Creaform's Blog

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How to reverse engineer classic car parts

A VINTAGE FERRARI PARTICIPATES AT THE MONACO GRAND PRIX THANKS TO THE HANDYSCAN 3D Creaform was mandated by NT CADCAM to use its 3D scanning technologies to reverse engineer a…

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Tuning Industry: Creaform Creates a Brand New Market Opportunity

It’s a well-known fact that in Australia, like in England, people drive on the left side of the road, therefore the cars are configured to be driven right sided. While…

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3D scanning in the workshop with HandySCAN 3D

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SCOTT Sports and Creaform: Achieving the next level in skiing safety with 3D scanning and 3D scan to CAD models

Learn how Swiss sporting goods manufacturer, SCOTT Sports, integrated the HandySCAN 3D in the development of its new Symbol 2 Plus D helmet. #NOSHORTCUTS

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Galileo looking to the universe with his telescope

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The history of metrology from Galileo to optical systems

Metrology originates from antiquity. The first forms of measurements were established to facilitate commerce and record human activity. Time, weight and length were the first standards formulated. Over the course…

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Koenigsegg partners with Creaform to certify the quality standards of its hypercar lineup [VIDEO]

Koenigsegg cars combine innovation and cutting-edge technology. The CCXR model shown above is, among other things, the world’s first green supercar. Koenigsegg hypercars have received a lot of attention lately…

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New 3D scanner: What to expect from the new MetraSCAN 3D

It’s true: we have completely reengineered our MetraSCAN 3D laser scanner, in order to help Quality Control and reverse engineering experts face the increasing quality standards brought forward by manufacturers…

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A domed shape brain coral, an example of the corals Kyle plans to study in his 3D documentation project

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Unravelling the mysteries of the ocean… with 3D scanning

So is the fascinating mission of Kyle Zawada, student at St-Andrews University in Scotland. To be more specific, he proposed to use portable scanning techniques to 3D document and measure characteristics…

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Quality control managers in the shop floor

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THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR QUALITY CONTROL MANAGERS

Quality control managers in the automotive and aerospace industries are responsible for ensuring that manufactured parts meet customers’ requirements, specifications, and tolerances. To do so, they rely on coordinate measuring…

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A bright engineering team part of a smart competition!

Being born in Quebec inevitably means growing up connected to winter sports and activities. Every second person here goes skiing or snowshoeing on weekends. The place is covered in snow…

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A Little Bit of Paralympic Glory for the Creaform Portable 3D Scanners

Photo: Latrèche winning his individual bronze medal in London against Italian fencer Marco Cima, in September 2012. Credit: L’Équipe Alim Latrèche is a 36 year-old paralympic fencing champion, with quite…

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HAWKS racing: an international element to the Creaform Student Sponsorship Program!

Maybe because we’re a North American company, when we first launched our Student Sponsorship Program, we sort of expected to receive mostly applications from teams located either in Canada or…

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The HandySCAN 3D to Assess Hail Damage

Perhaps among the most unpredictable and sudden of weather patterns, it is well known that hail can cause important disturbance. Broken windows, seriously dented cars, house shingles transformed into Swiss…

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Creaform brings forward a new partnership with Stratasys!

It’s been said before; 3D scanning and 3D printing go hand-in-hand. So the marketing agreement we recently signed with Stratasys was a proverbial natural fit! This new partnership brings together…

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Have you heard about 3D scanning and 3D printing in product development 3.0?

In today’s hyper-competitive markets, product development teams—from engineers to designers—are facing tremendous pressure to come up with new innovations and new products faster than ever before. Let’s face it, in…

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VXmodel key to success in creating Formula SAE race car for engineering student competition

Jayhawk Motorsports, a team of 40 engineering students from the University of Kansas, is using the Creaform HandySCAN 3D scanner to create two racecars, including creating a powerful 3D model…

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HandySCAN 3D digitizer helps train the next generation of french engineers

Located in the South West of France, close to both the Swiss and Italian border, the small-ish city of Grenoble is nonetheless considered a major technology and industry center. Last…

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Engineering Student with Alérion Supermileage racing prototype

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Alérion Supermileage does it again!

