How 3D Scanning Helped Customize Excavation Machinery Faster and More Accurately
Challenge: Customizing large, complex industrial equipment for specific project needs – in this case, attaching a longer hydraulic arm to extend the machinery’s overall reach.
Solution: Artec Leo, Artec Ray II, Artec Studio
Result: A complete 3D model of the original machinery, captured with sufficient accuracy for measurement, reverse engineering, and modification to allow for excavation at scale.
Why Artec 3D?: While Leo picks up tiny intricate details, Ray II captures the wider picture. Together, these devices are a formidable combination, capable of digitizing large objects or entire areas at speed, with high-resolution feature capture where it counts.
At the heart of every major construction project are the machines doing the heavy work — excavators, tractors, and other large vehicles. For engineers and designers tasked with modifying this equipment to meet unique project demands, traditional measurement methods can be slow, risky, and imprecise. That’s where 3D scanning comes in.
Challenging modification project: extending the reach of a heavy excavator’s hydraulic arm. The machine, more than 10 meters long and featuring complex internal structures, needed to be fully captured in digital form before design, simulation, and modification could begin.
The Challenge: Capturing a Giant, Complex Machine
For this project, precision and scale were both critical. Capturing every surface — from large structural components to fine details like stairs and handrails — would have been slow and difficult using traditional tools like calipers or tape measures. Some areas, such as the underside and high boom, were hard to reach and posed safety concerns.
To meet these challenges, Artec combined two powerful Artec scanners: Artec Leo and Artec Ray II. This hybrid approach brought together short-range detail capture with long-range scanning capability, making it possible to digitize the entire machine efficiently and at high quality.
Why Use Artec Leo + Ray II?
Artec Leo is a handheld 3D scanner with an integrated display, processor, and battery, ideal for capturing intricate features and complex surfaces. Leo excels at detailed scanning of areas like handrails, cabin interiors, and tracks. Artec Ray II, on the other hand, offers long-range, high-accuracy scanning — perfect for the full volume of the machine, especially hard-to-reach elevated parts.
Together, they allowed the team to:
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Digitize the entire excavator without compromising accuracy or scale.
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Scan from all necessary viewpoints safely, including the underside and elevated components.
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Capture detailed geometry where it mattered most, such as stairs and railings.
For example, instead of requiring multiple separate scans and markers, the team used Ray II to quickly capture large areas and Leo for detailed sections — such as stairs — where fine geometry was crucial. This workflow minimized scanning time and post-processing effort.
Seamless Data Integration in Artec Studio
Once all scan data was captured, the real power came from Artec Studio software. Its Smart Fusion feature automatically combines data from different scanners, selecting the highest-resolution information available and creating a clean, unified 3D model.
In this project, Smart Fusion helped:
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Align and merge large-scale scans with detailed datasets without targets or arduous manual registration.
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Reduce massive raw data — which could have been over 50 GB — into a compact, usable mesh suitable for design and CAD workflows.
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Export ready-to-use meshes in formats like OBJ and STL for further engineering, analysis, and modification.
The team also appreciated features like scan decimation (which trims unnecessary polygons) and intuitive measurement workflows, making it simple to derive precise dimensions straight from the 3D model.
Results: Faster, Safer, and More Accurate Customization
By integrating Artec Leo and Ray II, the team delivered a comprehensive digital twin of the excavator, enabling:
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Accurate measurement and reverse engineering for modification design.
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Efficient data processing with significantly smaller file sizes.
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High-resolution, real-world 3D models ready for CAD, simulation, or manufacturing.
This approach not only saved time but also eliminated much of the risk and guesswork associated with manual measurements. When sharing results with clients, the ability to easily align scans and manipulate geometry in software impressed even experienced engineers and designers.
Why This Matters for Rapid Scan 3D Clients
This project highlights how combining the right scanning tools can transform industrial workflows — especially when accuracy, scale, and speed are key. For applications such as heavy equipment modification, reverse engineering, or custom part design, using a hybrid scanning approach with Artec technology empowers teams to work smarter and deliver better outcomes.
If you’re looking to optimize your own scanning workflows or tackle complex projects efficiently, Rapid Scan 3D offers the tools, training, and support to help you succeed.
Reference:
Visit Artec 3D Website for original article https://www.artec3d.com/cases/excavation-machinery-customization
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