3D Scanning Dead-Benched Tooling

The Client’s Critical Issue

The words a tooling manager dreads to hear: “This tool is dead-benched.” Reaction time must be swift because a dead-benched tool means that production stops – something no manufacturer in any industry can afford to have occur.

The Dimensional Engineering Solution

For years, Dimensional Engineering has been the “fire department,” called upon to stave off the production-stopping problem of dead-benched tools, for a major aircraft manufacturer. We are called every time a tool breaks.

Once notified, we immediately laser scan the complete tool. Then all critical information such as tooling holes, end-of-part (EOP) trim lines, and more is collected using the probe from the portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM).

We post-process this raw data into a high-quality CAD model in the client’s native format, and deliver the model to the client’s internal quality assurance department for certification. If 2D engineering drawings exist, they are cross-referenced to ensure that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations are met.

The client then uses the certified master CAD model to machine a brand new tool to be placed back into production.

The Value We Provided

Per the client, “Dimensional Engineering responds immediately when we need them. Their expertise in 3D digital data capture has been a tremendous asset to us. The technology they apply is as accurate as it gets.”