The advent of 3D scanning has changed the world as we know it. Feats originally thought impossible, such as crafting your own retainer or creating affordable prosthetics, have now become a reality for Americans all over the country. While 3D printers are effective for the everyday person, 3D scanning services are used in many industries to create quality products and services in a short amount of time. They save professionals vital time and money while still allowing them to do what they do best. Let’s take a look at the history of 3D scanning and the career fields that have benefited the most from inspection services and 3D inspection software.

History Of Scanning

Technology only advances faster by the year, though it wasn’t always this way. CT, for one, was first invented in the 1970’s specifically for the medical and science field. CT stands for ‘computerized tomography’, using a computer that takes data from x-ray images and converts them to images or models. British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield and Allan Cormack are credited with this achievement and were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their contributions. The first clinical CT scanners were installed in the late 1970’s and were originally devoted to head imaging, only expanding to the rest of the body years later. By the 1980’s 6,000 CT scanners were installed throughout the United States and well over 30,000 worldwide. Nowadays people can even by 3D printers and create products or start businesses from home.

Medicine And Surgery

The medical industry is frequently overwhelmed by demand and, as such, requires quality 3D scanning to better diagnose health problems and attend to them effectively. From digital x-rays to accurate computed tomography scans, this technology is vital in ensuring that life-saving surgeries and preventative measures can be distributed to people who need it. X-rays can now be taken as fast as 30 frames per second, with previous issues such as part size no longer being an issue. A micro-CT scanner can also yield a resolution 100 times better than even the best CAT scanner available. Resolution size corresponds to the pixel size 0.16 mm, in direct relation to spatial resolution and essential for accuracy and reproduction.

Production And Shipping

The creation and distribution of products is a constant effort in America. Although a human touch can never be truly replaced, machinery has been consistently advanced to reduce both general costs and potential injury down the road. Thankfully, with industrial CT technology improving so quickly many have found significant relief in traditional production lines and shipping efforts. When factories struggle to keep their products of a consistent high quality, 3D scanning can allow them to make accurate and reliable templates to better maintain their bottom line and customer base. A few CT slices would have taken hours to generate years ago, whereas nowadays it can be done in a manner of seconds.

Benefits Of 3D Scanning

Thanks to the hard work of programmers and engineers, 3D scanning has improved the lives of countless people and only continues to get more advanced by the day. Higher resolutions means that tiny details, be they for production or health-related purposes, can be accurately depicted in models, sheets and templates. Minor issues can become huge problems and industrial scanning severely reduces the margin for error. Chemical film processing, as well, is an expensive and time-consuming process that has been replaced with digital radiography. With 3D scanning helping out entire industries and individual people alike, the future is looking brighter than ever.