8 Benefits a Mold Maker Should Know About 3D Scanning

Businesses and manufacturers are often looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce budgets. As a revolutionary strategy in the field of measurement and inspection, high-tech 3D scanning can help in both efficiency and financial benefits. Thanks to their accuracy, versatility and portability, portable 3D scanners can perform on-site 3D scans to acquire accurate 3D data quickly and consistently. This data can be used to generate comprehensive inspection reports. How can 3D scanning be used in mold making?

Precision control for rough casting

By adding additional material to certain parts of a casting, engineers allow it to be machined to the required size, precision and surface finish. It is an important way to significantly reduce the defect rate of castings. When the part design has a tight tolerance, the risks of not meeting manufacturing requirements can increase. When dealing with a tight tolerance, raw material costs increase, most of which are very expensive alloy steels.

Use the 3D scanner The magic of KSCAN to verify the precision of the rough casting, with the following advantages:

01 Flexible operation
Compared to stationary measuring tools, a portable 3D scanner is easy to use. It can be used to 3D scan objects anywhere, anytime, without the need for a dedicated laboratory, as it is less affected by environmental conditions. It can effectively reduce the cost of sites and detection time.

02 Accurate and complete 3D data
KSCAN-Magic features five working modes and a scanning area of ​​1440mm x 860mm. With fine scan and depth scan modes, it can capture precise data of complex surfaces presented by holes and blind spots. 3D data of the entire geometry is acquired so that it can be used as a reliable and complete basis for identifying the machining allowance. This way manufacturers can reduce the waste of raw materials.

03 Integrated photogrammetry

Errors accumulate when the 3D scanner aligns several scans, which can be reduced with photogrammetry. When 3D scanning a part larger than 1.5m, it is recommended to use photogrammetry equipment to increase accuracy and improve inspection results.

04 Intuitive, real-time reporting

With professional scanning software, 3D inspection results can be compared with the original CAD model to generate intuitive color maps in real time.

Mold correction inspection

The produced mold may differ from the theoretical model due to inferences from the reality of the industrial environment. There may be issues and potential imperfections on the die that need to be corrected. Furthermore, the mold must be analyzed and adapted in an iterative process so that it can make products that meet the technical requirements.
The traditional method relies heavily on human experience to adjust the molds, which takes several weeks to complete the task. The method is time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to acquire data of concave surfaces, curvature, and confined spaces. Thanks to the high-speed scanning and precise measurement of 3D scanners, engineers can quickly and accurately identify unqualified areas. This way you don’t waste time programming or troubleshooting while testing and correcting the mold.

The TrackScan-P42 3D scanner provides a complete and reliable database for subsequent mold repair and has the following advantages:

01 High efficiency
This type of mold is large and heavy and cannot be easily transported. When using conventional contact measurement methods, it is not efficient enough to measure this mold on a large scale. Thanks to the scanning speed of up to 1,900,000 measurements/s of the TrackScan P42, a technician acquired all the geometric data of the mold in just 5 minutes directly on site. The mold remediation period is reduced from several weeks to approximately 10 days or less.

02 Overadaptation
The large mold features numerous cavities, deep holes and grooves. With the fine scanning mode of 7 parallel blue lasers, the details of deep holes can be captured precisely.
TrackScan-P42 is highly adaptable to different environmental conditions and is capable of scanning highly reflective and dark surfaces. Therefore, complete 3D data of the reflective surfaces of the mold can be easily obtained.

03 Intelligent markerless tracking

Thanks to TrackScan-P42’s intelligent optical tracking technology, you can capture 3D data without pasting marks. It not only saves preparation time, but also avoids damage to the surface.

04 Intuitive relationship
Inspection results are displayed in an intuitive color map. It shows flaws and imperfections in different colors, which are easy to read and understand. With this report, technicians can accurately determine the areas that need to be adjusted.

Other apps
In general, the analysis of punching die clamping is time-consuming and laborious. By being able to obtain the digital twin of the upper mold and lower mold, the 3D scanner is more reliable to simulate clamping analysis, which provides information for pattern improvement. Additionally, 3D scanning can also be used to generate a digital backup of the mold, which provides a database for further mold repairs, optimizations and redesigns.