You might not know this, but the military often uses trainers to help soldiers learn how to use a variety of equipment. It is most commonly used for aircraft training. This way, military personnel can learn how to fly and be pilots without having to leave the ground or put expensive equipment risk. These trainers can also make it possible to learn how to repair aircraft without causing actual damage. Because these trainers are so vital, EMS responded quickly when a military supplier contacted them.
The military supplier needed to re-create the maintenance access area of a Blackhawk helicopter. However, the doors and interior of this area were quite complex and they didn’t have CAD models from which to work. EMS was able to provide 3D scanning services to complete this task.
Because the maintenance area was so complicated and difficult to get to, EMS used the Z Corp ZScanner Z800 to accurately collect the data necessary to build the CAD model. The scanner doesn’t have an arm or tripod, making it the most versatile and portable for getting in all of those nooks and crannies. EMS stood on top of the helicopter in order to get an accurate scan. It only took a couple of hours to capture the top of the helicopter and the mechanical parts beneath the access doors with 3D scanning.
Once the scan was complete, EMS turned the raw data into a CAD model. This was done using RapidForm 3D scanning software. Using this software allows the engineer to import the data and then create a 3D surface and model. This data was then provided to the military supplier so that they could create a trainer that could be used to teach future technicians how to repair a Blackhawk helicopter. Creating manual measurements and building a model this way would have been very difficult and likely inaccurate.
Surely, there is only one way to be certain to replicate complicated shapes for modeling and that is through 3D scanning. EMS was able to provide this service to the military supplier and make it possible for them to replicate a complicated piece of machinery in a mere fraction of the time it normally would’ve taken. That’s the beauty of this kind of technology and why so many companies are now flocking to it in order to complete tasks quickly, efficiently, and accurately.
