Over the years, portable 3D metrology solutions have helped create efficiencies in more and more industries. In power generation, for example, plant downtime is costly, components require critical dimensions, and an efficient plant layout is crucial. By implementing portable CMMs, users experience significantly reduced outage time, more accurate inspections and alignments, and a decrease of costly scrap and rework.
There are similar stories across many other industries, including automotive, aerospace, construction, petrochemical and more. A brand new site has been developed to help you learn more about how these industries benefit from portable 3D metrology, including the applications that the different products apply to. It’s called “FARO City”, and it takes an interactive, graphical approach to the various industries that these solutions are a part of.
And if you want even more help in selecting what solution is right for you, you can make a few clicks through an interactive product selection tool.
Who says learning about portable metrology can’t be fun? :)
Visit FARO City
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Laser Scanning for Basic Surveying
Surveying is described as the technique and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. In particular, there is land surveying which focuses on the detailed study and data gathering which can provide engineers with land mapping, construction layout surveys and elevation analysis.
The most common equipment used for surveying is a theodolite. Starting from a position with a known location and elevation, the distance and angles to the unknown point can be measured. It is a very dependable yet slow process to gather many points.
With the revolution of laser scanning, many surveyors are looking to faster and more comprehensive tooling such as laser scanning. With the release of the new Laser Scanner Focus3D, users are able to capture exceptional quality point clouds of large areas within minutes. At a full resolution scan, the Focus3D is capable of scanning up to 976,000 million points per second. That is much more data than a standard theodolite.
One company is Europe is using the FARO Laser Scanner in common surveying applications. From these point cloud data sets, engineers can create 3D models, measure distances, generate 2D CAD plan views and map assets for clearance. View the online video of a sample surveying application using the FARO Laser Scanner HERE.
The most common equipment used for surveying is a theodolite. Starting from a position with a known location and elevation, the distance and angles to the unknown point can be measured. It is a very dependable yet slow process to gather many points.
With the revolution of laser scanning, many surveyors are looking to faster and more comprehensive tooling such as laser scanning. With the release of the new Laser Scanner Focus3D, users are able to capture exceptional quality point clouds of large areas within minutes. At a full resolution scan, the Focus3D is capable of scanning up to 976,000 million points per second. That is much more data than a standard theodolite.
One company is Europe is using the FARO Laser Scanner in common surveying applications. From these point cloud data sets, engineers can create 3D models, measure distances, generate 2D CAD plan views and map assets for clearance. View the online video of a sample surveying application using the FARO Laser Scanner HERE.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Global Aircraft Market to Recover Faster than Expected
On Monday, Airbus updated its long-term global market forecast to show a faster than expected growth in air traffic, accelerated replacement of older planes in mature markets, and dynamic growth in emerging markets. The expectation reflects a demand for nearly 26,000 new passenger and freight aircraft between 2010 and 2029, worth an estimated $3.2 trillion. The forecast applies to not only potential demand for Airbus planes, but also those of rivals such as Boeing. However, both Airbus and Boeing will face increasing competition from other manufacturers outside of Europe and the USA – namely, China, Canada, and potentially Brazil and Russia, if not others.
Going into more detail about the relative growth of individual markets, the report projects Asia Pacific to become the most important region for air traffic and aircraft demand – specifically with China and India growing at double the rate of mature markets such as North America and Europe.
Even as the aerospace industry recovers, it will remain highly competitive. Today, and even more so in the future, the most successful companies turn to cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of the competition. Often, that means incorporating portable measurement solutions into their processes. For this industry, accuracy is the key in almost every aspect of manufacturing and there is no room for error. Portable metrology provides highly accurate measurements that are both reliable and repeatable. These devices are quick, easy, and allow measurements to be taken wherever they are needed – even directly on the production floor. Best of all, they typically provide a full return on investment in less than a year.
Read the full article in The Washington Post
Free whitepaper on aerospace tooling
Watch a video on how B-52s were overhauled
Going into more detail about the relative growth of individual markets, the report projects Asia Pacific to become the most important region for air traffic and aircraft demand – specifically with China and India growing at double the rate of mature markets such as North America and Europe.
Even as the aerospace industry recovers, it will remain highly competitive. Today, and even more so in the future, the most successful companies turn to cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of the competition. Often, that means incorporating portable measurement solutions into their processes. For this industry, accuracy is the key in almost every aspect of manufacturing and there is no room for error. Portable metrology provides highly accurate measurements that are both reliable and repeatable. These devices are quick, easy, and allow measurements to be taken wherever they are needed – even directly on the production floor. Best of all, they typically provide a full return on investment in less than a year.
