Best 3D Scanners Review and Comparison

Hi everyone! We have conducted a series of tests on five popular 3D scanner models to compare their capabilities and specs, and highlight their differences and applications. The comparison involves scanners of various price categories and different scanning principles, including stationary and portable devices using laser and structured light technologies.

  

Scanners compared

To reveal the capabilities of 3D scanners, five objects of various shapes, complexity, and purpose were selected for the study.

3D scanner	Object scanned	Dimensions	Photo
RangeVision PRO	Ring	D = 17 mm
Shining 3D EinScan Pro HD	Bushing	H = 65 mm D = 90 mm
Thor3D Calibry	Angel	L = 145 mm H = 130 mm
Scantech KSCAN20	Disk	D = 300 mm W = 20 mm
Shining 3D EinScan HX	Shaft	L = 260 mm D = 40 mm

Let's look at each of the scanners in detail, considering their pros and cons.

  

RangeVision PRO

The RangeVision PRO is the only stationary scanner in this review. The device has three fields of view, which makes it capable of working with a wide range of products and scanning in a semi-automatic mode on a turntable. So, the scanning of the Ring object was carried out in the 3rd field; Bushing, Shaft, and Angel were scanned in the 2d one; the 1st field was used for Disk.

The practice has shown that scanning of such objects is carried out with hardly any problems, resulting in high-quality scans.

The disadvantages include the need for matting of black and shiny surfaces, as well as the difficulty to scan products with dimensions of more than 1 m.

    

Shining 3D EinScan Pro HD

The Shining 3D EinScan Pro HD is a portable 3D scanner with a wide range of features as well as accessories that greatly expand the capabilities of this device. The main advantage of this scanner is the flexibility of settings during operation. When used in classic mode, the device demonstrates a high scanning speed and covers a wide area. When employing the Industrial Pack, the scanning process turns into a semi-automatic one, but products with dimensions over 300 mm cannot be scanned — they do not fit into the scanning area.

Based on the above-mentioned capabilities of the device, scanning was carried out in two modes: manually — Disk and Shaft, using the Industrial Pack — Ring, Bushing, and Angel.

The main advantages of the Shining 3D EinScan Pro HD are a scanning speed of 3,000,000 points/sec and versatility of the device. The speed results from the scanning technology using structured light and quite a large scanning area.

The disadvantages include an average scanning accuracy compared to the other models (40 μm + 0.3 mm/m³) and the need for matting of products since the scanner has problems with capturing black and shiny surfaces.

The photo below shows an example of using the Industrial Pack.

   

Thor3D Calibry

The Calibry is a handheld wired 3D scanner whose main features are compactness and high speed — 3,000,000 points/sec. As in the model above, this speed is due to the scanning technology based on structured light. The convenience of control is provided by a touch screen located on the handle of the device. Scanning includes capturing the texture of an object. The Calibry is designed to scan products with dimensions of 500 mm and more, for example, to store information about cultural heritage objects and for training.

In our case, an object with such dimensions is Disk. The quality of the scan will be assessed later.

   

Shining 3D EinScan HX

The EinScan HX 3D scanner is a 2020 model from the Shining 3D lineup of hybrid scanners. The device uses two different light sources: blue LED and blue laser. This combination makes the scanner a versatile measuring and digitizing tool.

During the test, the scanner proved effective, which is confirmed by the measurement results, with the exception of small objects (Ring). Scanning was carried out in the blue laser mode, using marks and matting spray.

The main drawback of the scanner is the speed of data collection — 480,000 points/sec, which can be regarded as the minimum required for comfortable scanning. Thus, there appear “empty” spaces in the model as there is not enough data for correct construction. Yet, it is possible to fill the holes automatically, but this does not always help and sometimes creates plenty of unnecessary geometry. It is therefore recommended to pay closer attention to the speed of the scanner movement during the scanning process.

   

Scantech KSCAN20

The Scantech KSCAN20 is a laser 3D scanner designed for reverse engineering and geometry control. It boasts the best technical characteristics among the competitors: the accuracy, resolution, and functionality of the device are superior to those of the other devices presented in this article. It is for this reason that the Scantech KSCAN20 has been chosen for comparison as a reference device.