Congratulations to the Alérion Supermileage team, who recently won second place in the prestigious Detroit Shell Eco-Marathon! Another great success for the engineering students from Université Laval, in Quebec City,…

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The HandySCAN 3D assists in producing a cleaner snowmobile

The Rochester Institute of Technology is a college located in Upstate New York, not too far from Lake Ontario. And what do you do during the long winter months in that…

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ÉTS: Inspection of a concrete canoe in CATIA

A group of 30 civil engineering students from the École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) in Montréal is using CATIA, the multi-platform CAD/CAM/CAE software, to perform inspection of the manufacturing process…

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3D scanning of the Marine Corps War Memorial

Although our 3D scanners have been developed for metrology purposes, we are often called upon to scan objects for miscellaneous applications. Heritage preservation is a very interesting application because it…

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Creaform technology at the service of environmental sustainability

Environmental topics and issues are becoming more present, both in the day-to-day life and in the industrial realm. Increasing efforts are being made towards a “green shift,” whether for new…

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Quality Digest highlights our latest Go!SCAN 20, the next generation in white-light scanners

Quality Digest Live’s recent Tech Corner presented an excellent overview of the Go!SCAN 20, our new next-generation white-light scanner for designers and engineers that work in product development. Now available…

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Quality Digest Live highlights the advantages of the HandySCAN 700

Quality Digest Live’s recent Tech Corner profiled our metrology-grade, ultra-fast HandySCAN 700. With its 0.03 mm accuracy and ability to collect 480 000 per second, the HandySCAN 700 scans direct…

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The new HandySCAN 700 at work!

Check out this YouTube video filmed during a recent press conference in Detroit: Organized by SME, a manufacturers’ association, the press conference aimed at introducing two important upcoming events :…

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Pipecheck replaces traditional Non-Destructive Testing Methods

As application engineers at Creaform, we were invited to take part in an interesting mandate in the United Kingdom, more precisely at the Birchwood head office of ESR Technology near…

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Validating CAD Files for Aerospace Parts

An important player in the Aerospace industry had a pressing need to validate CAD files for a wide range of parts, and decided to borrow our expertise for the job….

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A world of challenges – The Creaform customers speak a common language

Recently I was given the opportunity to work for a few of our customers in Europe for a few months, based from our Grenoble office in France. I jumped on…

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When 3D scanning goes glamour – the Jenn Barlow’s bubble head project!

In my current job as an applications specialist with Creaform, I’ve been asked to scan, inspect and reverse engineer a lot of very different mechanical parts, using any and all…

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Inspecting gas pipelines in cold and damp Scotland

Monday June 3rd, 8:00 in the morning. The weather is incredibly cold and foggy for springtime. Welcome to Scotland, a few miles north of the city of Aberdeen. Martin, our…

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3D scanning a steam turbine in Mexico in steaming hot weather!

Last February, I was lucky enough to escape Quebec City’s harsh winter season for a while and fly to the warm Altamira region of Mexico in order to complete a…

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The MetraSCAN 3D for automotive applications: 3D scanning right on the shop floor!

A major automotive manufacturer asked Creaform to 3D scan robot hands on their production line. This kind of tooling is used to manipulate embossed sheet metal that will be used…

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Product designers using 3D scanners for product development – from dream to reality!

3D found its way into different steps of the product design process, and has for many years. Whether it is for 1st developing the preliminary concept, proceeding with the ergonomics…

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3D Scanning Challenge: Scanning as many car compartments as quickly as possible with a Go!SCAN 3D

I’m a rookie application specialist at Creaform, and my 1st mandate was to carry out a project for a company specializing in the manufacturing of automotive accessories. The company requested…

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British pipeline owner Centrica falls for Creaform’s Pipecheck solution

I travelled to the tiny British town of Barrow-in-Furness, I have done my first training on how to use Creaform’s Pipecheck solution for pipeline integrity assessment with the Rugged Field Pack. The customer,…

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Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium: improving analysis methods with the Handyscan 3D

As part of a measurement campaign targeted toward carbon electrodes in reduction furnaces, Rio Tinto Iron & Titanium wanted to follow up on its different electrode consumption mechanisms and optimize…

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When Go!SCAN 3D meets crab!

