Multi-faceted Currier Plastics adds 3D scanner system

Currier says it now can take a customer's existing design, quickly recreate it with the 3D scanner, and then make design alterations such as light weighting, geometry, aesthetic appearance, and more, all in a time frame that helps get the client's product to market faster, and at an optimized cost.

Currier says the NextEngine hardware and its associated RapidWorks software lets Currier engineers scan any object and quickly obtain highly accurate and measured data (within 0.005-inch accuracy). RapidWorks builds a feature tree, breaks down the scanned object into components, and produces a model that Currier imports into SolidWorks, which is used to make renderings and drawings for client review. Later the model can be used by company toolmakers to make molds
 
Currier senior CAD designer Larry Jedik said, "The addition of the 3D scanner system gives us full feature manipulation. We were looking for a more desirable way to help our customers go to market with new and innovative designs. Our systematic approach takes Currier Plastics to a new level of design development very quickly."

Gary Kieffer, Currier's VP for new product development, added that "Moving forward, Currier Plastics is committed to continuing our investments in our design offerings that will enable us to be more responsive to a growing need to deliver conceptual design work in a shorter time frame."

Other Currier investments made in 2010 include:

—Rob Neilley