Artec Eva is a 3D scanner with structured light that delivers fast, accurate and textured models. The scanner is best suited for medium-sized objects and for capturing precise measurements in high resolution. Eva is a solution for all types of objects - including shiny and black objects, which are notoriously difficult to scan - and its extensive capabilities make it suitable for numerous industries, from automotive to medical, and for a variety of applications, from reverse engineering to quality control.

Since the company was founded, Element has continued to develop: "As a technical start-up company, we decided to invest in modern technology right from the start," says Production Director Sergey Kolesnikov. "We have never worked without 3D scanning technology."

At the forefront of this is scan technician Alexander Slatvickiy, who has been using Artec Eva since he started working for Element in 2018. For him, getting started with scanning was straightforward. "The learning curve was quick and easy because Artec Studio is so simple to use," says Slatvickiy. "For this reason, I was able to scan independently after just two days of practice under the supervision of my trainer."

The main purpose of scanning is quality control, says Kolesnikov. Scanning is used, for example, to ensure accurate measurements of the shells of cone crushers - an important type of machine used in mining and ore processing. The shell, which is produced by sand casting, is made of manganese steel, an alloy discovered in 1882. The manufacturing process usually takes a few weeks. As soon as the parts are finished, samples are taken for accuracy testing.

"First, we scan all the surfaces of the part," says Slatvickiy. "With Artec Studio, you're guaranteed not to miss any surfaces because they're all displayed in real time." A polygon model is then created in Artec Studio. Superfluous surfaces of surrounding objects are deleted using the Global Registration and Merging algorithms, and tools are implemented to create an STL surface model. This model can then be used for quality control in Geomagic for Solidworks, where new models are compared with existing models of original parts or highly accurate drawings.

"We plot the sketches by section location and use Solidworks tools for the measurements," explains Slatvickiy. For this task, Geomagic provides a deviation analysis tool, which is used to visualize deviations of polygonal models from the nominal profile, and Orient Mesh, which ensures that the base planes of the polygonal model match those of the solid model. The entire process from scanning, processing and modeling to matching takes no more than four hours, in some cases even less than 30 minutes.

Alexander Shestakov from Artec partner Globatek says that Artec Eva is the ideal solution for this process, as it can capture highly accurate scans in just a few minutes. "Whether they are in a warehouse complex or on the territory of a mining company: Thanks to some of Artec Eva's distinctive features - including its light weight and ease of use - it is possible to work mobile for up to six hours while meeting all digitization accuracy requirements.

In order to meet the high quality standards (ISO 9001) that the company offers, two types of problems must be taken into account: Critical issues such as high inaccuracy and less acute issues that can be resolved after production. "We reject parts if our scan report indicates critical issues," says Kolesnikov. "If not, we are usually able to make some changes to eliminate secondary issues in collaboration with our suppliers."

"To meet our standards, we need measurement accuracy with a maximum deviation of 0.01 percent," says Kolesnikov. "This means that with a diameter of 1,000 mm, there is less than 0.1 mm margin for error." Element also uses the Artec Eva 3D scanner to scan worn parts for its customers. This enables them to scan worn parts and ensure their precise restoration.

Apart from the good functionality, the user-friendliness and accuracy are decisive factors for the Element technicians when using the scanners. "What I like best is the scanning process," says Slatvickiy. "And that Artec Eva works on battery power, as well as the convenience of the Artec Studio scanning and processing software and the accuracy of the scans."

"Using Artec Eva for quality control allows us to guarantee the customer a high quality of delivered products," adds Shestakov. "We can also minimize the logistics costs that would be incurred when returning large devices."