the 2 items using a graphical colour/heat map or you can take measurements digitally on screen. You can then repeat the measurement analysis if you have multiple parts to measure.
Do you only Inspect your own scans?
No, not at all. As with reverse engineering, we have several clients that have scanners of their own or who may work with other scanning bureau’s who do not have the capability or capacity to Inspect and hence we provide that service to them.
All of the work is done under NDA to make sure that you or your client is comfortable that the data is kept securely. At the end of a project, if required we can delete all of the project from our server and sign an agreement to confirm.
Which software do you use to Inspect Parts?
We use Zeiss Inspect, Geomagic Control-X mainly.
If I have a batch of, for example 30 parts, can the inspection process be automated?
Yes, once you have the scan data whether we have generated it or you have scanned the parts yourselves, we can create a master report template and then import the new scan and automatically update the report. We need to know in advance ideally to help when creating the report template.
How are the costs affected with batch inspection?
The cost for the first part is more as it is used to create the inspection template and then subsequent parts are cheaper per item. The cost is very much dependent on the number of features that need inspection based on the drawings.
3D Printing
What is 3D Printing?
Frequently referred to as ‘additive manufacturing’, 3D printing is the process of adding a material to previously added material in layers to create a part. This is ‘additive’ as opposed to ‘subtractive’ as you do not start off with a piece of material and then remove material to achieve the end result.
What materials can be 3D printed?
We print the following materials mainly but have access to many more if required:
- FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) Technology:
– Onyx, Onyx FR (Flame Retardant),Onyx+Carbon, Onyx+Kevlar, Onyx+Fibreglass
– ABS, Nylon 12, PC-ABS, Ultem 9085, ABS ESD7
– PLA, PET-G - Polyjet Printing:
Digital ABS, Agilus 30, VeroFlex, Digital Materials, Vero Vivid Colours, Tango Rubber like materials, Full Colour 3D Printing to name a few.
Which printers do you currently have?
We have the following currently:
- Stratasys J750
- Stratasys Fortus 400MC * 2
- Stratasys Fortus 450
- Prusa XL & Prusa Originals * 5
- Raise 3D * 1
- Ultimaker 3 Extended *1
- Mark Forged X7 * 1
- Mark Forged X3 * 2
- Mark Forged Onyx One * 2
- Mark Forged Mark Two * 1
Is it right that 3D printing is only for visual prototype and not end-use parts?
Absolutely not! Several years ago, 3D printing was very much seen as a way to manufacture a quick prototype to look at and have something to handle and in some cases test. In the last 5 years, we have seen that many more customers are coming to us for larger batch printing, and we now supply people with quantities from 1off to several thousands off. These parts are being used in products being delivered to end customers. The applications have changes significantly.
What are the advantages over say, injection moulding parts?
Speed and cost mainly, and the ability to make fast changes to parts to re-test or build with. Injection moulding tools are generally made from aluminium on a CNC machine. This involves programming the CNC machine and then due to the cost of the tooling manufacture, a small batch can be very expensive in terms of ‘piece price’. For sure, if you then order a large amount of injection moulded parts, the price becomes advantageous.
A 3D printed part can often be made same day/overnight dependent on size and complexity whereas an injection moulding tool, dependent on complexity can take from a few days to several weeks.
With the 3D printing option, prices are a bit more per part but you can change designs quickly and then re-print a part to test.
When I look online, there are so many types of printers and materials, it’s all a bit confusing!
We feel your pain! Over the last few years, the 3D printing market has exploded with lots of new printers appearing on the scene and similar when it comes to materials. Its an exciting area but yes, can be a bit overwhelming. The best thing to do is to call and speak to a local supplier and they should be able to recommend a printer and the best material for you as it will very much depend on properties required from the materials, number of parts you want to print and budget for the parts / printer.
