From Physical Part to Parametric Model - 3D Scanning for Aerospace Applications

The aerospace industry is responsible for moving millions of people and thousands of tons of cargo every day. As a result, aerospace manufacturers and suppliers are held to extremely demanding standards for quality, precision and durability. 

At the same time, aerospace presents some of the most difficult operating conditions for any manufactured components. Aerospace vehicles are incredibly complex and expensive to manufacture, and are designed to deliver reliable, long-lasting performance.

These dynamics create a situation where aircraft fleets must be regularly and meticulously inspected for damage and wear. Parts and components must be replaced when they fall out of tolerance with rigorous standards. But aerospace vehicles are built to last, which means the parts that need to be replaced may lack easily available documentation.

This is why 3D scanning is becoming increasing essential to the industry. Fast, accurate 3D scanning is creating opportunities to simplify and streamline part development, reverse engineering, inspection and other applications that are vital for aerospace manufacturers.

In this whitepaper, we will take a deeper look at these workflows as well as real-world examples of how 3D scanning is changing how aerospace manufacturers address common challenges.