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3D scanning dimensional inspection services
3D Scanning Dimensional Inspection for Fabricated Steel, Pipe Spools, Precast and Modules
Before a fabricated piece leaves the shop, we scan it and compare it to the design model: a color deviation map, a pass/fail table against the tolerance, and the specific dimensions that are out. Structural steel, pipe spools, precast panels, skids, and modules get caught in the shop, where a fix costs hours, instead of in the field, where it costs a crane and a schedule.
- Inspects
- Structural steel, pipe spools, precast panels, skids, modules, vessels, castings, machined parts
- Compares to
- CAD or BIM model, shop drawings, isometrics, GD&T callouts
- Deliverable
- Deviation color map, pass/fail table, FAI spreadsheet, interactive 3D report
- Where
- Fab shops, module yards, precast plants, and the jobsite before erection
- Scanner
- Artec Leo — 3D point accuracy up to 0.1 mm, 3D resolution up to 0.2 mm
- Dispatched from
- Sugar Land, TX headquarters · 27 regional hubs
- Other scanning services
- Pre-Pour Rebar & Embed Scanning
Modular, Container & Skid As-Builts
Reverse Engineering & Scan-to-CAD
All 3D scanning services - Call us
- (346) 420-5425
Scan-to-CAD deviation analysis before your fabrication ships
Scan-to-CAD deviation analysis is the comparison of a scanned part to its design model. The scan is aligned to the model on the datums the drawing calls out, and every point is colored by how far it sits from the design surface: green inside the tolerance band, red and blue outside it. The map is the fastest way to find a bowed flange, a twisted beam, or a nozzle that is five millimeters off, and the report lists the deviations by location so the shop can correct them before the piece is loaded.
First article inspection with 3D scanning (FAI reports and GD&T)
For production parts and repeated assemblies we scan the first article and report every ballooned dimension — measured value, nominal, tolerance, in or out — in a spreadsheet, with the GD&T callouts (flatness, perpendicularity, position, profile) evaluated from the scan. A CAD model is needed for GD&T evaluation; a 2D drawing alone supports dimension-by-dimension reporting. Repeat parts are reported against the same template so trends show up across the batch.
Structural steel and pipe spool dimensional verification
Fabricated steel is checked for member length, camber and sweep, hole patterns, connection plate location and squareness, and the base-plate-to-anchor-bolt pattern we may already have scanned at the pre-pour. Pipe spools are checked end to end: flange face squareness, bolt-hole orientation, center-to-face dimensions, and tie-in points against the isometric, with redlines where the spool must be adjusted before it reaches the rack. Both are scanned in the shop before painting or in the laydown yard before erection.
Precast panel, skid and module fit-up verification against the BIM model
Precast panels are scanned for overall dimensions, embed and insert location, reveal alignment, and warp; a panel that will not fit the connection hardware is better discovered on the casting bed. Skids and process modules are scanned for interface points — anchor bolt patterns, flange locations at the battery limit, cable tray and pipe rack tie-ins — and compared with the BIM model and with the scan of the mating structure, so the fit-up is checked virtually before the truck arrives.
Dimensional control surveys for module yards and fab shops
Gulf Coast module yards run dimensional control programs on every module that ships offshore or to a plant, and the vocabulary there is dimensional control rather than inspection. We provide the handheld detail capture inside those programs: flange faces, nozzle orientations, and tight interfaces that a total station or terrestrial scanner cannot reach, registered into the yard's control network and delivered in the yard's report format.
On-site 3D scanning inspection in Houston and across 27 US hubs
Fabrication shops and precast plants around Houston — the Ship Channel, Conroe, Baytown, Rosenberg — are served from Sugar Land, usually within a few days of the request and on a standing schedule for shops with steady output. Shops and module yards elsewhere are scheduled through the nearest regional hub. The scanner travels as carry-on luggage and needs no site power, so remote shops are not a problem.
3D scanning inspection cost, turnaround and what is in the report
Inspection is quoted per piece for one-off assemblies and per day for shop programs, plus processing by report level: deviation map and summary, or the full FAI package with GD&T. Most single pieces are scanned in an hour or two and reported the next business day; shop programs run on a standing schedule with reports delivered before the piece ships. Every report includes the alignment method, the tolerance applied, and the scan accuracy achieved.
What you receive
Deliverables
- Scan-vs-CAD deviation color map with pass/fail tolerance bands
- Deviation table by location; interactive 3D report file plus PDF
- First article inspection spreadsheet: ballooned dimensions, measured vs nominal, in/out
- GD&T results: flatness, perpendicularity, position, profile, bolt-hole pattern
- Flange face squareness, bolt-hole orientation, and center-to-face for spools; isometric redlines
- As-built mesh (STL/OBJ) and point cloud (E57) registered to the shop's datums
- Pre-shipment verification sign-off page for the fabrication record
Who buys it
Built for
- QA/QC managers and quality engineers at steel fabricators, spool and vessel shops, and precast plants
- Dimensional control leads at module yards and EPC contractors
- General contractor project engineers verifying prefabricated components before erection
- Engineers of record requiring third-party dimensional verification
- OEM supplier-quality engineers
Related CMT services
Welding inspector (AWS CWI) openingsPrecast concrete inspector openings (PCI)
FAQ
Fabrication Fit-Up & Dimensional Inspection: questions buyers ask
How much does 3D scanning inspection cost?
Per piece for one-off assemblies and per day for shop programs, plus processing by report level. A deviation map with a summary is the base; a full first article package with GD&T is the top. Send the drawing and a photo of the piece for a written quote.
How accurate is 3D scanning for dimensional inspection?
The Artec Leo is rated at 3D point accuracy up to 0.1 mm and resolution up to 0.2 mm; over a 10 m member the achieved accuracy is a millimeter or two with drift control, and the report states it. That is well inside AISC and AWS fabrication tolerances and most spool and precast tolerances; for machined parts with tolerances tighter than about 0.1 mm we recommend a CMM and will say so.
Do you provide inspection reports?
Yes: a PDF with the deviation map and the dimension table, an interactive 3D report you can rotate and query, and a spreadsheet for FAI. The report records the alignment datums, tolerance, and achieved accuracy.
Do I need a CAD model, or is a drawing enough?
A CAD or BIM model gives the full color deviation map and GD&T. A 2D drawing supports dimension-by-dimension reporting against the ballooned values. If you only have a drawing, we can build the model from it for a modest modeling charge.
How long does inspection take from scan to report?
Most single pieces are scanned in an hour or two and reported the next business day. Shop programs are scheduled so the report is in hand before the piece ships.
Can you scan large, reflective, or dark pieces on site?
Yes. Large members are scanned in overlapping zones with reference points; bare and galvanized steel is scanned at angles the surface tolerates or with a removable matte spray where the shop allows it. Painted steel and concrete scan without preparation.
What file formats do you deliver?
PDF and spreadsheet reports, an interactive 3D report file, STL or OBJ meshes, E57 point clouds, and the aligned scan in the CAD coordinate system for your own software.
Do you work under NDA and serve oil and gas fabricators?
Yes on both. NDAs are signed before the first scan, and oil and gas skids, spools, and modules are the bulk of the fabrication inspection we do from Houston.
Hiring: we staff this work with trained operators. 3D scanning technician openings · all positions.
Scheduling & proposals
Need dimensional inspection?
Call to schedule a technician, or send project documents for a written proposal.