Simply 3D opened up a new market opportunity after purchasing a 3D Hand-held Scanner from Hi-Tech Metrology.

Based in Kingston, Queensland, Simply 3D provides a range of end-to-end 3D scanning and 3D printing services. The company was recently engaged by Stangfever International, a local business importing and converting US cars, to perform a conversion on a left-hand-driven 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat to right-hand drive.

Converting a car for right-hand driving can be quite a complex task – one which unfortunately does not merely involve switching parts to the other side! For one, there are a lot of parts involved: for this specific project, Simply 3D’s Director Brad Jack worked on 15 different parts, including the dashboard, AC system, glovebox and centre console. While some can be “mirrored” then fitted in a relatively straightforward manner, others need further adaptation.

Moreover, while there is a demand for such work to be performed, the case-by-case and model-by-model needs will never justify such parts to be mass manufactured in the automotive industry, so the components for right-hand driving will likely never be readily available. The project therefore was conducted as a “proof-of-concept” for Stangfever, one that could bring a digital solution to a very labour-intensive industry.

The Simply 3D mandate was to scan, reverse engineer and print all the components needed to convert the car. The scanning task was performed using a Creaform portable 3D scanner, Jack describes the Creaform scanner as “a great product”, which has made it possible to “create an entire new market” for the tuning industry, one that “didn’t exist before… for custom and aftermarket automotive parts”.

The project aimed to achieve three things: reducing the production lead time; cutting production costs; and improving overall quality. Needless to say, the finished Aussie-ready Challenger easily ticked all three boxes, revealing an interesting new market opportunity. According to Jack, the portable 3D scanner pulled everything together due to its ease of use and speed.

“This project was not possible without the scanner,” he explained. “I simply couldn’t have processed the plethora of parts that I received in either a timely or cost-effective manner.”

www.simply3d.com.au
www.hitechmetrology.com.au