CEDR uses his 3D scanning devices as it is in for safety, time savings and accuracy the most complete way to determine the dimensions of an as-built situation.
Data is collected from a safe distance and can even be captured in less than optimal or even hazardous conditions, this also translates to saving costs on the budget by eliminating excess field time and safety equipment like safety harnesses and scaffolding. In addition it’s minimizing the crews impact in daily operations and eliminates guesswork and human errors. It allows engineers to avoid conflicts that in the past would not have been caught until the construction phase.
Another aspect of 3D Laser scanning is that the data collected can be viewed in a 3D space allowing for clients, project managers, and anyone involved in the project to get a real world view of the site and project area without physically visiting the site.
3D Laser scanning is a non-destructive technology that digitally captures the shape of physical objects using a line of laser light.
3D laser scanners create “point clouds” of data from the surface of an object. In other words, 3D laser scanning is a way to capture a physical object’s exact size and shape. After the point cloud data files are created, they are registered and merged into one three-dimensional representation of the object .
A point cloud cannot be converted to a 3D CAD drawing. The point cloud can be used as ‘layer’ for the CEDR 3D drawing design work.
CEDR can use this technique also for inspection purposes. The scanned object can be compared to the designer’s CAD data. The result of this comparison process is delivered in the form of a “color map deviation report,” in PDF format, which pictorially describes the differences between the scan data and the CAD data.
The 3D scanner can not measure through objects, the scanner detects what one would see with a human eye.
To summarize the advantages of 3D scanning:
- perfect layer for the 3D modeling drawing work
- fast measurement within a day or less
- no turning back to the Plant for ‘forgotten’ measurements
- eliminates the cost of safety equipment and scaffolding during measurements
- control measurement, as built documentation
- 3D views can replace huge amounts of photos and comments
- Not everything which is scanned needs to be drawn at once
- Easy measurement for complex structures
- Ideal for visualization and simulation