We recently received this image of a rock crab, scanned for an exhibit to be unveiled later this month at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in California. The critter was digitalized…

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We even help scan… mastodons!

We always knew that the Creaform products were versatile, but sometimes their application surprise and amaze even us! The University of Michigan owns a Handyscan 3D, which is made available…

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Creaform and Bonhomme Carnaval – Together Once Again!

In 2008 and within the scope of Creaform’s Annual 3D scanning contest, a team of Creaform employees scanned Bonhomme Carnaval, which earned them the 2nd position in the contest. Creaform…

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Put Us to the Test…Once More!

Put us to the test… Once more! It is with great pleasure and anticipation that we introduce our third engineering contest, where one or a team of lucky participants will…

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The Go!SCAN 3D Featured on Quality Digest’s LIVE TechCorner

The Go!SCAN 3D was the “guest” of Quality Digest’s LIVE TechCorner, hosted by editor in chief Dirk Dusharme.

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Short-range 3D scanning technologies: an overview

According to engineer Dr. Mostafa Abdel-Bary Ebrahim “a 3D scanner collects distance information about surfaces within its field of view. The “picture” produced by a 3D scanner describes the distance…

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3D Scanning of Frog Castings

Based in the Czech Republic, DT is a leader manufacturer of turnout structures for railways, undergrounds and tramway tracks. Using a Handyscan 3D portable self-positioning 3D scanner from Creaform, DT…

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Dress-Lace Inc x creaform3d.com Lace Dress

Dress-Lace Inc x creaform3d.com Lace Dress / Marble Print/ Black and White / Stretch fabric This creaform3d.com x http://dress-lace.com/ piece is a really sexy marble printed dress that is colored…

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2012 Olympics: How 3D Scanning is helping Australia’s Kayak team

What do Olympic Kayakers and 3D data have in common? The ability to make custom-fit shapes to allow kayak slalomers become world beaters. Olympic sport keeps pushing athletes to find…

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The Knight of Lévis: an Historic Figure Goes Digital

For the 150th anniversary celebrations of the city of Lévis, owner of Artisans du Passage jewellry shop Charles-Olivier Roy had the idea to reproduce the monument of Francis de Gaston,…

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French Museum Returns 20 Mummified Maori Heads to New Zealand

La Fabuleuse histoire de la tête Maori-BONUS by Via-DECOUVERTES-44 After more than 30 years of political tractations, French authorities have finally returned 20 Maori warrior heads to their homland New Zealand,…

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What a beauty shot!

Ok, the article is on the thin side, but you know what they say: “An image is worth a 1000 words”. Well, this 2-page wide shot surely’s worth a few thousands!! This…

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BOEING 737 – Enhanced Interior Design Through 3D Imaging

An international company and global leader in business aviation service has turned to 3D modeling of the plane’s interior to design, produce, and assemble Boeing 737 BBJ2 furnishings. The project…

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Enhancing 3D Scanning with Photogrammetry

It was to be expected that we would talk a lot about photogrammetry after we’ve launched the MaxSHOT 3D optical coordinates measuring system. But it’s OK, since what we have…

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The green side of Creaform: how we helped in building an electrical car

Yes, we do have a conscience and we are concerned about planet Earth’s health. That is why we were thrilled when we got called to work on inspecting battery trays…

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Handyscan 3D Product Manager Daniel Brown Strikes Again

We’ve got another excellent article published in the July edition of Quality Magazine. On the model of “Cooking for Dummies”, Dan wrote about the basics of 3D optical measurement technologies,…

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The MetraSCAN used for Archaeological Purposes in Czech Republic

The broadcast aired on primetime newscast in Czech Republic. Chances are you don’t speak Czech, but as an image is worth a 1000 words, we though we would post it…

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The Apple Picker Lady

When first presented during a Creaform Christmas party and as part of the Handyscan 3D laser scanning contest, this video brought us all to our feet (and to tears for…

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3D Laser Scanners: the Ongoing Quest for Portability

In this article, you’ll find my reflexions about the ultimate 21st century goal in 3D laser scanning: increased portability. (…) But during the past few decades, manufacturers have been increasingly interested…

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Handyscan 3D Data Acquisition Technology Applied to Orthotics and Prosthetics

In its edition of July 2011, Medical Design Briefs published an article in which we explain our development strategy for the medical industry. Basically, we have decided to further development…

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Scanning in the Dust

Creaform has carried out more than 10,000 engineering projects for clients all around the world. As an applications specialist among the Scan & Inspection team, I scan objects of all…

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Creaform and Les Artisans du Passage – nicely working together

Les Artisants du Passage’s jewellery shop is working on a 4-ton bronze Mammouth Spirit sculpture by sculptor Vincent Champion-Ercoli for Quebec’s company Soprema. We also did some 3D scanning on the project….

