FreeScan Combo

Compact Metrology Without Compromise

The FreeScan Combo is a compact metrology-grade 3D scanner that combines blue laser and infrared VCSEL scanning in one lightweight handheld system. Designed for professional inspection, reverse engineering, manufacturing, and engineering workflows, it gives users the flexibility to capture everything from broad industrial surfaces to fine features, narrow pockets, and difficult recessed geometry.

At only 620 grams and measuring 193 × 63 × 53 millimeters, the FreeScan Combo is significantly smaller than many traditional industrial scanners. Its compact size makes it easier to move around complex parts, work inside restricted spaces, and reach features that may be difficult to capture with a larger scanning system.

Despite its small form factor, the FreeScan Combo provides metrology-grade accuracy up to 0.02 millimeters. This combination of portability, accuracy, and multiple scanning technologies makes it a versatile solution for both inspection and reverse-engineering applications.

Dual Light Source Technology

The FreeScan Combo combines two different light sources so users can select the most appropriate workflow for each project.

Its blue laser modes are designed for accurate dimensional capture and perform well on many dark, metallic, and reflective industrial surfaces. These modes are suitable for quality control, engineering analysis, reverse engineering, and projects where reliable dimensional data is the primary requirement.

Infrared scanning provides a wider, faster, and markerless workflow for feature-rich objects. It is useful when setup speed and general shape capture are more important than achieving the scanner’s maximum metrology accuracy.

Integrating both technologies into one device allows the FreeScan Combo to move between high-accuracy laser measurement and convenient markerless scanning without requiring separate scanners.

Four Scanning Modes for Maximum Flexibility

26-Line High-Speed Laser Scanning

The multiple-line laser mode projects 26 blue laser lines across the object and captures up to 1,860,000 points per second.

This mode is designed for quickly digitizing the overall shape of small, medium, and larger industrial parts. It is useful for castings, molds, sheet-metal components, automotive parts, housings, tooling, and other objects where the operator needs to capture broad surfaces efficiently.

The wider laser pattern collects more geometry with each pass, reducing the amount of movement needed to cover the part while maintaining the accuracy required for professional measurement.

Seven-Line Fine Scanning

Fine Scan mode uses seven parallel blue laser lines to capture smaller features and more detailed geometry.

Once the overall shape has been recorded, the operator can switch to this mode to focus on edges, holes, engraved details, mounting features, surface transitions, and other areas that require denser information.

Fine Scan mode is especially useful for reverse engineering, where the final model may depend on clearly defined mechanical features rather than only the broad shape of the component.

Single-Line Deep-Hole Scanning

Deep pockets, narrow slots, recessed features, and closely spaced surfaces can be difficult to capture with a wide laser pattern.

The FreeScan Combo includes a single blue laser line that gives the operator greater control when scanning these areas. Its narrow projection can reach deeper into holes, channels, grooves, and restricted geometry where several laser lines may be obstructed.

This mode is valuable for turbine components, engine parts, molds, castings, machined housings, and other industrial components that contain complex internal or recessed features.

Markerless Infrared Scanning

Infrared mode uses a VCSEL light source to capture feature-rich objects without reflective markers.

This can significantly reduce preparation time for objects with enough natural geometry to support tracking. The operator can begin scanning without placing markers across the entire surface, making the mode useful for quick shape capture, design reference, and early-stage reverse engineering.

Infrared mode can capture up to 2,250,000 points per second and offers a scan depth of up to approximately 1,240 millimeters. Its larger working range allows the scanner to cover broader areas and medium-to-large objects more efficiently.

Because infrared scanning does not provide the same certified accuracy as the laser modes, it is best used when fast markerless capture is more important than maximum metrology performance.

Certified Metrology Accuracy

The FreeScan Combo delivers laser scan accuracy up to 0.02 millimeters, making it suitable for professional inspection and dimensional measurement.

Its volumetric accuracy reaches up to 0.02 millimeters plus 0.033 millimeters per meter. This specification describes how dimensional uncertainty may increase as the measurement area becomes larger.

The scanner’s performance is verified in accordance with VDI/VDE 2634 Part 3 and ISO 10360. Calibration and accuracy verification are conducted through SHINING 3D’s ISO/IEC 17025-accredited accuracy laboratory.

These standards and calibration procedures provide greater confidence when scan data is used to inspect manufactured parts, verify tooling, evaluate production variation, or support engineering decisions.

Fast Scanning Performance

Speed is one of the FreeScan Combo’s strongest advantages. The scanner is capable of capturing up to 3,600,000 points per second while maintaining metrology-grade accuracy. Its large field of view allows operators to digitize larger surfaces efficiently while minimizing the number of passes required to complete a scan.

This combination of speed and accuracy helps reduce project times while still generating dense, high-quality datasets suitable for inspection and reverse engineering workflows.

Designed for Difficult Surfaces

Industrial parts are often made from materials that are difficult for conventional structured-light scanners.

Black plastic, polished metal, machined aluminum, cast iron, reflective coatings, and painted surfaces can absorb or redirect projected light, resulting in incomplete or unstable data.

The FreeScan Combo’s blue laser modes are designed to perform more reliably on these challenging surfaces. In many cases, this allows users to capture dark or reflective parts with less scanning spray and surface preparation.

Extremely polished, transparent, or mirror-like materials may still require a removable scanning coating. However, the scanner’s material adaptability provides a stronger starting point for real-world industrial parts.

This is particularly useful in automotive, aerospace, machining, molding, and heavy-industry environments where dark and metallic components are common.

Inspection and Quality Control

Traditional inspection tools often measure a limited number of selected points. A 3D scanner captures dense surface data across the complete visible area of the part.

The FreeScan Combo can be used to compare a manufactured component against its original CAD model. Inspection software can then generate deviation maps that show where the physical surface sits above or below the nominal design.

This full-surface information can help identify warping, deformation, springback, tooling wear, assembly problems, and unexpected production variation.

The scanner is suitable for first-article inspection, incoming-part verification, tooling checks, production troubleshooting, dimensional analysis, and documentation of manufactured components.

Its compact design also allows inspection to take place closer to the production environment. Instead of moving a large or installed component to a dedicated measuring room, the scanner can be brought directly to the part.

Professional Software Ecosystem

The FreeScan Combo includes SHINING 3D’s FreeScan software platform, providing tools for scanning, alignment, mesh generation, data cleanup, and export. The software is continuously updated and does not require annual subscription fees.

For advanced inspection and reverse engineering workflows, scan data can also be exported into leading third-party software packages including Geomagic Control X, Geomagic Design X, PolyWorks, EXModel, and other professional engineering platforms.