“We have always moved with this approach of sharing and educating people with what they can unlock with 3D Printing” -Bre Pettis
Now that the team learned about the 1700s cookie press we needed to move onto scanning the mold. 3D scanning in combination with 3D printing now makes it possible to create all sorts of physical objects. This technology has become so advanced that it helps to preserve or restore historic artifacts.
Our team partnered up with ESU (East Stroudsburg University) Art Department. We met up with the department chair, Darlene Farris LaBar, where she showed us the facility and all the equipment they offer to their students. After our tour, she brought us to the equipment we would be using.
What is 3D Scanning?
Some of you might be wondering how 3D scanning exactly works. 3D scanning is non-contact and non-destructive technology. With 3D scanning it’s a way to capture a physical object’s exact size and shape into the ways of the computer world, then it create a digital 3-dimensional file. It’s incredible that these scanners can measure the fine details and can capture the free-forming shapes.
NextEngine 3D Laser Scanner at East Stroudsburg University 3D Lab
How We Scanned the 1700’s Cookie Press
We utilized the NextEngine 3D Laser Scanner to complete this task. This scanner uses a laser line to scan across the object. Through the process the scanner would cast this laser onto the mold. As this laser light reflects off of the 3D scanned mold, those points are then picked up by a sensor.
Afterwards, based on those points this system was able to pick up and detect the laser’s angle throughout the mold. When the 3D scanner has gone around the mold, it has collected enough information from those points, it was able to create a mapping of the object’s surface. This means the information is capable of mapping out the object’s surface and create it into a digital 3D file. Sometimes during the scanning process it can miss some of the areas that were hard to reach creating holes in the file. When we were scanning the the mold we ran into that issue but, we had a solution to fix those areas. We would go in and scan another piece from a different angle so we could capture the areas we were missing.
One of the original Scans of the Cookie Press Mold with holes
Once we completed the various angles of the scan, we would combine them together to get a completed scan of the mold. At this point we got a 3D Scan of the mold and made the file water tight, so we could make final edits and get it ready to print.
Scans of the Cookie Press Mold after combining scans