Lund International Speeds Production with Z Corporation 3D Scanner and Geomagic Studio Software

By DE Editors

Lund International a Lawrenceville, GA, maker of aftermarket auto accessories, is using Z Corporation portable 3D laser scanning technology and Geomagic Studio software to develop new products and enter new markets.

Lund uses the ZScanner 700 handheld laser 3D scanner in the design of products for cars, pickups, SUVs, and heavy trucks, including Nifty floor mats, Belmor hood shields and Deflecta-Shield cargo liners. Lund designers scan vehicles, including interiors, to capture contours. Using Geomagic Studio software, they prepare the resulting scanning data for use in Dassault Systemes’ CATIA, Lund’s preferred computer-aided design software. The company can then reverse-engineer a fitted aftermarket part.

“The ZScanner 700 is far and away our most cost-effective data capture alternative,” says Brent Rose, mechanical engineer of Lund International. “Nothing else has the mobility to get into interiors and other tight places. ZScanning has opened up some exciting possibilities for new product lines in the near and long term.”

Lund previously used fixed-position scanner but found it time-consuming and unable to operate in tight spaces. According to Z Corporation, the ZScanner allowed Lund to shorten the typical product development cycle by 40 percent.

Rose says Geomagic Studio software is a complement to ZScanning. Its polygon editing tools and automation help create CAD-ready data from a scanned polygon mesh. It smoothes surfaces, eliminates irregularities, and produces a standard IGES file that CATIA incorporates with a click, according to the company.

“With the ZScanner and Geomagic and CATIA software, we can quickly create a true-to-life data model that is far more precise than a manufacturer’s CAD model,” says Rose. “As a result, we’re working faster, more cost-effectively and with greater flexibility. This is making us much more competitive in our industry.”

For more information, visit Z Corporation, Geomagic and CATIA.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.