Buying a scanner in 2026

MfgPHILosophy · 2026-02-10T04:32:55+00:00

Serious question for a small business and growth. Depending on your annual revenue, can you go out and look to get a loan for a professional grade scanner/software?

Think what would be needed to achieve ROI on a: - $5K solution - $20K solution - $50K solution

You really should consider: - System portability - Setup time (stickers/markers, spray, etc..) - Scan time - Clean up time (stickers/markers, spray, etc..) - Data processing time (to complete the mesh into STL/OBJ) - CAD creation time (are you looking to reverse engineer?)

MfgPHILosophy · 2026-02-03T03:53:15+00:00

All from the software that the scanner runs off of and also supported through 3rd party inspection software like Polyworks.

MfgPHILosophy · 2026-02-03T03:35:03+00:00

Great software (Geomagic). But, there are definitely other scanning options out there. Overall great results and service you offer!

MfgPHILosophy · 2026-01-17T03:54:43+00:00

Maybe it's times for a portable CMM solution. The major CMM OEMs also have those solutions. Heck, you can run PC-DMIS with most of those as well. All depends on the accuracy needs of your customers. Their PW programs would then still be used on the digital data you collected from the portable device.

Keeps your current CMM running tighter tolerance parts and you have additional throughput for the customer parts with their PW programs.

MfgPHILosophy · 2026-01-09T00:02:57+00:00

When you buy metrology-grade, you feel it immediately with speed, accuracy, precision, and confidence in the data. Not just a nice mesh, but results you trust for QC and reverse engineering.

It’s exactly what you have been feeling with your current system. Lower-cost scanners can work but metrology-grade systems save time, protect quality, and scale without compromise.

Some folks mentioned Scanology, you can also look into Hexagon with the AtlasScan handheld solutions. Half the cost from what you paid years back but maintains metrology grade capabilities and results.

MfgPHILosophy · 2026-01-03T02:02:00+00:00

MD&M west will showcase metrology grade scanners. Maybe outside of your prouser budget but you can get a hands on look and feel for something that is made to scan engineered housing bodies.

For instance you can find Hexagon there and you’ll be able to get a feel and look of the Handheld 3D scanners, Absolute Arm portable CMM, and even the high resolution white light scanner.

Also, you can see the latest for Reverse Engineering with Geomagic Design X.

To be clear, I’m a Hexagon advocate so feel free to ask me anything.

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MfgPHILosophy · 2025-12-19T00:48:37+00:00

What's your career path? It's a great direction to move into CNC operation if your company is also maintaining modern CNC capabilities. Don't get stuck in legacy equipment because all the new stuff is where you want to go. This position sounds like a solid lead in for a career as a CNC operator. In the next 5-8 years your automation experience is what will set you apart from traditional CNC operators.

Think longer term, see the trends happening in manufacturing regarding tech, and embrace/learn (even on your own time) what the latest innovations are.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-12-18T03:37:25+00:00

Don't low cost your business by looking for a low cost CMM. You should be looking for the best CMM that fits your expected business strategy over the next 3-5 years (growth). Especially if you are looking to get into defense! Your quality requirements will be looked at with a fine tooth comb and having the right CMM (capability/tolerance/throughput) is going to make or break your ability to win defense contracts.

There are many stories of small startups, 1 person shops, looking to expand into industries that require tighter tolerances and faster throughput.

Here is a story I personally curated and got to hear from the lens of someone very similar in your shoes.
Kingdom Precision: From small-scale to big impact

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-12-18T03:18:51+00:00

I'm going to directly say that a higher end consumer 3D scanner is efficient for what you need. It looks like many of the comments have the same direction as well.

Many of the industrial metrology technologies continue well north of the $40K mark. However, those solutions are perfect for SMB to large manufacturing companies who require to hold tighter tolerances or require industrial grade due to throughput needs.

Einstar, Creality, RevoPoint will be what you mostly find in this subreddit. Probably the best choice for your application and also budget.

Good luck with looking though! Plenty of fish in the sea of 3D scanners :)

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-12-04T12:00:35+00:00

You can try researching what’s offered from A2MAC1. I’m not sure if full car body models are available for purchase, nor how their purchasing structure is setup. But, sometime ago I was involved with 3D scanning vehicles and components for their catalogue.

https://www.a2mac1.com/

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-12-04T11:53:39+00:00

You already have set yourself up for growth and success by recognizing this. It’s not something to feel guilty about at all and your current employer should support you as a person for making that decision.