Read the full article in The Washington Post
Free whitepaper on aerospace tooling
Watch a video on how B-52s were overhauled
Friday, December 10, 2010
Is Manufacturing Making a Comeback in the US?
The National Journal just wrote an article titled, “Act II for American Manufacturing?” and it brings a new perspective on the future of manufacturing in the US.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
The departures from the first act in American manufacturing may be more than technological. The geography will change, as will its configuration. Huge facilities with tens of thousands of workers are out. Factories won’t look like the gigantic River Rouge auto-making complex that Henry Ford built in Dearborn, Mich., in the 1920s. Compact plants surrounded by clusters of small firms that service them will likely populate tomorrow’s manufacturing landscape. Many of the factories will be in the South, where lower wages may help establish a new industrial heartland.
But something more is needed to assure a vibrant future for American manufacturing: a skilled workforce. That’s a scarce commodity these days, even in Butler County. “Every kid who grows up here wants to go to college and work on Wall Street,” said Wise Machine’s Garrard, “not follow their fathers into AK Steel.”
In any event, there is reason to hope. “The future is still in our hands,” said Kent Hughes, director of the program on America and the global economy at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, “if we don’t sit on them.”
But something more is needed to assure a vibrant future for American manufacturing: a skilled workforce. That’s a scarce commodity these days, even in Butler County. “Every kid who grows up here wants to go to college and work on Wall Street,” said Wise Machine’s Garrard, “not follow their fathers into AK Steel.”
In any event, there is reason to hope. “The future is still in our hands,” said Kent Hughes, director of the program on America and the global economy at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, “if we don’t sit on them.”
What are your thoughts about the future of manufacturing in America? Is it doomed or as the article suggests, has a bright future as long as we continue to move forward and increase interest in the skilled trades to younger generations?
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
FARO Featured in Local News
Based in Lake Mary, Florida, FARO is just a few miles north of Orlando. Orlando’s main newspaper is the Orlando Sentinel, and they recently wrote an article about FARO and how the company could be “the region’s comeback player of the year in 2010”.
Like many other companies across the country and around the world, FARO experienced some difficult times in 2009. But in 2010 “sales and profits have rebounded at double-digit percentage rates”. Several of FARO’s key industries, including automakers and defense contractors, are beginning to buy again.
FARO also took advantage of the downturn and turned it into something positive. The company streamlined every part of the manufacturing operations, creating efficiencies and better work routines.
FARO CEO Jay Freeland commented: “The team basically created new capacity for our factory operation, though with fewer people. They can now deliver the same peak production they did before, but with a lower head count. It was a nice job of taking a difficult situation and turning it into a positive.”
Read the full article
Like many other companies across the country and around the world, FARO experienced some difficult times in 2009. But in 2010 “sales and profits have rebounded at double-digit percentage rates”. Several of FARO’s key industries, including automakers and defense contractors, are beginning to buy again.
FARO also took advantage of the downturn and turned it into something positive. The company streamlined every part of the manufacturing operations, creating efficiencies and better work routines.
FARO CEO Jay Freeland commented: “The team basically created new capacity for our factory operation, though with fewer people. They can now deliver the same peak production they did before, but with a lower head count. It was a nice job of taking a difficult situation and turning it into a positive.”
Read the full article
Thursday, December 2, 2010
See the New Laser Scanner Focus3D In Action
On October 5th, FARO announced a ground-breaking event. FARO officially released the newest model of their large scale laser scanners, the Focus3D. Not only has the Focus3D been revolutionary to the industry, but it has also been an eye-opener to many prospects that have been delving into the possibility of acquiring a laser scanner. Starting at the low cost of $30,000, the Focus3D has disrupted the laser scanning industry in a very positive way.
As a self-contained unit, the Focus3D is 4 times lighter and 5 times smaller than its predecessor, the Photon. With the battery built in as well as the color camera, this laser scanner is the most portable laser scanning device in the marketplace. With common applications such as accident reconstruction, as-built documentation, crime scene & forensic analysis, digital factory, power & process, and surveying and tunneling, the Focus3D is already proving to be the easiest and most user-friendly laser scanner ever built. In fact, Quality Digest recently hosted a live event with FARO to show the ease of use and applicable factors that make this laser scanner best of class.
