3D scanner working parameters : influence on an accuracy of mechanical vehicle element reproduction

In recent years, the reconstruction based on existing physical objects, plays an increasingly important role in research and everyday life. With the advancement of modern industry, more and more often, including automotive industry, modelling and deformation techniques of objects, based on reverse engineering, are used. One of such example is the reproduction of the geometry of motor vehicles using 3D scans. Damages of motor vehicles, cause local changes in the shape of the product and their size and character are directly related to the occurred reaction. However, to assess the damage extent and qualify the object for further repair, it is necessary thoroughly to know the condition of the object after the damage to select the appropriate technology and repair method. This is the case for reverse engineering, and 3D scanning using structural light. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the parameters of the 3D scanner on the accuracy of reconstructing the geometry of the selected vehicle element – the rear door of the Skoda Octavia in two variants, non-deformed and deformed. The dimensions of door exceeded the range of the largest measuring area of used 3D scanner, so it was necessary to use the photogrammetric technique in order to generate a point model of the object that was used to compose the individual scans. Measurements were made with different measuring areas: 1000 x 800 x 800 mm, 500 x 400 x 400 mm and 250 x 250 x 200 mm. For the base field, 500 x 400 x 400 mm, several measurements were repeated in order to determine repeatability.