From Challenge to Solution: Precision 3D Inspection in Aluminum Manufacturing

In the aluminum extrusion industry, manufacturers deal daily with tight tolerances, complex profiles, and large production volumes. For example, suppliers to the automotive and aerospace sectors must deliver lightweight yet high-strength components that fit perfectly into assemblies. Even minor deviations in geometry—such as twists, surface defects, or dimensional inconsistencies—can cause costly delays or rework.

At the same time, construction and consumer goods producers push for shorter lead times and competitive pricing, leaving little room for inefficiency. To stay competitive, these companies need inspection and measurement solutions that can handle intricate shapes, verify quality in real time, and ensure every batch meets both customer and regulatory requirements.

Founded in 2010 in Chatham, Ontario, Canada, Dajcor Aluminum has grown into a leading one-stop supplier of extruded and fabricated aluminum components. With over 300 employees and nearly 500,000 square feet of combined manufacturing space in Canada and the United States, Dajcor Aluminum provides vertically integrated services to its customers.

Features of the Parts and Measurement Challenges

Dajcor needed to measure and inspect large aluminum extrusions ranging from 2 m to 4 m in length, with cross-sections of about 0.2 m in width and height. These components contained deep channels and intricate features, making high-precision inspection reports essential to verify compliance with strict customer specifications.

However, several challenges complicated the inspection process:

• Large part sizemade conventional probing methods slow and inefficient.
• Stringent accuracy requirementsof ±0.127 mm demanded consistently reliable measurement results.
• Environmental influencessuch as temperature fluctuations, vibrations, noise, and airflow posed risks to stability.
• Complex geometrieslike deep holes in channels required a combination of scanning and probing to ensure full coverage.
• High throughput demandswith large part volumes and tight deadlines required an efficient, repeatable process.

Limits of Previous Measurement Methods

Traditional measurement approaches, such as portable probing or basic laser line scanning, proved inadequate for this application. Probing was slow and challenging to perform on large extrusions, while conventional scanning lacked the resolution and stability needed to capture fine details—particularly within deep channels. Furthermore, the requirement for fixed setups and clamping reduced efficiency, making these methods unsuitable for large-scale production environments.

SCANOLOGY’s 3D Solution

To overcome these limitations, SCANOLOGY introduced the TrackScan Sharp-E optical 3D scanning system, delivering a breakthrough solution for large-part inspection.

The TrackScan Sharp-E optical 3D scanning system is built to handle the toughest measurement tasks with speed and precision. Featuring 25-megapixel industrial cameras and onboard edge computing, it measures parts up to 8.5 meters away within a 135 m³ volume—all at a blazing 6 million measurements/s.

With 99 laser lines and a fully wireless, battery-powered design, TrackScan Sharp delivers reliable results anywhere, from factory floors to field environments. As the third generation of SCANOLOGY’s wireless 3D scanning technology, it redefines what large-scale optical measurement can achieve: fast, accurate, and cable-free.

When paired with the i-Probe 500, the system provided precise measurement of deep-hole features, combining speed with high accuracy to meet stringent quality requirements.

The process flow included:

• Creating an inspection program in PolyWorks Inspector with all required tolerances for the part.
• Calibrating the TrackScan Sharp-Eand performing a complete scan to capture the full surface geometry.
• Using the i-Probe to measure deep channels and features that were difficult to access with scanning alone.
• Generating a detailed inspection reportin PolyWorks, delivering precise results for quality verification.

By implementing the TrackScan Sharp-E optical 3D scanning system, the customer achieved:

• High accuracy:All parts met the ±0.127 mm tolerance requirement, ensuring reliable quality for critical components.
• Faster inspections: Each part was fully scanned in about one hour, significantly reducing inspection time compared with traditional methods.
• Improved efficiency:The system’s dynamic tracking capability eliminated the need for complex clamping or rigid fixtures. Technicians could scan one side of the extrusion, then simply flip it to complete the other side.
• Smooth staff onboarding: On-the-job training allowed technicians to quickly adapt to the new workflow and fully leverage the system’s capabilities.

Conclusion

By adopting SCANOLOGY's advanced 3D scanning solutions, Dajcor Aluminum successfully streamlined its inspection process for large, complex extruded parts. The system not only met stringent accuracy requirements but also delivered significant time savings, operational flexibility, and improved ease of use compared to traditional methods. This case demonstrates how innovative 3D scanning technology is transforming quality control in the aluminum extrusion industry, helping manufacturers achieve higher standards of precision and productivity.