How Long Does a 3D Scan Take to Complete?

How long a 3D scan takes depends on the type of scanner, object complexity, and accuracy masking. As an example, handheld 3D scanners that are typically used in situations such as product design or medical scans can scan a simple object within 5 to 10 minutes. Longer scans for larger or more complex objects may take 30-60 minutes, or longer. A 2022 International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing survey shows that around 70% of professionals who use 3D scanners believe scanner improvement has decreased the average time it takes to do a basic scan by about half over five years.

A popular handheld 3D scanner like REVOPoint 3D scanner can scan small to medium objects in around 10 to 20 minutes. That is a massive improvement over gens past which could approach an hour to scan for similar capabilities. 3D scanners available today, like 0.1mm accuracy devices, not only capture details accurately but also increase the speed of processing without compromise. Such, rapid scanning ability can help industries such as manufacturing and healthcare, where turnaround times must be shortened.

Applications: 3D scanning is an important source of scanning prostheses and implants in medical applications. In a case study where a leading prosthetics company uses a 3D scanner to create a model of the limb for which they are designing the custom prosthetic, earlier it used to take several hours to get it modeled up, now it takes sometimes under 30 minutes. This not only reduced time but also helped in fast prototyping and patient sided well-fitting.

Conversely, for architectural purposes—large buildings and outdoor environments—3D scanning can take considerably more time. The duration of these scans can rage from hours to days, depending on the scale and resolution needed. One specific example is a project in London from around 2020 which involved a scanning and mapping of an older building by means of a 3D scanner. While this took just shy of two-days to execute, it produced such an incredibly detailed model that still contained the minutest details of architectural elements.

Even the environment can have an impact on scanning time. Scanning with optimal lighting in controlled environments and stable conditions accelerates the process, while scanning within free space or open areas will speed up scanning ahead of that with many obstacles present.

In general, a 3D scan for simple objects will take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes; larger and more complex 3D scans can take much longer. Over the past few years, 3D scanning has been faster and much more accurate than before. Read: A 3d scanner [otherwise more details] If you would like to learn about 3D scanning, click here.

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