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When a field technician opens a van fitted by the bott Group, every shelf, drawer, and workbench lines up with clock-maker precision. Behind that neat visual lies a decades-old tradition of German engineering and a pan-European manufacturing footprint.
The Bott Group designs vehicle and operating equipment as well as workplace systems. From its headquarters in Gaildorf (Germany) and the two production sites in Bude (UK) and Tárnazsadány (Hungary), the Group designs and manufactures work environments for mobile and stationary manual work environments of all kinds. A sales-and-service network that stretches across France, Austria, Denmark, Italy, and dozens of global licensees keeps support close to every customer, whether a single craftsperson or a multinational fleet. From basic development work to order processing, bott's internal processes are characterized by the same features: Precision work and on-site provision for seamless, high-quality assembly. This allows all employees involved to work more proactively, quickly and safely.
The Bott Group speeds up its 3D measurement processes for in-vehicle fittings thanks to the HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series. The Hidden Bottlenecks Caused by Inaccurate Point Clouds
The engineers need an accurate 3D digital model of each vehicle. Before 3D scanning, those models began as laser point clouds that looked convincing on screen yet refused to become usable surfaces. “Point clouds were fine for reference,” recalled Mario Leiser, Head of Basic Interior Development, “but as soon as we tried to generate solid geometry, our workflows took more time than originally planned.”
Cleaning data, patching voids, and reverse-engineering surfaces routinely took up to three working days per vehicle model, and that delay rippled through production, installation, and the final hand-off to the customer. Slower lead times compromised just-in-time fit-outs; the team knew they had to break the cycle.
Leiser’s group pinned three must-haves to the whiteboard: capture accuracy within tenths of a millimetre, a learning curve short enough for multi-site rollout, and integrated 3D scanning software for feature extraction and CAD modeling from scan data. After testing several metrology solutions, they settled on HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series paired with the Scan-to-CAD software module part of Creaform Metrology suite.
The HandySCAN 3D|MAX Series makes it easy to 3D scan large vehicle parts in minutes. The Bott Group Accelerates Production Processes
As a metrology-grade and portable 3D scanner for large parts, technicians could carry the HandySCAN 3D|MAX from the shop floor to the vehicle park outside. The setup and scanning process takes minutes. Once the scanning process is complete, Creaform’s Scan-to-CAD software module environment optimizes the mesh and extracts all geometric information for post-processing in Inventor, the Bott Group's preferred CAD software. This combined 3D scanner and 3D scanning software toolset makes reverse engineering a breeze.
Onboarding was fast and simple. “After a short training session my team called the workflow ‘intuitive, fast and stable,’” Mario Leiser explained.
3D scan data of a vehicle panel imported into Inventor CAD software Measurable Payback in Lead Times
The lead time for one of the first new projects was reduced by three days. Because Scan-to-CAD software module delivers clean solids immediately, engineers bypass the laborious surfacing stage and move directly to 3D modelling. That change alone frees up many engineering hours per vehicle model, which are now reinvested in value-adding design tweaks that improve end-user ergonomics.
In addition, the accuracy of each vehicle has improved: dimensional deviations are now color-coded in real time so that brackets and panels arrive at the workshop with a perfect fit and rework is avoided. The flood of newly introduced vehicle models has increased noticeably in recent years, but Leiser's team still has the upper hand thanks to the faster workflow.
For Mario Leiser, his team's journey with 3D scanning is only just beginning. In the future, he wants to scan the entire vehicle for aerodynamic add-on parts such as roof rack systems. “With good tools and half the work, Creaform has helped us redefine our level of performance,” comments Mr. Leiser.
Published 07/15/2025