ALS’s Laser Scanning services offer a rapid scanning solution for various end goals, such as wear analysis, reverse engineering and solid modelling.
When the accurate monitoring for degradation mechanisms such as wear presents a challenge, consider 3D laser scanning. Combining safety, efficiency and accuracy, 3D laser scanning is the solution to address an asset’s challenges head on.
Laser scanning is a highly customisable process used to digitally capture a physical asset. When used for wear analysis, it is typically used to capture both the worn and unworn state of the equipment. The two scans are then overlaid and a dimensional difference analysis is performed, thus indicating wear patterns.
ALS provides 3D laser scanning services for the modelling of the internal and external surfaces of critical plant and equipment. This includes:
- Tanks
- Pipe spools
- Truck trays
- Bins
- Buckets
When captured as a one-time scan, 3D laser scanning can be utilised to:
- Reverse engineer drawings when none are currently available.
- Estimate the volume of internal spaces, such as tanks, to confirm their product capacity.
- Generate 3D solid models for feasibility studies and FEA/CFD analyses.
When used over time, wear evaluation using laser scanning can provide:
- Assessment of wear rates and establish wear patterns of surfaces. This is recommended for ore hoppers, chutes, truck trays and similar wear.
- Post scanning, ALS WearManager service provides 3D reference model comparisons for one off assessment against the original or as found condition.
ALS now also offers remote scanning capabilities by deploying robotic crawlers within hazardous environments. This can significantly reduce time and cost requirements as the space does not have to be made safe for personnel access.
Advantages of 3D Laser Scanning
- Speed as the on-site time is only a fraction of conventional methods.
- Accuracy as the typical tolerance is +/- 2mm.
- Retention of information as digital scan files can be stored and used over time.
The ALS Approach | WearManager
The wear management function is a component of ALS WearManager service, a comprehensive wear management advisory offering that is performed post-scanning, off-site. When the comparison scans for an asset are available, ALS’s engineering services can estimate the expected remaining life of the wearing components and provide a comprehensive wear assessment to support wear liner management if needed.
Beyond the benefits of direct measurement, ALS laser scanning commonly provides efficiency gains and safety benefits. Amongst these benefits are:
- Laser scanning, when used for internal measurements, typically minimises confined space entry requirements and is characteristically non-contact.
- Laser scanning offers high productivity, allowing a number of wearing surfaces of interest to be scanned simultaneously.
- Laser scanning can reduce the cost of inspection of other techniques that may require additional access requirements and manning. It also has low personal requirements.
With increased safety and rapid output potential, the use of laser scanning services is ideal for accurate wear forecasting for a variety of assets.