VTube-LASER Prioritizes Measuring Tube Straights

Question

Can VTube-LASER measure the entire tube, like its competition? Why can it measure just straights and not the bends?

Answer

Yes, it can measure the entire tube - including bend profiles.

However, VTube-LASER, by default, encourages the scanning of straights alone (not bends) in order to get to the shape qualification as quickly as possible. Because it uses LASER scan data, it can also scan bend profiles to give the total collapse on the outside of the bend. This is a secondary operation. This is a secondary operation so that users can choose to scan or not to scan the bend profiles.

We have been told that the marketers of one competing brand of software, Bending Studio (from AICON - now owned by HEXAGON), is that its method of scanning the entire tube is better than the VTube-LASER segmented method. However, we and hundreds of our customers disagree with this claim. Our opinion is that the continuous scanning method is a disadvantage in ease-of-use and speed/productivity. VTube-LASER scans only what is necessary to get the job done quickly for shape qualification. This makes VTube-LASER both easier and faster.  One OEM bender manufacturer experienced with both VTube-LASER and Bending Studio told us that he always chooses VTube-LASER over Bending Studio because it is much easier and faster to use than Bending Studio.

Other generic metrology software, like CAM2 from FARO, or Polyworks from Innovmetric, can scan tubing as well. However, the process for scanning tubing in either is much more complicated than in VTube-LASER. One customer told us that, when scanning tube shapes with general metrology software, he observed that the software needed data  Also, none of these have a good way to connect to benders for a correction like VTube-LASER.  (This is a major strength of VTube-LASER.)