Z Corporation Unveils World’s Most Affordable Portable 3D Laser Scanner

BURLINGTON, Mass., USA, Sept. 15, 2009 – Z Corporation today introduced the world’s most affordable portable 3D laser scanner, providing high-resolution 3D data capture to a broad base of users at an economical price.

The ZScanner® 600 extends Z Corporation’s fast-growing line of uniquely handheld, self-positioning scanners, which are more portable and easier to use than traditional 3D scanners. ZScanners streamline data capture for reverse engineering, product design, cultural preservation and other applications.

The £22,900 ZScanner 600 combines these advantages with resolution down to 0.1 mm and XY accuracy up to 80 microns, making it the ideally balanced solution for value-conscious users.

The value of portability

Portability in a 3D scanner provides an enormous advantage in ease of use and breadth of application. Z Corporation’s uniquely handheld 3D scanners

eliminate the need for fixed-position tripods, bulky mechanical arms or external positioning devices, all of which make hard-to-reach surfaces like auto interiors nearly impossible to scan. Unlike these cumbersome apparatuses, the ZScanner 600 fits in a “carry-on” suitcase. 

ZScanners capture data in one continuous scan rather than in numerous shots from fixed positions, eliminating hours of post-processing time to integrate static shots into a cohesive scan. ZScan® Lite software, included with the scanner, automatically produces an .stl file for import into a 3D CAD software package or for output to a 3D printer.

To begin a scan, the user picks up the ZScanner handheld unit and "paints" the object with a projected laser crosshair. The surface is recorded by the ZScanner 600's binocular cameras. ZScan software generates a polygon mesh of the surface on the computer screen in real time. And since it is self-orienting and part-referenced, the ZScanner 600 lets the user move the target object during scanning.

Z Corporation handheld 3D scanners have been documented to be four times faster than tripod-mounted systems, which typically require more than 50 individual scans for something as simple as a bicycle helmet.

“The ZScanner 600 is a tremendous addition to our scanning family and one that delivers incredible value, particularly in this challenging economic environment,” said Z Corporation Director of Product Management Joe Titlow. “Our goal with 3D scanners is the same as that of our 3D printers: to make high-end, fast and easy-to-use technology affordable for everyone who needs it.”

Pricing and Availability

The ZScanner 600 is available today through Z Corporation’s reseller network for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of £22,900 GBP.  (Installation, training, shipping, local taxes and duties not included.)

About Z Corporation

Z Corporation makes products that enable users to capture, edit, and print 3D data with unprecedented speed, ease, versatility and affordability. These products include the world’s fastest high-definition 3D printers: machines that produce physical 3D models from digital data in multiple colours, and uniquely portable 3D scanners: handheld machines that digitize 3D surfaces in real time. Z Corp. technology is enabling a wide range of applications in manufacturing, architecture, civil engineering, reverse engineering, geographic information systems (GIS), medicine and entertainment. For the latest news and information from Z Corp., visit www.zcorp.com.

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