Large items such as yachts, aeroplanes and cars – with areas that are difficult to access and tricky surfaces – are usually measured with handheld scanners or portable laser trackers. Often, the aim is to optimise speed and fuel consumption.
If the surfaces are shiny or transparent, these must first be made visible to the scanner. This is done with scanning sprays which mat the shiny surfaces. For this purpose, the scanning spray AESUB green is now available which is specially designed for large-sized components. It is applied quickly and effectively using a spray gun. A further advantage is that the applied spray layer sublimates automatically after a few hours, so the sprayed parts do not have to undergo time-consuming and/or expensive cleaning.
More speed on the water
“The best bit: no cleaning afterwards.”
For several years now, Max Gurgel has been sailing in match races, boat versus boat contests, and knows what counts. This isn’t just about strategy and tactics – the several-times German champion and vice European champion also knows about the optimisation potential for different boat types. With his company Vmax Yachting, he ensures the boats operate at maximum speed.
With a laser scan, the underwater hull of a regatta yacht was scanned and thereby the water resistance determined. With this data, it was possible to develop measures for optimization of the travel speed. The 3D scans also provided Max Gurgel with information about the perfect position of the mast. In addition, the positions of the shrouds, which hold the mast, were recalculated.
When scanning the yacht, it quickly became obvious that because of the high-gloss paint, it was not possible to obtain clean results. For this reason, the reflective surface was matted using the scanning spray. In the past, Max Gurgel worked with conventional scanning sprays. The disadvantage of these is that the surfaces and spraying environment have to be cleaned again after scanning. The cleaning takes about four times as long as the application, in particular because when spraying, some of the spray mist always falls on the surrounding environment. This may be the hangar, the classy boat interior, or the person applying the spray. What is more, many conventional sprays contain titanium dioxide, which is hazardous to health.
Max Gurgel has now switched to the scanning spray AESUB green. The spray, which is designed for large areas, is applied rapidly and effectively with a spray gun. Within just a few minutes, a white, touch-dry matting layer is generated which creates optimum scanning conditions. Even greater than this, however, is the time saving from the AESUB spray’s capacity to sublimate. After six hours, the layer sublimates and the object and its environment are completely clean again. No cleaning is required. Compared with the spray used initially, Max Gurgel saves at least a whole day when scanning large yachts thanks to AESUB green, and is not exposed to any health risks from pigments or titanium dioxide.
Take to the air faster
“The best bit: Reference points adhere to the spray.”
In the aeroplane hangars of the international airport in Breda (Netherlands), a Cessna 441 is being prepared for scanning. Because the runway near the owner is too short, the plan is to reduce the take-off distance of the plane.
Using the data, a precise 3D model of the aeroplane surface is generated and used for a detailed flow analysis. Because reflective and shiny surfaces are difficult to capture with the scanner, first of all the shiny surfaces of the aeroplane were matted. For this purpose, AESUB green was applied rapidly using a spray gun. Once the spray had dried, the users had a time window of at least six hours to scan the aeroplane before the matting sublimated.
Using the data determined, measures are to be developed for optimising the flight behaviour, e.g. through flow stabilisation with the ailerons or winglets on the wings.
Ailerons, moveable flaps on the wings, can increase lift when the aeroplane needs to take off or gain more height. Winglets are raised tips on the aeroplane wings. Their purpose is to reduce the wind resistance at lower speeds during take-off and likewise generate more lift.
Arek Stanowski, from AESUB’s sales partner Invizion, has been involved with the application. Alongside the rapid application and automatic sublimation, he sees a further major advantage of the scanning spray as being that the reference points adhere directly to the spray. Consequently, the points can be placed on the measurement objects after the matting process. Otherwise, time-consuming cleaning of the measuring points would be necessary.
Racing down the road
“The best bit: AESUB spray also adheres to dirty surfaces.”
The underbody plays an important part in a car’s aerodynamics. Any irregularities affect the air resistance, and therefore influence the speed and fuel consumption. The fewer contact surfaces the underbody has, the better the air can flow around the vehicle.
Using 3D scans, Daniel Delcev from Animal Racing, a provider and designer of racing equipment, determines the structure of a car underbody. The aim is to design a smooth, aerodynamic car underbody assembly.
The surfaces of the underbody are dark and hence difficult to scan. In addition, underbodies have many structures and recesses and are also soiled with lubricants, as a result of which the surface appears in part wet and shiny. All of this makes the 3D scan more difficult, so that the surface has to be prepared for the scan. Since the underbody is sprayed working above one’s head, a cordless, spray gun with rechargeable battery is the obvious choice. “The AESUB spray is a good option here, as it also adheres to greasy surfaces which are soiled with lubricants. That makes our work considerably easier”, says Daniel Delcev.
The automatic sublimation of the spray is also important for the Animal Racing Team. “The sublimating scanning spray was a key factor motivating us to purchase a 3D scanner”, reveals Daniel Delcev.
AESUB sprays, sublimating and pigment-free
AESUB is available for a variety of applications with different sublimation times – depending on the spray variant, between 4 and 24 hours.
With the ‘vanishing’ AESUB scanning sprays, parts can be sprayed directly in the area being measured. Within a few hours, a thin, white layer generates high contrast values. The layer thicknesses are between 1µ and 15µm. The matting layer is touch-dry, so that the parts can also be touched and repositioned during the scanning process. Reference points can be placed directly on the layer. They last significantly better than with conventional sprays.
All AESUB scanning sprays are free from titanium dioxide, which is a health hazard.
The vanishing AESUB scanning sprays do not contain any pigments.
About AESUB:
Scanningspray Vertriebs GmbH, Dortmund, founded in 2018, specialises in the development and manufacture of scanning sprays. With an in-depth knowledge of 3D scanning and aerosol generation, the AESUB products are being continuously developed so as to enable faster, more efficient, and more precise 3D scanning processes.
YouTube links:
– Video of yacht: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdjBWXYukMA
– Video of Cessna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1NmAQYL6zE&list=PL99gcFg-695iqwgczgGIfPhIfKJUx9gDW
– Video: Underbody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCCJorbl4-A
Photos: AESUB
