Automotive

Our automotive 3D scanning team works closely with automotive designers in the early stages of the design process to help them transfer a design from concept clay model to prototype. Our services are particularly useful to car manufacturers because of the quality of data we are able to provide compared with other measurement methods. Our industry-leading systems plot millions of points across the surface of a car, providing unrivalled data definition. We are able to accurately capture freeform surfaces, producing all the information our customer needs to take designs to the next stage.

The high-level of accuracy achieved is also ideal for competitor benchmarking. Distinctive vehicle feature branding is vital to make cars unique and competitive. Benchmarking against competitors’ cars enables designers to compare and strengthen or improve the potential of their own brand and range models. The tests and analysis carried out through benchmarking can provide the motivation for change and innovation in automotive design.

Our experienced team complete vehicle benchmarking using the industry leading GOM metrology equipment, and are able to capture at high-accuracy; Full exterior and interior (visible components), underside, front, second and third row seats including movement and stowed positions, all doors, bonnet and boot in open and closed positions, glass house, obscuration bands and screen-wiped area, steering wheel and travel box, engine bay, luggage areas and wing mirrors. We are also able to complete measurement with a H point manikin to assist with the location for all seat positions, which helps to improve vehicle and occupant safety.  Benchmarking 3D scanning services include vehicle teardowns, when the vehicle is physically taken apart to ensure all areas are captured.

We undertake reverse engineering activities across a broad range OEMs within the automotive sector which range from the latest concept to heritage vehicles. Typical reverse engineering projects would be taking vehicle body panels, parts or engine components and efficiently producing a digital replication of this in CAD. We can accurately reverse engineer to the original design intent or produce revised designs to meet the client’s requirements for modification. We can also produce detailed engineering drawings of the parts where the originals are unavailable, from reverse engineering back to a casting definition, through to the final machining stage.

As manufacturing methods increase in capability and complexity, so does the analysis of the parts and the assemblies that they produce. During final vehicle assembly, we will work with you on the flush and gap analysis, ensuring that accuracy in production has been achieved, enabling you to have confidence in the end product. Any deviation between free-form curves and surfaces is best visualised in 3D and the high-resolution data capture and inspection capabilities of the GOM metrology systems make this achievable.