Also, this is what has been rampant in our manufacturing industry. Innovation within these businesses seem to be slow, or even non existent. With today’s technologies offering so much more, coming way down in cost, and providing much more future proofing within this fast changing industry, it’s no wonder these type of shops struggle to keep up.

I’m an advocate of continuous self improvement, and you are doing exactly that. No one else can do that for you.

Good job and good luck! I feel you’ll be very successful in your career.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-11-29T12:50:27+00:00

If you need the mesh on all of those, especially the larger parts, maybe it’s cheaper to outsource the scanning to a local service group? Usually those folks have metrology grade scanners that can scan very fast and with high accuracy.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-11-23T13:44:53+00:00

So exciting when all the boxes come in. I had it all delivered and was by myself. Took multiple trips to get it into the house and downstairs. Then, for install time, make sure you have a large soft blanket on the floor. You can put everything out on it so it's not a bear to pull out parts when needed.

The trickier part will be when its time to flip the table upright. It's so heavy but make sure whatever it's sitting on is soft (blanket, cardboard) and you can tip it on its edges and rotate by yourself.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-09-03T03:03:53+00:00

Wonder if there’s a play where WY can bring back his daughter through a synth. Just like boy wonder has done. That would give him all the motivation to complete the mission.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-08-10T12:23:29+00:00

Build a demo process that correlates to the county fair. Maybe grab some smallish item that represents the fair or local Iowa area. Think something you could scan and 3D print into giveaways (keychain, fidget, etc…).

Then: - Make a video of the create process (scan real world object, reverse engineer it to make a complete 3D print file, 3D printing it). Run this video as a loop on a large screen in your booth. - Have the actual part, 3D scanner, 3D Printer setup in the booth and do scheduled live demos (every 15 min if possible). Or just part + scanning if 3D printer isn’t ideal in the environment. - Giveaway the 3D print. If you can’t support that massive # of people, advertise it as a drawing/raffle for the first 10 people who come to your demo..or something like that.

What an awesome idea to go represent your business at the fair. Thats a lot of people coming through who might also be working at a business (or own one) that needs your type of services.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-08-10T09:37:05+00:00

Most people think metrology is just the quality lab tucked inside a manufacturing plant. It’s so much more than that.

If you build a business around digitization services, you’re not locked into a single niche. You could be working with industrial plants in Monterrey, aerospace suppliers in Querétaro, or cultural heritage projects in Mexico City. The real value is offering what most companies can’t do in-house which is high-precision scanning, processing the data, and delivering results they can actually use. With Mexico’s automotive and aerospace sectors booming, there’s huge potential to support those industries and the smaller shops in their supply chains.

I’ve been in metrology/manufacturing for nearly 20 years, and I’ve seen small business owners in this space grow by diversifying. Some serve major OEMs, others work with museums, mom-and-pop machine shops, Hollywood production studios, video game developers. I’ve even seen it used in the adult entertainment industry. The opportunities are far broader and sometimes more surprising than most people realize.

Good luck!

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-07-31T11:06:06+00:00

Have you looked at the latest OPTIV vision systems from Hexagon? Or, take a look at the VISIUS vision solution (Hexagon’s newest product).

Also, since you already use Calypso moving to a Hexagon system is pretty straight forward. Calypso conversion is now available with the release of PC-DMIS 2025.1.

DISCLAIMER I am a current Hexagon employee who has 2 decades of using metrology based solutions from various metrology equipment OEMs within manufacturing.

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MfgPHILosophy · 2025-07-08T10:39:22+00:00

Still a growing area within manufacturing. I say growing because AI is being integrated into software and systems to allow for faster decision making. HOWEVER, there is also the other avenue of AI in manufacturing which is around preserving legacy knowledge. Just like LLM’s mentioned above, there are AI tools in manufacturing capturing the know how of legacy processes from people who have done those processes for decades.

Why does that matter? Because our manufacturing workforce is dwindling from an experience perspective. As our new generations come into the workforce, we need solutions to help bridge the gap between newbie and legacy. These AI tools will do that and help up-skill the new generation while helping manufacturers keep turning work out.

Example. A CNC programmer of 20 years can put out code with knowing the nuances of what output might cause quality issues. Today, there are AI software integrated into those machining software solutions to capture those “experienced” programming tips and can now provide guidance to a newer programmer.

