CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive

15 September 2009

Company News

Z Corporation Unveils World's Most Affordable Portable 3D Laser Scanner

Z Corporation introduced the world's most affordable portable 3D laser scanner, providing high-resolution 3D data capture to a broad base of users at an economical price.

The ZScanner 600 extends Z Corporation's line of uniquely handheld, self-positioning scanners, which are more portable and easier to use than traditional 3D scanners. ZScanners streamline data capture for reverse engineering, product design, cultural preservation and other applications.

The $28,900 ZScanner 600 combines these advantages with resolution down to 0.1 mm and XY accuracy up to 80 microns, making it the ideally balanced solution for value-conscious users.

Portability in a 3D scanner provides an enormous advantage in ease of use and breadth of application. Z Corporation's handheld 3D scanners eliminate the need for fixed-position tripods, bulky mechanical arms or external positioning devices, all of which make hard-to-reach surfaces like auto interiors nearly impossible to scan. Unlike these cumbersome apparatuses, the ZScanner 600 fits in a carry-on suitcase.

ZScanners capture data in one continuous scan rather than in numerous shots from fixed positions, eliminating hours of post-processing time to integrate static shots into a cohesive scan. ZScan Lite software, included with the scanner, automatically produces an .stl file for import into a 3D CAD software package or output to a 3D printer.

To scan, the user picks up the ZScanner handheld unit and "paints" the object with a projected laser crosshair. The surface is recorded by the ZScanner 600's binocular cameras. ZScan software generates a polygon mesh of the surface on the computer screen in real time. And since it is self-orienting and part-referenced, the ZScanner 600 lets the user move the target object during scanning.

Z Corporation handheld 3D scanners have been documented to be four times faster than tripod-mounted systems, which typically require more than 50 individual scans for something as simple as a bicycle helmet.

Pricing, Availability

The ZScanner 600 is available today through Z Corporation's worldwide reseller network for $28,900 USD (U.S. manufacturer's suggested retail price).

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