Watch the Focus3D in Action
As a self-contained unit, the Focus3D is 4 times lighter and 5 times smaller than its predecessor, the Photon. With the battery built in as well as the color camera, this laser scanner is the most portable laser scanning device in the marketplace. With common applications such as accident reconstruction, as-built documentation, crime scene & forensic analysis, digital factory, power & process, and surveying and tunneling, the Focus3D is already proving to be the easiest and most user-friendly laser scanner ever built. In fact, Quality Digest recently hosted a live event with FARO to show the ease of use and applicable factors that make this laser scanner best of class.
Watch the Focus3D in Action
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Company Attributes Growth to Increased Efficiencies
Companies around the world are looking for ways to become, or remain, competitive. One obvious way to do that is to save money. When the economy is booming, it’s easy to be less concerned about money. But, when the economy is struggling or in recovery, companies quickly look to save money. Simply put, saving money is a policy that should be followed all the time.
One company that realizes this is the Harvard Corporation of Evansville, Wisconsin. Harvard (http://www.harvardcorp.com/) designs, develops, manufactures, and sells partial-flow filtration systems and filters that remove water and dirt from oil for improved cleanliness levels for applications from aerospace to mining. Harvard’s systems reduce maintenance costs and the amount of generated liquid waste.
As other companies catch on to the need to reduce costs and save money, they turn to Harvard. The result is that Harvard has seen their sales increase 15 percent this year. “It’s because of the fact that people are looking for ways to reduce cost, and we have a reputation of helping people reduce their operational costs,” said President Otto Knottnerus.
Not only does Harvard work to help other companies reduce their costs, they also have worked to improve their own manufacturing efficiencies. They worked with the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership to gain a fresh look at manufacturing and to better develop contacts and marketing ideas. The top priority is to become as efficient as possible. “My goal is to continually be my own best competitor,” said Mr. Knottnerus. “I’m always looking to improve in every aspect of what we’re doing here.”
Most of the systems that Harvard works with have a return on investment of less than a year. This is interesting because FARO has a very similar goal. FARO develops computer-aided measurement and imaging systems that permit high-precision 3D measurement, imaging, and comparison within production and quality assurance processes. Many of the solutions that FARO provides to its customers improve those customer’s processes and efficiencies so much so, that they too see a return on investment of less than a year. As Mr. Knottnerus so correctly said about a quick ROI, “It makes it really palatable for people to do something.” Not only does it make it palatable, it only makes sense for companies looking to be competitive in today’s economy to look at and to do anything possible to improve efficiencies and save money.
The Janesville GazetteXtra.com Article
Read More about FARO
One company that realizes this is the Harvard Corporation of Evansville, Wisconsin. Harvard (http://www.harvardcorp.com/) designs, develops, manufactures, and sells partial-flow filtration systems and filters that remove water and dirt from oil for improved cleanliness levels for applications from aerospace to mining. Harvard’s systems reduce maintenance costs and the amount of generated liquid waste.
As other companies catch on to the need to reduce costs and save money, they turn to Harvard. The result is that Harvard has seen their sales increase 15 percent this year. “It’s because of the fact that people are looking for ways to reduce cost, and we have a reputation of helping people reduce their operational costs,” said President Otto Knottnerus.
Not only does Harvard work to help other companies reduce their costs, they also have worked to improve their own manufacturing efficiencies. They worked with the Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership to gain a fresh look at manufacturing and to better develop contacts and marketing ideas. The top priority is to become as efficient as possible. “My goal is to continually be my own best competitor,” said Mr. Knottnerus. “I’m always looking to improve in every aspect of what we’re doing here.”
Most of the systems that Harvard works with have a return on investment of less than a year. This is interesting because FARO has a very similar goal. FARO develops computer-aided measurement and imaging systems that permit high-precision 3D measurement, imaging, and comparison within production and quality assurance processes. Many of the solutions that FARO provides to its customers improve those customer’s processes and efficiencies so much so, that they too see a return on investment of less than a year. As Mr. Knottnerus so correctly said about a quick ROI, “It makes it really palatable for people to do something.” Not only does it make it palatable, it only makes sense for companies looking to be competitive in today’s economy to look at and to do anything possible to improve efficiencies and save money.
The Janesville GazetteXtra.com Article
Read More about FARO
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