High-speed white-light 3D scanning comes to Hexagon’s Absolute Arm

Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division today introduced the RS-SQUARED Area Scanner for the Absolute Arm: the first time an area scanner is combined with a handheld measuring arm. Designed for high-speed scanning of simple shapes and surfaces, the RS-SQUARED can measure parts faster than conventional laser scanners and even other structured light scanners.

By combining the flexibility of a handheld arm with the speed of structured light scanning technology, RS-SQUARED captures up to four “tiles” of 3D point data per second, while maintaining the high-precision measurement of the touch sensor, even in hard-to-reach areas. Because RS-SQUARED does not require fiducial markers or use contour projection like other similar scanners, the time required to scan the part is reduced to an absolute minimum.

“With RS-SQUARED, we want our users to scan their parts in the shortest possible time,” said Anthony Vianna, Product Manager at Absolute Arm. “That means not only the time to scan the entire part, but also the time to prepare it. The fact that RS-SQUARED is the first area scanner that doesn’t use fiducial markers in the traditional way—because the Absolute Arm does the referencing for it—is one of the key features that allows our users to measure with minimal downtime.”

The RS-SQUARED Area Scanner is the perfect complement to the range of existing scanners, sensors, and probes already available for Hexagon’s Absolute Arms, representing a very high-speed alternative better suited for large parts with lower detail requirements. Like the existing RS6 and RS5 Laser Scanner systems, the RS-SQUARED can be easily removed from the arm at any time and swapped for another sensor or probe without any calibration.

Along with the introduction of this innovative scanner, Hexagon also announced new Control Packs for the latest generation of Absolute Arm systems. Both new Control Packs will offer full functionality with a single cable, helping to significantly reduce workshop clutter. The advanced Wireless Pack model will also offer full-speed scanning with Wi-Fi for all Absolute Arm scanners, including the high-end RS6 Laser Scanner and the new RS-SQUARED Area Scanner, along with hot-swap batteries for all-day power.

The RS-SQUARED Area Scanner is available for immediate purchase from local Hexagon representatives worldwide. It is available for purchase as a complete system with a new 7-axis Absolute Arm, and as an upgrade for any current-generation 7-axis Absolute Arm system. All new orders for a complete Absolute Arm system will also ship with one of the Control Pack models.