Portable CMM firm’s TRUaccuracy measurement technology not impacted by vibrations in shop floor conditions
Portable 3D measurement technology and engineering firm, Creaform, said Wednesday sales are up 41 percent in the first six months of 2013.
Creaform CEO Martin Lamontagne said: “We have invested a lot of resources into developing a broad portfolio of portable and accurate measurement technologies that enable QC inspectors to take measurements right on the shop floor, and all indicates that our efforts are paying off.”
Lamontagne said if the trend continues into the third and fourth quarters, Creaform will exceed its C$52.5 million (US$54 million) sales objective for 2013.
The 10-year-old, Levis, Quebec-based company’s products and services – 3D scanning, reverse engineering, quality control, non-destructive testing, product development and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) – target the automotive, aerospace, consumer products, heavy industries, manufacturing, oil and gas and power generation industries.
Creaform’s scanning products include:
- Handyscan 3D portable, self-positioning 3D scanners
- HandyPROBE optical portable CMM
- MetraSCAN 3D optical CMM scanners
- MetraSCAN-R robot-mounted version
- Go!SCAN 3D white light scanner
Scanner sales
Creaform said sales of Handyscan 3D scanners, described as the only portable, metrology-grade scanners on the market, increased 32 percent in the first half of 2013, compared to the same period last year.
Sales of MetraSCAN 3D scanners and HandyPROBE portable CMMs jumped 58 percent in H1 2013. Both devices feature Creaform’s TRUaccuracy, the high-accuracy measurement technology behind all its 3D optical measurement products, which is not impacted by vibrations in shop floor conditions. Creaform said the HandyPROBE is particularly efficient at measuring parts that can’t be moved to a granite or cast iron table.
Creaform launched its robot-mounted, 3D scanner, MetraSCAN-R, for automated inspection in May. Lamontagne said several major manufacturers are showing interest in the new product, “and we are expecting that to translate into sales during the second half of the year.”
Creaform said sales of its Go!SCAN 3D white light scanner, its fastest and easiest to use 3D scanner, “exceeds our expectations” since its release in October.
Stéphane Auclair, vice president of marketing, told SPAR that Creaform’s heavy investing in product development is based on the market’s growing awareness of laser scanning.
“I think 3D scanning, as a whole, is not mature now, but everybody is aware of the technology and the benefits it delivers,” Auclair said, pointing out the oil and gas industries are particularly catching on to the advantages of scanning.
Global sales ‘impressive’
Worldwide, sales “show an impressive year-on-year growth” in the Americas, EMEA and APAC, Creaform reported. Auclair said overall sales are split nearly evenly between the three regions.
The company employs more than 325 people worldwide, and has offices in Montréal, the United States, France, Germany, China, India and Japan. Auclair said Creaform is actively working to grow its presence in Latin America and Brazil.