The Scantech KSCAN20 handheld scanner is an excellent device in terms of price/quality ratio. It has a large set of functions and built-in photogrammetry, which is not the case with the competitors. The scanner is capable of working with objects from 5 cm to several meters. The accuracy varies depending on the selected mode: it is 0.02 mm + 0.035 mm/m³ in Mode R and 0.01 mm + 0.035 mm/m³ in Mode B, which means it can be used for a wide range of tasks.

Speaking of the shortcomings, the scanner is not capable of capturing the texture of objects, unlike the other devices in our review. On the other hand, it is better in scanning black and shiny surfaces, so matting is not necessary. It is also worth noting that the device positions an object in space only with the help of markers.

In the process of operation, the scanner showed a good data collection speed, namely — 650,000 measurements/s. The speed is due to the scanning technology with laser crosses and a rather large scanning area. The stability of capture greatly simplifies the scanning process. And with the single red line mode, the scanner allows reading data from the deepest holes.

   

Scanning results and conclusions of the engineer

Distinguished by extremely high accuracy and detail, the Scantech KSCAN20 3D scanner was chosen as a reference in terms of technical characteristics.

  

Reference standard: Scantech KSCAN20

The Scantech KSCAN20 3D scanner is one of the market leaders in its price segment. It features a wide range of functions, high accuracy, and built-in photogrammetry, which partially solves the issue of volumetric accuracy when scanning large-sized items. With the use of photogrammetry, this accuracy equals 0.02 mm/m³. High detail and blue laser mode allow scanning objects from a few centimeters in size. The device is suitable for geometry control and reverse engineering, as well as for scanning cultural heritage objects.

The quality of scanning can be assessed by the color of a scan. The colors correspond to the tolerances: if the color is red, the deviation is more than 1 mm; green — no more than 0.1 mm; yellow — a deviation of about 0.1–0.3 mm; blue — from -0.1 to -0.3 mm.

  

1. RangeVision PRO

In the process of comparison, the device proved highly effective and fulfilled all the tasks with great accuracy and minimal deviations from the reference value. The scanner is well suited for working with both small objects (Ring) and medium-sized ones (Disc). Scanning large objects from 1,000 mm is not recommended since the scanner is stationary — problems arise with its placement and calibration which take up to 20 minutes.

   

2. Shining 3D EinScan Pro HD

One of the best scanners in its price range, the EinScan Pro HD coped with all the tasks. After the scan data analysis, it proved to be accurate and capable of high detail with small objects. Medium-sized products turned out slightly worse. Thus, the scanner is suitable for reverse engineering and geometry control on products up to 500 mm. Large-sized objects can also be scanned, but the accuracy might not satisfy the user. A significant advantage of this device is its modular design, that is, the ability to connect the Color Pack texture camera and a turntable with a tripod from the Shining 3D Industrial Pack.

  

3. Thor3D Calibry

The device is suitable solely for scanning art products or for transferring the general shape of an object. The scanner will perform very well in education and demonstration of 3D scanning technology. Compared to the reference, the quality of scans obtained with this device is inferior in accuracy and detail.

   

4. Shining 3D EinScan HX

The scanner demonstrated great functionality and a set of features such as laser scanning, structured light, a built-in texture camera, as well as decent accuracy and resolution. The device is suitable for scanning and controlling the geometry of objects from 200 mm, providing acceptable detail. The accuracy of scanning large objects comes down to the technical characteristics, namely, the volumetric accuracy of 0.06 mm/m³. The device is suitable for geometry control and reverse engineering, as well as for scanning art and cultural heritage objects with color rendering — for example, in museum applications.

  

Bottom line

The values ​​closest to the standard are shown by the RangeVision PRO 3D scanner — the only stationary device in this comparison. Models are obtained with good detail, especially those of small objects. The working process is semi-automated, which allows the user to work comfortably and quickly.

In second place are two devices — the EinScan Pro HD and the EinScan HX by Shining 3D. Both scanners performed well, they can make scans of large objects with sufficient detail, but the Ring object turned out better with the Pro HD using the Industrial Pack — it adds to the cost of the equipment but increases the capabilities of the scanner. The Shining 3D EinScan HX can be considered a versatile device — it has both laser and structured light as well as a texture camera.

In general, all the models reviewed showed good results, but each of them will be more productive in its area of ​​application, as we mentioned above. Following these guidelines, you are able to choose the most suitable scanner for your tasks.

Use quality 3D scanning equipment with suitable specs. This will allow you to easily get scans of objects that can be used anywhere — from design studios to museums.