3D scanners are indispensable in aerospace manufacturing for achieving the required precision, efficiency, and safety in the manufacture and maintenance of parts both for aircraft and spacecraft. The requirements for tight tolerances in the aerospace industry are very high, normally down to ±0.01 mm, and 3D scanners provide the accuracy needed for such applications. With structured light scanning, laser triangulation, and CT, 3D scanners create highly detailed digital models of complex geometries.
One of the broad areas of application is reverse engineering. Engineers use 3D scanners to digitally clone legacy components that have no CAD models. For instance, flying turbine blades are scanned to make replicas of them with accuracy up to 0.05 mm for compatibility with the existing system. This was reportedly reducing design time by 30% for discontinued parts in 2019 as stated by Aerospace Manufacturing Review.
Another important application of 3D scanners in aerospace is for quality control. In production, parts such as fuselage panels, engine casings, and landing gear need to be manufactured within tight tolerances. A high-resolution 3D scanner can process more than 2 million data points per second, scanning parts right off the line to validate dimensions. By finding inconsistencies earlier, manufacturers reduce rework costs by up to 25%, improving their overall production efficiency.
3D scanners are also critical in MRO. Scanning damaged aircraft parts with 3D scanners lets engineers identify cracks or deformed areas down to micron-level accuracy. This significantly reduces downtime, with maintenance cycles shortened by 40% compared to traditional methods. For example, scanning of damaged wing surfaces allows the analysis of stress points and enables accurate repairs with minimal costs.
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is revolutionized by 3D scanning in aerospace. By scanning components, engineers can optimize designs for weight reduction without compromising strength. In 2020, Boeing reported a 20% weight reduction in specific aircraft parts through 3D scanning and additive manufacturing, directly improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
Compact and thus portable, a state-of-the-art 3D scanner is ideally fitted for fieldwork. A handheld 3D scanner, less than 1.5 kg, enables inspections of large-scale assemblies, such as wings and fuselage, right in the field. These get really precise data in only a few minutes, considerably improving both speed and precision of their critical mission inspections.
According to aerospace engineer Michael Stevens, “3D scanners are changing the face of the aerospace industry by offering precision in safety-critical applications and simultaneously reducing production costs and timeframes.”
Scanning technology plays an important role in the aerospace sector, from improving reverse engineering to quality control and maintenance. Learn more about cutting-edge scanning technologies at 3d scanner and understand how they help optimize the aerospace workflow for high-quality performance.