How additive manufacturing and 3D scanning can help you improve product quality and stay competitive

Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is driving significant change in industrial production. By enabling complex, lightweight, and custom components, AM unlocks design possibilities previously impossible with traditional manufacturing. Yet, these benefits hinge on precise quality control, where 3D scanning becomes indispensable.

In highly demanding industries like aerospace, where every gram matters, precision is critical. Achieving lightweight designs with additive manufacturing requires rethinking structures, geometries, and processes. By pairing AM with advanced 3D scanning, manufacturers can ensure first-time-right production, minimise waste, and combine components for improved sustainability.

How can manufacturers leverage AM and 3D scanning to gain a competitive edge? Let’s take a look, with reference to some real-world case studies.

What is additive manufacturing?

Unlike traditional subtractive manufacturing, which removes material to form parts, AM builds components layer by layer from a digital design. This approach allows engineers to:

• Optimise geometries
• Reduce material usage
• Combine multiple parts into single integrated components

Additive Manufacturing is not a single technology; it encompasses over 30 distinct methods, each with unique applications, materials, and energy requirements. While AM often reduces material waste, some methods use high-energy lasers or heat sources, which may offset environmental gains. Engineers must evaluate these trade-offs, considering energy consumption, material sourcing, and lifecycle benefits.

When executed correctly, AM enables designs that are lighter, stronger, and more functionally integrated than traditional alternatives, offering measurable efficiency and sustainability advantages.

Why quality control is essential

Additive Manufacturing’s precision depends on rigorous quality control. Without it, defects, dimensional inaccuracies, or material inconsistencies can undermine even the most innovative designs.

This is especially critical in highly regulated industries such as aerospace, defence, medical, and automotive.

The introduction of 3D scanning bridges the gap between digital models and physical components. It captures high-resolution 3D data, allowing engineers to compare manufactured parts against CAD designs with exceptional accuracy. The traceable data a 3D scanner provides supports compliance, certification, and continuous improvement.

The role of 3D scanning in AM

As AM components grow increasingly complex, traditional inspection methods fall short. Scanning provides a comprehensive solution, delivering micron-level precision with structured light or laser technology. It not only captures intricate geometries with exceptional accuracy, but also provides valuable feedback for iterative improvements, enabling engineers to refine designs and production processes. This approach supports first-time-right production, reducing costly trial-and-error and accelerating time-to-market.

For instance, in an air separator project with a leading aerospace supplier, a Hexagon SmartScan VR800 structured light scanner validated the final component, confirming tolerances within ±0.25 millimetres. This level of precision ensures functionality and safety in aerospace applications. By integrating 3D scanning early and throughout the AM process, manufacturers achieve a closed-loop quality system that guarantees repeatable, high-quality results.

Case study: Optimising sheet metal production with AM

As a leading provider of custom production lines for sheet metal processing, WEMO faced the challenge of improving the efficiency of production for a complex 22-part assembly with long lead times and high manufacturing costs. By partnering with the Additive Center in Eindhoven, they looked into how additive manufacturing could improve their processes. They focused on using smarter machine components, incorporating lighter parts, and rethinking designs to improve productivity.

Using Hexagon’s Simufact Additive for simulation and a SmartScan VR800 for high-precision quality control, WEMO achieved:

• Reduction from 22 parts to one integrated component
• 60% weight reduction
• Lead times cut from months to weeks
• Material and assembly costs lowered
• Generative design optimised and verified to meet strict specifications

Case study: Aerospace air separator

In aerospace, even the smallest deviation can affect safety and performance. Faced with the challenge of creating a lighter, more efficient air separator, engineers turned to AM combined with high-precision 3D scanning.

The goal was to reduce the component’s weight by half, simplify assembly, and meet strict aerospace tolerances, all while improving sustainability.

Through generative design, the team created an optimised structure that balanced strength and weight, while simulations ensured it could withstand real-world loads before production began. Once manufactured, structured light 3D scanning confirmed dimensional accuracy to within ±0.25 mm, ensuring compliance with aerospace standards.

The results exceeded expectations:

• 75% weight reduction, exceeding the initial 50% target
• Over 30 parts consolidated into one integrated component
• 246 tonnes of CO₂ savings projected across the aircraft’s lifecycle

Sustainability and decentralised production

AM combined with 3D scanning offers a more sustainable and localised approach to manufacturing. By optimising designs, AM reduces material waste and energy use, making production more efficient. Consolidating parts into single components also simplifies assembly, cutting down on potential failure risks.

Decentralised manufacturing means components can be produced locally, on demand, which reduces transport emissions and strengthens supply chains. This approach leads to more flexible, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible manufacturing for both companies and communities.

What this means for manufacturers

Additive manufacturing is a proven way to improve precision, cut costs, and drive sustainability in production. By integrating 3D scanning into additive manufacturing workflows, manufacturers can:

• Guarantee high-quality, reliable, and traceable results, even in highly regulated sectors
• Optimise design and performance for safety-critical applications
• Reduce material waste and emissions while consolidating parts

Watch Hexagon in action and see how 3D scanning ensures first-time-right production:

Curious to explore how this could work for your production? Reach out to us.

Our special thanks go to Additive Center, AM-Flow, and K3D for their collaboration and support in making this video possible.