New T-Scan Plugin for Geomagic Software Supports Customer Demand for Advanced Non-Contact Measurement Systems


(Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA: April 25, 2006) Geomagic®, a worldwide software and services firm headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, announces support for the Steinbichler and Leica T-Scan hand-held laser scanners. The new plugins provide real-time processing of large objects for a flexible and accurate reverse-engineering solution.

The free plugins, available through geomagic.com/support/downloads or directly from Steinbichler, are fully integrated with Geomagic Qualify computer-aided inspection and Geomagic Studio digital reconstruction software.

"With the introduction of a real-time interface for the measurement systems from Steinbichler and Leica, we are offering best-in-class reverse engineering, inspection and other engineering solutions to customers worldwide," says Andrew Stein, vice president of marketing, product management and business development for Geomagic. "This further extends Geomagic software to support the specific needs of our customers in automotive and aerospace industries, and our focus on sheet-metal, powertrain and turbine solutions."

"We are excited that the leading DSSP platform of choice for non-contact measurement systems has invested in research and development to support our T-scan products to satisfy the needs of our mutual customers," says Dr. Marcus Steinbichler, CEO of Steinbichler Optotechnik. "This validates the Steinbichler metrology family and ensures customers will have the premier software solution to serve their PCMM (portable CMM) needs."

The T-Scan high-speed hand-held and portable (unattached) scanner can digitize large objects with speed and efficiency, and without the need for photogrammetric targets or powdering. The plugins integrate the T-Scan scanner with Geomagic software for real-time scanning directly within a unique interface. The T-Probe, Leica's armless touch-probe solution, can also be used with the plug-in.

The Steinbichler and Leica T-Scan plugins for Geomagic software provide capabilities for real-time processing during scanning that include:

o Real-time data acquisition and visualization
o Automatic scan data filtering and ordering as scan data is being captured
o User-defined clipping plane (all data below this plane is clipped)
o All scans in a single coordinate system. This eliminates the need for manual registration and reduces post-scanning processing
o Adjustable noise reduction and sampling controls
o Variable filter angle to remove data not picked up accurately by the scanner and improve surface data quality
o Real-time 3D comparison that provides instant feedback on inspection results during the scanning process

About Geomagic
Geomagic® (www.geomagic.com) software enables engineers and designers to transform scan data from physical objects into highly accurate digital models for applications ranging from ensuring the NASA space shuttle Discovery's safe return, to reconstruction of legacy parts and molds for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, to new processes that speed quality inspection for companies such as Schneider Electric and Howmet/Alcoa. More than 4,000 professionals in industries such as automotive, aerospace, medical devices and consumer products use Geomagic software and services. Geomagic has headquarters in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, and distributors worldwide.

For media information, contact Chuck Hester, APR, director of public relations, Koroberi, Inc. (www.koroberi.com), at (919) 960-9794 ext. 24 or by e-mail at chuck@koroberi.com.

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