2016 Issue

W hether you’re the President of the company, middle man- agement, the facility manager or a department manager, you are responsible for making numerous decisions every day. Most of those decisions affect the bottom line of your organization. Managers are always looking for tools and ways to improve processes and make their organization better and more productive, keeping inmind that the bottom line truly is the bottom line. Isn’t it every manager’s dream to get more for less? And, if you knew you could get more bang for your buck, wouldn’t you jump at the chance? So start jumping! You’re probably asking yourself, “What am I jumping after...?” The answer: 3D laser scanning tech- nology, also known as LiDAR. I’m sure a couple more questions just popped into your head: What is 3D laser scanning and how can it help my bottom line? Let’s take a look at both of these questions. WHAT IS 3D LASER SCANNING? 3D laser scanning technology is just that, laser scanning. This tech- nology accurately captures all available visual information of a site or building. There are several different scanners out there capable of capturing 50,000 to over a million survey grade points per second. The scanner collects points through a 180° degree rotation. The scanner works by combining a laser emitted beam, amirror deflect- ing the beam towards the scanned surface, and an optical receiver, which detects the laser pulse reflected back from the object. Since the speed of light is known, the travel time of the laser pulse can be converted to a precise distance measurement. Typically this data is collected from each setup in less than five minutes. The group of points from each setup is referred to as a “point cloud.” The point cloud from each setup is then registered or “stitched” together so that one measureable point cloud is created for the entire scanned area. The point cloud can then be modeled in AutoCAD, Revit, or other 3D modeling software packages to capture all available visual information for analysis. Wow! What’s all that really mean? It means that this technology will gather more accurate data in a shorter amount of time. More bang for your buck! HOW CAN 3D LASER SCANNING HELP MY BOTTOM LINE? Let’s take a look at two ways 3D laser scanning can help your bot- tom line. This is the “what’s in it for me” part. Let’s talk about facility modification and improvements as well as volume calculations. Facility Modifications and Improvements: Have you ever tried to make modifications or improvements at your facility and the mea- surements on the plans were just not working out? Or do you spend hours or even days taking measurements, only to find out there are additional conflicts you did not account for. The use of 3D laser scanning technology gives you the ability to design fromextremely accurate record documents. Nomore handmeasurements that take days to capture and produce less desirable record drawings. With 3D laser scanning technology, data capture is extremely FAST and ACCURATE; it takes the guess work out of design and gives you the ability to make educated design decisions. SMARTMANAGEMENT DECISIONS By Henry Fox , McNeil Engineering 10