Automation Busts the Budgetary Blues
- Pierre Aubrey

Organizations that successfully weather tough economic times are those that are able to do more with less – to stay productive and competitive even while access to human and financial resources tightens. Automation can be key for companies seeking greater efficiencies and ShapeGrabber customers have a real advantage.

ShapeGrabber 3D Laser Scanners enable manufacturers to ensure high-quality production of parts without the long delays that single-point inspection systems require. Fast and easy to use, ShapeGrabber's automated inspection scanners are the most automated 3D Scanners available and do not require specialized CAD expertise. They also enable quality control to be performed on tough parts: those with complex shapes, compound curves, and soft materials. So, even with fewer resources to rely on, a manufacturer using ShapeGrabber can continue to produce high-quality parts with proof of conformance to spec, and can provide its customers with competitive speed and quality.

ShapeGrabber systems complement traditional complex coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) by providing more affordable and less cumbersome options for many inspection and quality control jobs. While CMMs excel at single point accuracy, ShapeGrabber 3D Laser Scanners are faster, measure the complete part, and can deal with complex shapes without the need for expensive fixturing.

As your organization seeks greater efficiencies and a competitive edge to weather the current economic storm, consider how an industrial 3D Laser Scanner from ShapeGrabber can give you the advantage.

Application Corner:

Inspect the Part to SEE the Mold

In the simplest terms, a good mold is one that makes good parts. When your customer is making good parts, no one questions the mold. It's when the parts are not meeting spec that the mold – as one of the main elements of the molding system – is called into question.

This article, recently published in MoldMaking Technology Magazine, examines the shortcomings of measuring only mold conformance, and the advantages of also examining the molded parts.

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Application Note:

Injection Molded Plastics

Today, injection-molded plastics are used extensively in nearly every industry, including for applications such as automotive parts, medical equipment, and orthopedic devices. Plastics have come to replace metal and steel in many applications, and are favored for their light weight, strength, and ability to be manufactured to very complex shapes.

However, the complex, curved shapes of many injection molded plastic parts make them some of the most difficult to measure for conformance to designed dimensional specifications. Many manufacturers of injection-molded plastic parts rely on ShapeGrabber 3D laser scanners for quality control and inspection.

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