Portable measuring systems have been available for several years, in particular measuring arms and laser trackers. While these systems have certainly created a requirement within the market, many have not lived up to users’ expectations. In the case of portable arms, accuracy has always been questionable, and the price of laser trackers has made them prohibitive for general purpose applications.
HandyPROBE — the Portable CMM Solution
The all-new HandyPROBE from Creaform is purpose designed to fill the gap between portable measuring arms and laser trackers, yet provide class-leading performance for all types of applications at a cost effective price. The first problem overcome by the system is the issue of portability, as existing 'portable' systems have one major design flaw — they are not actually very portable, and should more accurately be described as 'transportable'. In order to achieve the accuracy quoted by the manufacturer, users must adopt heavy duty stands to provide stability for the measuring system, often requiring two people and a van to move the system between jobs, and in most cases the system ends up mounted to a table, defeating the object of a portable solution.
The HandyPROBE measuring system consists of two elements — the small, lightweight handheld HandyPROBE, plus the high accuracy C-Track camera positioning system. The C-Track uses the latest photogrammetry techniques to accurately track and establish the position and orientation of the HandyPROBE in real-time. The C-Track can be mounted on a simple lightweight tripod or anywhere that it can see the object to be measured, and includes an integrated wireless communication with the HandyPROBE. The whole measuring system is packaged in a single transport case that can be easily be moved around by one person, and fits in the back of a family hatchback car, with setup time achieved in a few minutes — a truly portable solution.
In order to achieve high accuracy in real manufacturing environments, C-Track incorporates a unique dynamic alignment system, whereby the HandyPROBE, C-Track positioning device and the part can be moved at any time. This is achieved through the use of reference markers attached to the part being measured, which means the coordinate reference system is attached directly to the part. Unlike portable arms or laser trackers, where the measuring reference is the measuring device itself, this totally eliminates the need for complex 'leap-frog' calculations and highly stable setups with clamped parts, thereby removing the possibility of human error and massively improving flexibility, efficiency, accuracy, and above all ease-of-use.
The handheld HandyPROBE is a completely arm-free measuring probe, with absolutely no moving parts to completely eliminate the possibility of mechanical wear. As the system provides the user with 100% portability, this guarantees rapid execution of 3D inspection and reverse engineering tasks in all environments, thereby ensuring reliable measurement data. Standard CMM-like stylus configurations, which can be quickly changed without the need for re-calibration, enable users to measure all types of features, including those that would normally be inaccessible due to line of sight or limited reach of an arm. These features, coupled with the intuitive control software, make the system incredibly easy to use, even for unskilled operators.
The HandyPROBE is designed to be used with many different software solutions, depending on the application and user’s requirements. The system is ideally suited for use with the latest Microlog XG and Metrolog XG software for 3D inspection, as these provide a completely seamless solution with full integration of all the measuring functionalities of the HandyPROBE. The software also offers the benefit that it will work with a user’s existing measuring equipment, providing total compatibility between all measuring devices.
HandyScan — the Portable Laser Scanner
Providing a direct complement to the HandyPROBE portable CMM is the hugely successful HandyScan range of 3D laser scanners. The HandyScan line-up is reportedly the world’s first and only self-positioning range of handheld laser scanners, which have completely revolutionised the scanning industry by accelerating and simplifying the scanning and data acquisition process, particularly for design, manufacturing and inspection of all types of parts and assemblies. The range currently includes four scanners according to application requirements, all incorporating the unique self positioning capability that removes the need for additional measuring or tracking devices such as a portable arm, fixed cameras, laser trackers or a CMM. Scanner options include user definable scanning resolutions, full colour and texture scanning, plus high accuracy scanning of large objects such as complete car bodies, train carriages and aircraft structures.
The HandyScan systems are incredibly easy to use, and can be applied to problems as diverse as military aircraft to dinosaur bones, human body scans to automotive designs, and architecture to Playstation games. The surface data provided by the HandyScan is of the highest quality available in portable laser scanning technology, and is presented to the user in a highly usable format in real-time. The VXScan software supplied with every scanner automatically creates triangulated surface data, completely eliminating the need for time consuming data processing of huge and often unmanageable point clouds.
The portability of the HandyScan is second to none, with the whole system fitting into a small carrying case that is suitable as hand luggage on an aircraft. There is no need for heavy stands, power supplies or controllers, making the system highly adaptable and versatile. As the scanner requires no external device, it can be used in extremely confined spaces, making it exceptional for applications such as vehicle interiors. A handy Field Pack even enables the scanner to be used in inaccessible places where power is not possible, such as mine shafts, power pylons, cliff faces, oil platforms, or even in the desert!
To make life even easier, all HandyScan laser scanners can be directly interfaced with many leading inspection and reverse engineering software solutions, according to user requirements. The scanners can also be combined with the HandyPROBE through software such as Microlog XG and Metrolog XG, providing users with a complete and comprehensive, high accuracy probing and scanning combination for complex 3D inspection requirements.
There are now over 1000 HandyScan systems in use throughout the World, with customers including Honda, Renault, BAe Systems, NASA, Toyota, Boeing, Caterpillar, plus many leading universities and institutions. The 1000th unit was recently delivered to London’s Natural History Museum by Measurement Solutions, the UK’s sole distributor of both the HandyScan and the HandyPROBE systems. The colour VIUScan system purchased by the museum will be used to digitally archive a range of artefacts within the Palaeontology Department, and also for creating 3D visualisations for exhibition and marketing purposes. Measurement Solutions have been selling HandyScan solutions since late 2006, and were one of the first resellers worldwide to achieve Platinum status due to their extensive knowledge of scanning and the use of these innovative laser scanners.
Iain Caville, Managing Director and founder of Measurement Solutions, commented, “The HandyScan range of laser scanners enabled us to complement and diversify our already established CMM solutions with completely original and ground-breaking systems. In a short time, we have established ourselves as a leading player in the UK scanning market, thanks totally to the HandyScan range of products”. He concluded, “We are extremely excited to now have the opportunity to re-define the portable CMM market with the new HandyPROBE system, which provides completely new handheld probing capabilities without the need for expensive laser trackers or fixed measuring arms.”
Measurement Solutions have both HandyPROBE and HandyScan systems available for demonstration — being completely portable, on-site demonstrations are also available. Measurement Solutions can also offer contract inspection and scanning services using the systems, plus a whole range of additional measuring devices including fixed bed CMM and high accuracy photogrammetry.
