By Scott Evans, ARC Advisory Group
The recent survey jointly conducted by ARC Advisory Group and SPAR 3D provides several insights on the purchasing behavior of 3D Scanning users. Previous postings focused on the ranking of technical and non-technical selection criteria for scanners. This blog post isolates the key benefits achieved by end users as a result of adopting 3D Scanning technology. The chart below depicts the key results:
Respondents overwhelmingly agree that 3D scanning can offer both greater accuracy of measurements and a more complete set of measurements. These capabilities improve the fidelity of the point cloud and provide a more comprehensive model of existing conditions. The creation/upgrade of the 3D model is the most common use, with around two thirds of respondents citing it as an application.
In the process industries, 3D Scanning helps streamline the overall design/build process by using the point cloud as the basis for designing an upgrade. With detailed dimensions for existing conditions, the new design has fewer errors and less delay for rework. Also, more of the design can be pre-fabricated at lower cost compared to on-site assembly. This reduces the project’s duration and cost by eliminating delays and providing faster assembly with pre-built components. This translates into a faster time to the start of production for the owner-operator. In discrete manufacturing, Short Range 3D Scanners are employed at increasingly more inspection points during the manufacturing process due to their accuracy, repeatability, and in-line automation. This reduces rework and scrap, and improves product quality.
Recommendation:
The previous Blog Post #2 revealed that users struggle to justify purchase of 3D Scanning technology due to unclear financial benefits. This claim is bolstered by the evidence in this chart, which shows that users recognize reduced surveying time as a benefit more often than they do a reduction in surveying costs. Surveyors need help translating the reduction in time to lower costs and faster time to project completion (and getting paid).
3D scanner suppliers can improve the business case for 3D scanning with guidance on quantifying expected user gains in achieving greater accuracy and reduced surveying time.
