Pratt & Miller and GM’s Corvette Racing Team Win With the FARO Laser ScanArm®

Pratt & Miller is a world-class engineering company that takes automotive programs from concept to reality. They are a respected industry leader that provides cutting-edge engineering and manufacturing solutions to their clients. One of those clients is the GM Corvette Racing Team that competes in the American Le Mans Series. 

The team at Pratt & Miller uses some of the most advanced research and development technologies available. Where measuring with hand tools was very time consuming and created inherent inaccuracies due to individual error, an even bigger issue with using these traditional tools was that they did not offer the means to measure more complicated parts and freeform surfaces without unwanted contact.

FARO provided the accuracy Pratt & Miller was looking for at the speed they need. Co-Founder Gary Pratt said, “We use FARO to design, construct, and analyze ‘virtual’ components, CFD, and even complete cars – every facet of a project from initial conception to the finished product.” Mike Kurylo, a team design engineer, said, “The quality of the FARO equipment, the ease of training, and the knowledge of their support are all first rate. Their customer service…feels like having your own pit crew!”

In today’s ever increasingly competitive conditions, Pratt & Miller is always searching for every last bit of performance enhancement – be it in the form of speed, time, accuracy, or efficiency. FARO answers the call on each of these. That Pratt & Miller uses the most up-to-date and powerful computer software and hardware in existence, the next logical step for them was FARO.

“We’re constantly updating, expanding technology and FARO opened new parameters in manufacturing and engineering for us. FARO has really opened our eyes and they’ve been fantastic for us,” said Mr. Pratt. “Once you get something like this, you can’t see how you did without it.”

Visit FARO at SEMA 2010 in Booth #10351 and see how race teams like Pratt & Miller, Andretti Autosport, and others like Paul Jr. Designs use FARO to stay ahead of their competition.

Read the full case application 

FARO at SEMA 2010

FARO Launches New 3D Imaging Product Line, Featuring the AMP

Last month at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, Illinois, FARO introduced a brand new product – the 3D Imager AMP.

The FARO 3D Imager AMP is a high performance non-contact 3D imaging system, capable of collecting millions of points in just seconds. Using patented technology, the AMP achieves groundbreaking accuracy on parts, assemblies and tools never before possible.

The AMP is ideal for parts with complex shapes or large, smooth surfaces due to its ability to measure a large surface area in one shot. With the click of a button, it captures the complete, detailed image of the object within its half-meter field of view. The AMP is the perfect tool for applications in quality control, reverse engineering, and rapid manufacturing.

The AMP also offers improved measurement of dark and shiny parts that are often missed by optical systems, and with its rugged, thermally-stable design, it is right at home on the shop floor or the assembly line.

Learn More about the AMP

Webinar: Portable Metrology and the Military – Building a better product for our troops

Portable measurement devices, such as portable CMMs and imagers, are an excellent solution for many military-based applications. From applications such as the inspection of critical components, to machine alignments, to rapid reverse engineering for design or modeling for repair, and even field testing and inspection and failure/repair analysis, portable metrology offers the speed, accuracy, capability, and convenience that today’s military needs.

In this webinar, we will focus on the common measurement needs of the military and how portable metrology is the best solution. We will also introduce the various types of portable probing and scanning devices and demonstrate how they can solve the specific needs of military applications and situations.

Who should attend: Current military personnel, military suppliers and contractors, and anyone interested in portable metrology can benefit them and their projects and products.

What will you learn in this webinar?

• Some of the common measurement applications of the military
• How these measurement needs traditionally have been met
• What are some of the shortfalls of those traditional methods
• The basics of various portable solutions
• The benefits of using portable metrology

Join us on Tuesday, October 26^th, 14:00-15:00 EST for this free, educational webinar.

Register Now

Create Efficiencies in Power Generation Applications

Regardless of whether it’s in our personal lives or on the job, we are always looking for a more efficient way to do things.

One industry that can experience a considerable amount of savings by finding a faster, easier, and less expensive way to perform projects is power generation.

Regardless of which sector of power generation you refer to, it is critical that every aspect of the job is as efficient as possible. Plant downtime is costly, components require precise dimensions, and working with the right tools is crucial.

Measurement technology plays an important role in this process. In particular, the laser tracker – a portable coordinate measuring machine – is especially valuable for creating efficiencies in power generation applications.

By implementing this type of technology, users can:

• Significantly reduce outage time
• More accurately perform inspections and alignments
• Eliminate human error
• Decrease costly scrap and rework
• Receive a true return on investment

Whether it’s an application with turbines, nuclear or wind components, laser tracker technology can help create those valuable efficiencies. We’re all constantly being asked to do more and more work with fewer and fewer resources and in a much faster time, all while improving quality. Having the latest in measurement technology really helps.

Visit http://www.faro.com/powergen to learn more.

FARO Introduces the new Laser Scanner Focus3D

FARO is proud to introduce the new FARO Laser Scanner Focus^3D!

The Focus^3D is a revolutionary, high-performance 3D laser scanner for detailed measurement and documentation with intuitive touch-screen control that makes it as easy to operate as a digital camera. 

Using laser technology to produce incredibly detailed three-dimensional images, The Focus^3D scans complex environments and geometries in only a few minutes. The resulting image is an assembly of millions of 3D measurement points in color which provides an exact digital reproduction of existing conditions.

Entirely self-contained, the Focus^3D requires no additional devices, cables or laptops. It is four times lighter and five times smaller than its predecessor and is the smallest and lightest laser scanner ever built. With its dimensions of 9.5 x 8 x 4 in. and a weight of 11lbs, the Focus^3D is so compact and mobile that users can always take it with them, wherever they go.

The Focus^3D deploys an integrated color camera with automatic and parallax free color overlay for photo-realistic 3D scans. Its integrated lithium-ion high-performance battery provides up to five hours of battery life and can be charged during operation. Furthermore, all scans are stored on a SD card enabling easy and secure data transfer to a computer. 

The FARO Focus^3D is compatible with many common software applications. The flexible interfaces of SCENE, the scan processing software included with the Focus^3D, enable connection to AutoCAD as well as many other CAD applications such as Rhino, Microstation, Nemetschek and ArchiCAD. Despite all these improvements and features the new Focus^3D is more cost-effective than previous FARO Laser Scanner models.

Click here to learn more about the Focus^3D