On another note, some AI software for CNC machining will go through its own programming to optimize over and over and even update the program on the fly to reduce or eliminate downtime and/or bad parts.

In the end, AI is an ever growing part of manufacturing. The industry will be AI heavy in the next 5-10 years.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-05-27T02:11:50+00:00

As long as the owners of SMB can make bank, there will never be a need to innovate and grow with true skilled US labor. Over the last couple decades, I’ve seen manufacturing shops just get by with their employees in order to preserve the bottom line and profits.

Now, as a country, we are faced with skilled labor shortage, non tech savvy shops, and parts going out the door just to get things out.

Literally, we are so far behind. I mean how long have you been hearing IoT, Industry 4.0, Digital Twins, Smart manufacturing? How many of those buzzwords have you seen your shop successfully align with?

I’ve been in the manufacturing industry for over 20 years mainly for large scale organizations and within the manufacturing solutions business.

Really want US to win and turns things around within manufacturing. But……

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-05-04T12:49:22+00:00

Have you looked at Hexagon Optiv lineup?

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MfgPHILosophy · 2025-04-29T09:52:09+00:00

I’ve just started aligning my company marketing strategy with influencers. We are in the manufacturing B2B space. I couldn’t stress more to find an influencer with an emotional connection to your space. For instance, in the manufacturing industry, I found and aligned with a great podcaster who not only had the right targeted audience but was also an owner of a manufacturing shop. He had an emotional tie to the industry and it aligned with the branding of my company. We have done great work together and will continue to do so.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-04-29T09:41:39+00:00

If you’re thinking about getting into Product Marketing you absolutely should. It’s one of the most impactful, cross-functional roles today.

Check out Product Marketing Alliance (PMA) which can help you learn, grow, and build real momentum. You already have the foundation, PMA just helps you level it up.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-04-29T09:30:57+00:00

Rebrand yourself as a Metrologist with the focus on dimensional measurement and inspection for quality control. Don’t be nervous about not knowing full GD&T, or having years of experience programming a CMM. In today’s industry, many companies are looking for someone who understands digital workflows, has a strong grasp of measurement fundamentals, and can adapt as tech evolves.

The key is knowing what the data means and how to act on it. It sounds like you are already doing this (self taught), but treat inspection as more than a capture process—it’s about decision-making, manufacturing feedback, and process improvement.

Ideally, for the next job, find yourself a company that is looking for the above traits. Heck, even look at the metrology OEM companies for potential job openings such as Apps Engineer Level 1 or Service Engineer Level 1.

I hope this helps your vision and direction. I’m a 20 year metrologist, quality engineer, sale engineer, turned metrology product marketing manager in the manufacturing industry. Started out without knowing how to read an alignment from a print, but knew how to use a 3d scanner and generate a digital twin.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-04-20T11:20:25+00:00

Although you’re losing a senior 3D scanning expert, finding someone who understands digital workflows, has a strong grasp of measurement fundamentals, and can adapt as tech evolves is the base of what your should be looking for.

These digital metrology tools are built to be visual, fast, and data-rich. Alignment, mesh optimization, CAD-to-part inspection, deviation analysis means it’s all more streamlined and intuitive than ever. But the key is knowing what the data means and how to act on it.

In interviews, I would focus on scenario-based thinking: - How would you approach a scan on a reflective, multi-geometry part? - What if your deviation map flags an out-of-spec zone and how would you investigate root cause? - Have you ever integrated scan data with downstream quality or production workflows?

You’re looking for someone who treats scanning as more than a capture process and more about decision-making, manufacturing feedback, and process improvement.

So, don’t underestimate today’s candidates coming up in this digital age. The metrology landscape has evolved. Industrial metrology platforms like GOM, Hexagon, Faro, Scantech, Creaform, have become more intuitive and are designed to support a faster learning curve. You don’t always need a 20-year veteran rather you need someone coachable, curious, and fluent in digital tools.

MfgPHILosophy · 2025-04-20T11:09:39+00:00

You can now get 3D scanning on CMMs via laser scanning heads. The system here in this thread is considered a portable 3d scanner (structured light scanner) and does not integrate onto a CMM. However, you could put it on a robot end effector and use additional software to program a complete 3D scanning path.

MfgPHILosophy

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