Infipoints: The Potential of Point Cloud Data – Expanding Applications

Rajendran

In recent years, advancements in point cloud handling technology have led to a diverse array of tools in the market. Amid the ongoing digital transformation, the integration of 3D scanning and point cloud technologies has empowered the implementation of robust engineering solutions and revolutionized processes like Scanning to CAD, BIM, and CAE. 

Benefits of Point Clouds

The primary advantage of employing point cloud technology lies in the digitization of physical objects. Utilizing 3D scanners simplifies the process of converting physical objects into point cloud data as a more straightforward and cost-effective approach compared to creating digital data from scratch using CAD or CG software. Another key benefit is the precision of reproducibility. 3D scanners enable the creation of accurate 3D digital data by capturing physical objects. This is particularly useful in cases where manual reproduction in CAD/CG software would be challenging.

Expanding Applications of Point Cloud Utilization 

Digitalization of Products and Parts in Manufacturing

Over the years, point cloud technology has become a crucial asset in the manufacturing sector. One of its typical applications is generating data for simulating automotive parts or electronic components using Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE). Additionally, 3D scanning is employed to create part or mold data and inspect produced components by comparing them to the original digital data.

In these instances, scanned point cloud data must undergo transformation into polygon and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) models, commonly referred to as reverse engineering. The challenge lies in generating highly accurate CAD data from a point cloud, especially in areas where no points have been captured or where there is unevenness in the points. Even with acceptable point cloud quality, creating CAD surfaces from the coordinate information of each point is not an easy process.

Elysium CADdoctor, available through the Altair Partnership Alliance, offers automated CAD model generation from point clouds. CADdoctor excels at transforming scanned data into a usable Boundary Representation (B-Rep) model. Should issues arise with your source point cloud or polygon data, CADdoctor has the capability to heal and optimize your data for precise results. Its reverse engineering features can automatically identify fillets and other elements, ensuring the delivery of high-quality surfaces.

In the realm of CAE, there is a growing demand for quick and straightforward generation of models for simulation. The reverse engineering function of CADdoctor generates Brep models from scanned parts, providing efficient solutions to prepare models for CAE simulation. 

Digitalization of Large Buildings and Structures

The trend of 3D scanning for large buildings and structures is on the rise, serving various purposes such as planning factory layouts, implementing facility changes, creating accurate as-built drawings, and verifying evacuation routes and work pathways. Often, existing buildings, factories, and infrastructures lack comprehensive drawings, and even when available, they might be partial or outdated due to daily on-site modifications or changes. Capturing point clouds through 3D scanning emerges as an effective solution, swiftly and accurately digitizing the actual state of diverse environments, including manufacturing facilities, commercial buildings, plants, bridges, roads, and infrastructure facilities. 

Introducing Elysium InfiPoints, the latest release tailored for Altair Partnership Alliance users, providing a comprehensive solution to address these challenges. InfiPoints adeptly processes billions of points within point cloud data, automatically extracting geometries for modeling elements like planes, pipes, ducts, and steel. InfiPoints streamlines the process, ensuring efficiency and accuracy in capturing complex structures and layouts. 

Scan to BIM Use Case 

The integration of 3D Scanners and InfiPoints has revolutionized the process of equipment and facilities replacement/installation work. In the traditional approach, creating as-built drawings involved manual efforts based on on-site physical measurements. Even when existing drawings were available, they often proved inaccurate or failed to align with the actual equipment due to years of modifications. On-site physical measurements, particularly in high or inaccessible areas, were both time and cost-intensive, necessitating the use of scaffolds. 

The innovative approach, leveraging 3D Scanners, InfiPoints, and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software, has resulted in a substantial reduction in the time required for replacement/installation work. InfiPoints preprocesses point cloud data, facilitating precise measurements of distances and angles within the virtual environment. It extracts planar and cylindrical geometry from the point cloud, automatically generating CAD models for equipment and piping systems that seamlessly integrate into BIM software. 

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