New Optics, Electronics Speeds Portable Scanning

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence makes available new laser scanning technology for its portable ROMER Absolute Arm with Integrated Scanner. The RS4 scanner, the company reports, offers new optics and electronics that combine to deliver a major performance leap with a scan rate nearly 60 percent faster than the previous model as well as a lower point resolution. The company adds that the fully integrated RS4 scanner is optimized for measuring objects with challenging surfaces such as carbon fiber or machined steel.

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence describes the ROMER Absolute Arm as an all-purpose portable measuring arm system designed to meet the needs of almost any measurement application such as point-cloud inspection, product benchmarking, reverse engineering, rapid prototyping, virtual assembly and CNC (computer numeric control) milling. It can provide tactile and non-contact dimensional measurements for jobs in industries like aerospace, automotive, power generation, medical, heavy equipment, defense and consumer products. Users can swap probes in and out without recalibration.

Features of the ROMER Absolute Arm scanners include the ability to scan regular and complex surfaces; adaptive laser power for multicolor surfaces; automatic exposure settings; and visual, acoustic and haptic feedback. The system is said to be compatible with major metrology software packages and comes with proprietary software that manages the arm during field use by monitoring diagnostics, including shocks and temperature. Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence says that it is the only metrology OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in the marketplace that certifies volumetric performance of its arm/scanner combination.

The ROMER Absolute Arm is available in six sizes providing measurement volumes with diameters between 2.0 m and 4.5 m. Optional Feature Packs offer enhanced functionality such as WiFi connectivity and full battery-powered operation.

The complete RS4 scanning system delivers accuracy that is fully verifiable and traceable, reports Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence. New technology introduced with the RS4 scanner includes an ultra-wide laser stripe of up to 150 mm that can capture 752,000 points per second. It offers a 100Hz scanning rate (maximum) and 0.028 mm accuracy. Its newly designed profile is said to allow users to scan more deeply into difficult-to-reach cavities with no reduction in accuracy performance. The RS4 scanner does not require a warm-up period or referencing.

“The RS4 laser scanner is breaking ground with its new optics, electronics and performance,” says Anthony Vianna, product manager for the ROMER Absolute Arm product range, in a press statement. “The main focus of product development was to give our users the ability to scan more area at a much faster rate. In order to do that, our R&D team improved the scanner's performance on all fronts, while maintaining the qualities that made the previous model stand out from the competition.”

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence says that it will now fit the new RS4 laser scanner to every model of its ROMER Absolute Arm with Integrated Scanner. The RS4 laser scanner is also available as a retrofit product for existing users of the ROMER Absolute Arm with Integrated Scanner who want to upgrade their scanning performance.

For more information on the integrated RS4 laser scanner system, click here.

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