Artec 3D has been developing innovative 3D technologies since 2007, such as high precision scanners (Artec Eva, Space Spider, Leo, Ray, Micro), the feature-rich 3D post-processing software Artec Studio, and the smart scanning platform Artec Turntable, along with other solutions and accessories. The company’s core markets are reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, quality inspection, and dental.

Artec 3D’s latest scanning platform is integrated with its 3D handheld scanner and data processing software, enabling faster and more streamlined scanning of small objects.

Artec’s Smart Turntable

Artec released a new, “smart” turntable, that makes scanning small objects easier, faster, and more streamlined. The Artec Turntable was purposefully designed for use with Artec Space Spider, a handheld 3D scanner that delivers high-resolution color scans with metrological accuracy and can thoroughly capture complex geometry, sharp edges, and thin ribs. The scanner boasts a 3D point accuracy of up to 0.05 mm and a 3D resolution of up to .1 mm.

Using the scanner, an object can be captured smoothly from every angle, simply by placing it on the turntable and scanning it as it rotates. The Artec Turntable is also a “smart” turntable: if Space Spider ever loses tracking, Turntable will pause and rotate backward fifteen degrees and wait there till tracking is regained. Once that happens, Turntable commences turning again, whereas using a manual turntable, one has to go back and search for that place on the object where tracking was lost if a scanner somehow loses tracking.

The Turntable’s platform is 9.8 inches in diameter (250 mm), while the maximum weight of an object to be placed there is 6.6 pounds (3 kg). Since its release, Turntable has been used with everything from small prosthetics and orthotics, fossils and ancient artifacts, surgical equipment, compact CGI props, small high-performance auto parts, electronic components, and more. In general, it can take anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes to capture an object, at most.

3D data processing software integration

Artec Turntable can be integrated with Artec Studio software with a few clicks. The first noticeable thing is Auto-Tracking Recovery, which is the feature that enables Turntable to pause, rotate back, and continue scanning in the event of lost-then-regained tracking. In terms of Artec Studio’s features, Autopilot proudly stands front and center, which essentially gives even novice users professional results without having to sit through weeks of formal training to achieve them. Autopilot simply asks the user a few questions about the scanned object as well as the required type of 3D model. From that point, the software takes care of the rest: deleting any unwanted data, aligning all the scans with just one click, all the while making use of the optimal 3D algorithms for bringing to life a high precision 3D model.

A second feature worth mentioning is Direct Export to SOLIDWORKS & AutoCAD, which enables users to export scans for further CAD work without any intermediary software required. For example, this could mean exporting STL files to Design X and exporting other file types, such as CSV or DXF files.