| 3D laser surveying is known to benefit manufacturing | | | | product quality is a smoke detector that doesn't |
| companies during the engineering and reverse | | | | close properly. Although the smoke detector still |
| engineering processes. But laser surveying also | | | | works, the likelihood of consumers keeping it or |
| benefits manufacturers by allowing them to perform | | | | purchasing the same brand in the future is slim. |
| top of the line quality service inspections. Although | | | | Colormap deviation is typically used to analyze hard |
| the primary focus of manufacturing is engineering and | | | | to quantify issues (e.g. part warpage) and free-form |
| producing flawless products, defective products can | | | | shapes. |
| result from more than defective design; they can | | | | Cross Section Analysis |
| also result from defective manufacturing equipment | | | | Cross section analysis can be performed anywhere |
| whose flaws are hidden to the eye. | | | | on a product and compares cross sections of as-built |
| One way that a company determines whether | | | | objects and as-designed CAD models. Cross section |
| product design, or flawed production equipment is | | | | analysis performs 2D analysis on certain locations of a |
| responsible for defective product is to compare a | | | | model and reveals deviations using a color gradient |
| product's as-built data to its solid CAD model data. If | | | | reference system. Cross section analysis is commonly |
| the as-built data is the same as the design data, the | | | | used when part thickness must be verified, when a |
| fault lies within the design; if the as-built data differs | | | | certain cross section shape is desired and to further |
| from the design data, the fault likely lies within the | | | | incorporate design intent into an as-built model. |
| production process. In either case, laser surveying | | | | Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing |
| presents companies with at least three quality | | | | Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing is commonly |
| inspection report types, which we describe below. | | | | used to compare as-built models to as-designed CAD |
| Colormap Deviation | | | | models to test concentricity, angularity and circularity. |
| Colormap deviation presents a computerized product | | | | Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing is ultimately |
| model that uses various colors to indicate product | | | | concerned with the tolerance elements of a product's |
| defects. Often, these flaws don't present a danger | | | | design with regard to safety and durability, and is |
| to consumers, but they can mean that a product | | | | expressed as a symbolic language in engineering |
| won't live up to its warranty. For example, colormap | | | | drawings and solid CAD models. In scientific terms, |
| deviation is often used to reveal part warpage, a | | | | geometric dimensioning and tolerancing determines |
| phenomenon where products don't function as | | | | the allowable variation of product geometry in terms |
| indicated due to one or more warped parts. An | | | | of maintaining design durability. |
| example of how part warpage could compromise | | | | |