Quality Control & Inspection driving the Demand for 3D Metrology

Apoorva Verma, technology analyst, MarketsandMarkets explains the drivers of the fast growing 3D metrology market

The rapidly growing 3D metrology market mainly focuses on quality control to capture large volumes of three-dimensional data for modelling and analysis. The captured data is then shared with production scheduling, design, purchasing, and many other manufacturing company functions to ensure the accuracy of manufactured products. Other drivers of the 3D metrology market include the increasing focus on quality control and the inability of traditional measurement devices to address several manufacturing-related issues

Quality control is an integral part of the production process as it helps ensure the smooth functioning of production without incurring any extra cost. Under quality control and inspection, 3D metrology is used for alignment, CAD-based inspection, dimensional analysis, and machine calibration, among other purposes. Manufacturers follow a robust inspection process to control quality.

They use 3D metrology for accurate 3D scanning and inspection analysis to take corrective action without slowing down the production. 3D metrology is also used to check misalignments that can cause machine downtime and affect machine performance. 3D metrology enables part inspection and dimensional analysis of machine parts to verify their accuracy and quality, and prevent costly scrap and rework later.

Moreover, the growing IIoT market further drives the demand for 3D metrology for automation. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) helps accelerate automation and in-line metrology adoption. Therefore, the market for 3D metrology software is expected to witness major growth between 2017 and 2023. The increasingly growing demand for software is driven by the use of robotic arms and sensors and the growing focus on speed, precision, and actionable insights from the burgeoning data generated after scanning. As newer technologies, noncontact inspection, and big data analysis drive the growth of the 3D metrology software market, the applications of this technology vary from inspection to analysis and reverse engineering.

The adoption of automated technologies has revolutionized the manufacturing sector. The evolution of smart factories is leading to the growing demand for automated 3D metrology systems. Robots used in manufacturing plants are now being integrated with optical microscopy to provide real-time analysis of the measurement-related data. As development of advanced automated 3D metrology systems is the primary focus of 3D metrology equipment manufacturers, they are restructuring their research and development activities. The growth of the automotive sector is expected to create growth opportunities for 3D metrology process control and automated 3D metrology solutions.

Automotive Industry to Adopt High Level of Precision Intelligence

3D metrology is mainly used in the automotive industry for accuracy and precision checks of all areas of the vehicle plant and for the inspection of automotive components, powertrain components, and full body. The automotive industry has been increasingly using optical measurement systems and coordinates measuring machines instead of conventional strain gauges, accelerometers, transducers, and extensometers for improving the safety and comfort level of the vehicle. 3D metrology is increasingly being adopted in architecture and construction owing to the integration of 3D scanning technology with software, such as computer-aided design (CAD), to help in the building information modelling (BIM) process to minimize the building design time and overall cost. The growing demand for handheld and tripod-mounted structured light 3D scanners is expected to drive the growth of the optical digitizer scanner (ODS) market mainly for the indoor 3D scanning application.

FIGURE 1 AUTOMOTIVE Industry expected to hold the largest size of the 3d METROLOGY market between 2015 and 2022

Asia Pacific to Witness Significantly High Growth in the 3D Scanner Market

The 3D metrology scanner market in Asia Pacific is expected to grow at the highest rate in the next few years owing to the high economic growth witnessed by major countries in the region such as China and India. The key countries in APAC include Japan, China, India, and South Korea. Moreover, some of the major manufacturers in the 3D metrology market, such as Nikon Corporation (Japan), Advantest Corporation (Japan), and Mitutoyo Corporation (Japan), are based in Asia Pacific. Rest of Asia Pacific includes countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Market Restraints and Challenges:

The high cost incurred in setting up the 3D metrology facility and the lack of expertise to handle 3D metrology systems efficiently are among the major restraints for the growth of this market. Manufacturers either set up a 3D metrology facility or outsource the services required to incorporate 3D metrology in the product development and production chains. The costs associated with setting up a metrology department make it difficult to achieve the targeted ROI that fits within a business plan. High costs are incurred for the purchase of 3D metrology tools, maintenance and calibration of metrology tools, hiring and regular training of metrologists, and metrology software maintenance and updates.

Moreover, 3D metrology equipment requires a high level of technical expertise depending upon the vertical and the type of products and components being measured for analysis or inspection. Moreover, there are only a limited number of 3D metrology experts available due to the lack of training centers or industry-specific certification courses. Another factor that affects the 3D metrology market is that the employees in manufacturing companies have traditionally handled conventional coordinate measuring machines and lack the technical information regarding new technologies.