Editor's Pick: Short-Range Industrial Laser Scanner Debuts

Scanning the news has turned up some interesting new products for those of you scanning stuff for whatever reason—reverse engineering, quality part inspections, tool certification, CAD comparisons, dimensional analysis, etc. The engineers at FARO Technologies have been particularly busy. For example, earlier this summer they released a new version of their SCENE 3D documentation software for laser scanners. FARO also recently rolled out a new iteration of its FaroArm portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM), as well as a brand new laser scanner.

Suffice it to say, a new generation of the highly regarded FaroArm is something worth noting. Called the FARO Quantum^S, this new unit is “25% more accurate than any FaroArm to date” as well as easier for you to use, according to FARO. But we're going to take a gander at the new laser scanner. You can learn more about the Quantum^S in today's Editor's Pick of the Week write-up and from the links to it at the end.

Dubbed the FARO Focus^S 70, this latest addition to the FARO Focus Laser Scanner series fills in the portfolio by melding a number of the capabilities of its sibling units, such as range and accuracy, but in a size that should be more convenient for many of you. The skinny on it is that the Focus^S 70 is a short-range, ultra-portable industrial scanner.

A short-range, ultra-portable industrial scanner, the FARO Focus^S 70 is the newest member of the FARO Focus family of laser scanners. Image courtesy of FARO Technologies Inc.

Short range means from 1.97 to 229.65 ft (0.6 to 70 m). Ultra-portable means it tips the scales at about 9.25 lbs (4.2 kg) and measures approximately 9x7x4 in. (230x183x103 mm).

Scanning numbers include accuracy of ±1 mm and an acquisition speed of up to 976,000 points per second. You can set it up inside or out. It has a Class 54 Ingress Protection (IP) rating, so you can fire it up in dirty or wet environments. Features include high-dynamic range (HDR) imaging and color as well as touchscreen and/or network control.

A neat feature is that it supports the real time, on-site registration functionality introduced with the latest version of SCENE. For you, this means that 3D scan data can be wirelessly transmitted, processed, aligned and registered directly to an on-site mobile device or a workstation in real time.

Interesting stuff, but no more space. To learn more, hit today's Editor's Pick of the Week link, then the links at the end of the write-up.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, DE