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Scanning 12 boats in 24 hours!

A company called Marinexpert Plus inc. came to us for a project involving ship stability certification. The mission was to scan 12 ships in dry dock, with 15 to 25…

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Handyscan 3D Product Manager Daniel Brown on 3D Scanning and Touch Probing for QC

Daniel raises interesting questions about the use of 3D scanning and touch probing for QC: “Today’s 3D scanners offer excellent accuracy, are easy to use, and are fully integrated by…

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Clash of the Eras : When Dinosaurs are 3D Modeled!

21st century advanced technologies are to virtually reproduce prehistoric animals at Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa…fascinating! Besides, the project won an international award! “However, the key element is the…

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When 3D scanning can help the visually-impaired drive their wheelchair!

Well…you can’t stop progress! This is a very interesting example of how technology can be beneficial to people in need – and not only for businesses trying to make money….

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Creaform helps students at Concordia University in Montreal to solve a specific design challenge

It is amazing what passionnate and brillant what undergraduate engineering students can do when they focus their efforts on something (in this case, the creation a hybrid of a Volkswagen Jetta…

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Creaform’s Put Us to the Test 2010 Challenge – All 3 engineering services projects are completed!

Last August, we launched the Put Us to the Test 2010 challenge. The 3 most challenging entries shared more than $25,000 in 3D engineerng services. Here are the highlights: Nothing is…

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Dundee academics reconstruct Viking woman’s face using 3D laser scanner

— We’ve come across this article on yet another very interesting application of 3D laser scanning technology – in archaeology. Academics at Dundee University have helped recreate the face of…

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A Salvage Operation – 3D Scanning an Endangered Cultural Site

—This story about 3D scanning for heritage preservation does go back a while, but we thought it was worth shedding some light on it once again. Enjoy the reading! The Augustus temple…

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3D scanning a cavern for a virtual museum!

When we launched the blog 1 year ago, our goal was to share information about 3D technology with the community, but also hear about what you are up to. I’m…

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Creation process of a tree branch with 3D scanning technology!

I am really happy when I receive projects completed by users of the Handyscan 3D scanner. Artist Rino Côté created an aluminum sculpture in the shape of a tree branch…

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Cloning an archaeological artifact

This article explains how Creative Tools cloned a thousand-year-old archaeological artifact using a Color Handyscan 3D scanner and a ZPrinter 650 3D printer from Z Corporation. This project stemmed from a fascinating…

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The Winter Olympics, the Creaform way!

Check this out! Louis-Philippe Gendron, Computer Graphics Artist at Creaform, has produced a short animated film featuring a full-size 3D scan model of the Inukshuk that served as inspiration to…

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Science Fiction of 3D Laser Scanning

ACCURACY AND RESOLUTION IMPROVEMENT When we think of future laser scanning, the first thing that comes in mind is an accuracy and resolution improvement. But this is not the big…

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Creaform’s acquired long range scanner

Boats fabrication has always been very traditional using well established processes and has always been reluctant and slow to incorporate new technologies. However we recently see a bloom of interest…

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Supercar: follow-up!

Remember in september when we scanned the HTT plethore. They published a video on youtube, have a look.

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Scanning Big in the South Pacific

I just completed what is probably my largest benchmark project so far. I had to fly “down” to the South Pacific where I met up with Ricardo Mauer from Metronom…

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The Future of 3D Scanning

Together, let’s take a look at the worldwide situation: in a new economy based on knowledge, the survival of a company will more than ever rely on the ability of…

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Scanning a supercar

Last week, I went, with 2 colleagues, to work on a scanning project of a concept car for a Canadian company named HTT. Their car, a hand-made and hand-assembled prototype,…

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3D Scanning Projects