Artec 3D
Artec 3D at IMTS 2024.
Earlier this year, Artec 3D unveiled its two new 3D scanners at IMTS 2024. The company launched the latest edition of its Artec Spider product series, the Artec Spider II, which brought improvements to depth and field of view, capture speed, and resolution. Whereas the Artec Point served as the 3D scanning solution provider’s dedicated metrology solution, providing accuracy down to hundredths of a millimetre.
Now, Manufacturing Quality has had the chance to speak to Sergey Sukhovey, Chief Experience Officer at Artec 3D. We discussed what sets the Artec Point apart from its competitors in the metrology sphere, how Artec 3D keeps up with the competitive and always-evolving metrology market, and what the future might hold for the 3D scanning specialist.
MQ: Congratulations on the launch of your two new products. Why has Artec 3D chosen now to launch its “dedicated metrology solution,” the Artec Point? And how does it differ from the Artec Spider II?
Sukhovey: Thank you! The launch of Artec Point reflects our ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in the metrology space. Over the years, our scanners have made significant strides in various industries, and we have recognised the demand for a specialised solution tailored to industrial metrology applications.
As such, we felt it was the right time to introduce a high-precision, easy-to-use 3D scanner that could take on even more challenging tasks in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, and heavy industry.
While the Artec Spider II captures ultra-detailed, full-colour scans, Artec Point offers even greater accuracy, has industry-recognised metrological certificates, is lighter, and features three distinct scanning modes. This makes it highly versatile for scanning large objects, capturing intricate details, and handling difficult features like deep holes.
Point delivers impressive speed, precision, and metrology-grade 0.02 mm accuracy, making it a more effective tool for industrial-level tasks.
Artec 3D
Artec Spider II 3D scanner.
MQ: In the Artec Point press release, Art Yukhin refers to the metrology market as being “crowded.” As a manufacturer of metrology solutions, how do you not only keep up with the always-evolving market but also create new, innovative solutions?
Sukhovey: The metrology market is indeed competitive, but that pushes us to stay ahead of the game by focusing on customer needs and industry trends. Innovation for us is about improving both performance and user experience.
At Artec 3D, we constantly engage with professionals in key sectors such as manufacturing and aerospace to understand their evolving requirements. This allows us to develop products that are not only innovative but also highly practical for real-world applications.
We invest heavily in R&D to ensure our scanners deliver both precision and usability. For example, Artec Point features a user-friendly interface and a lightweight ergonomic design, making it highly accessible, even to less experienced operators.
Integration with Artec Studio, our advanced software, further enhances this experience by streamlining data processing, ensuring that users can easily capture and analyse complex geometries.
MQ: What specific qualities set the Artec Point aside from Artec 3D’s already established 3D scanners?
Sukhovey: The Artec Point is unique due to its versatility and its focus on metrology-grade accuracy. Unlike our other scanners, the device’s 0.02 mm accuracy, high-speed scanning at 120 FPS, and industry-recognised metrological certificates set it apart from other scanners, making it ideal for industries where precision is critical.
Whether you are scanning large components with its fast crossed-laser grid, capturing fine details with its parallel laser lines, or dealing with hard-to-reach areas using a single laser, Point offers unmatched flexibility.
Point features three scanning modes in a single device, which allows users to adapt to different types of objects and surfaces instantly.
Another feature is the ability to zoom in by up to eight times for intricate details, which enhances inspection and reverse engineering results.
Additionally, Artec Studio software integration provides a seamless experience from scanning to processing, offering real-time results with high repeatability.
Artec 3D
Artec Point 3D scanner.
MQ: What key factors make the Artec Point particularly compatible with the automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and heavy industry sectors?
Sukhovey: Artec Point’s ability to handle various object sizes, surface finishes, and complex geometries makes it ideal for sectors like automotive, aerospace, and manufacturing.
As you know, these industries often require high precision for tasks such as quality control, reverse engineering, and inspecting hard-to-access areas, which is where Point truly excels.
Its blue light laser technology ensures high accuracy, even on difficult surfaces like shiny or dark objects, while its fast-scanning mode allows for the efficient capture of large components, which is key in automotive and aerospace applications.
Moreover, its robust design, ergonomic grip, and lightweight build lends itself to durability and ease of use within demanding industrial environments. The ability to scan intricate details and deep grooves or holes, adds another layer of versatility.
This all makes Artec Point a highly effective tool across these sectors, ensuring reliability, speed, and precision in challenging settings.
MQ: Looking forward to the future, what does the scope for development look like for the Artec Point?
Sukhovey: For Artec 3D, the launch of Artec Point represents an important step further into the metrology space. Purpose-built for industrial metrology, Point better caters to our customers’ needs in this area, and we’re excited to see our scanners address increasingly more complex use cases.
We remain committed to continually improving our customer offering, especially for those working in quality control. Metrology also continues to be an important area of focus for us. So, watch this space for further developments!