Additive Manufacturing Forum in Stuttgart to show you what’s new in 3D printing
Bosch, Daimler AG, Porsche – all these top-tier industrial manufacturers are headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany’s 6th largest city. No wonder all sorts of manufacturing events take place here.
So what’s coming soon and is not to be missed? Artec 3D’s pick is the 23rd User Forum – Additive Manufacturing Technology (Das 23. Anwenderforum – Additive Produktionstechnologie). It’s one of the longest-running international events focused on all the latest developments in 3D printing: from getting 3D data ready for print to quality control of mass-produced items.
The forum is sponsored by a renowned German school, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation, which has been fostering research in engineering technologies in spheres from automotive to biotechnology since the 1950s.
© Universität Stuttgart IFF, Fraunhofer IPA, Rainer Bez
The range of this year’s speakers – from Procter & Gamble to John Deere – shows that 3D technologies can be effectively utilized in just about any manufacturing sector, from consumer goods to agricultural machinery. In any of these sectors, quality 3D data is key to obtaining quality 3D prints, so a robust and accurate 3D scanner becomes an indispensable tool to make the workflow seamless and efficient.
Artec 3D has exactly the right technology to make sure you’re ahead of the competition, and this technology will be on display during the forum in Stuttgart. Artec 3D Ambassador KLIB will bring two handheld scanners, Artec Leo and Artec Space Spider, to the venue and during coffee breaks you’ll be able to practice 3D scanning with these devices and see for yourself that both can make scans with utmost precision in no time.
Both Leo and Space Spider use structured-light technology, where a beam of light forming a grid pattern is projected onto the scanned surface. Judging by distortions in the grid, the software integrated with the scanner, Artec Studio, detects what kind of surface is in front of it: whether there’s a curve, a dent, a sharp edge, etc.
So what’s the difference between these two scanners? You’ll see it the second you look at them. Leo features a built-in touch screen, which in most cases spares you the need to connect it to a computer during scanning. With this freedom from wires, you don’t need to worry about accidentally tripping on any cable and knocking over your computer. You can fully concentrate on the scanning. This is especially relevant given that Leo is best when working with medium-sized to large objects. So if you need, for example, to 3D scan a car, you can easily walk around it – there will be literally nothing in your way.
Space Spider boasts a 3D point accuracy of up to 0.05 mm and is best suited for intricate jobs, such as 3D scanning small mechanical parts. It’s more compact and lightweight than Leo, and normally you rotate the scanned object in front of Space Spider, so the scanner can capture the object’s surfaces from all necessary angles, rather than walking around the object with the device. To make the scanning process utterly smooth, Artec 3D has developed a handy accessory, Artec Turntable. Place an object on it, start scanning, and Turntable will rotate, exposing all sides of the object to the scanner. What makes it an intelligent turntable is this: in the event that tracking is lost at any time during scanning, Turntable will pause, rotate back about 15 degrees, and wait for tracking to be regained. Turntable will begin rotating again once tracking has been regained.
Leo and Space Spider can be purchased through Artec 3D’s reseller KLIB, along with other scanners in our product line. In addition to being an Artec 3D Ambassador, KLIB is also an Authorized Solution Provider of 3D Systems, the developer of industry-standard Geomagic applications for reverse engineering, inspection, product design, and more. Meet KLIB at the forum in Stuttgart to find out what hardware and software is best to use in particular industries, as well as how Artec 3D devices can be bundled with scan-to-CAD solutions, and what packages are currently on offer. The forum is a great place to learn how to maximize ROI using 3D technologies, so make sure to book your visit in good time.
Where: the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation, Stuttgart, Germany
When: 9 am to 5 pm, March 3