Fabrication and Manufacturing Applications with Photogrammetry

• Do you manufacture a fitted or custom product?
• Do you use CAD and perhaps CNC to cut and fabricate these products?
• Do you want to use a camera for an easier and more cost-effective way of measuring?

PhotoModeler can help you!

Custom fitting, retrofits, and remodeling often require measurements and drawings of a remote location or a client site so that a part can be manufactured or fabricated to fit. Photogrammetry creates measurements and diagrams using a normal camera. Instead of having a complex and expensive device for field measurements for your retrofit or remodeling business, you only need a camera and a tape measure.

In addition, you might use templates in paper, plastic, or cardboard that need to be digitized for use in CAD/CNC. PhotoModeler can help you do this as well with a camera!

Benefits and Advantages

Compared to most other accurate field measurement technologies, photogrammetry (or camera-based measurement) has these major advantages:

• Little to no specialized equipment
• Lower cost
• Faster in-field measurement

Example Applications

Some example applications for measurement in manufacturing are:

• Measuring boats for manufacture and install of decking and canvas : covers, biminis, sprayhoods, enclosures, etc.
• Digitize paper, board, metal 2D templates, and outlines of industrial gaskets.
• Measuring kitchens & baths for manufacture and install of countertops and cabinets.
• Measuring stairs for manufacture and install of stair lifts and railings.
• Measure pools for covers or new liners.
• Measure for custom glazing.

These applications have the need to obtain accurate measurements at a remote job site and return those measurements to the factory for further CAD work and then manufacturing the objects and parts.

• A bit more detail is shown in the Easier Measurement for Retrofit Manufacturing blog post.
• A pdf brochure on using a camera in fabrication.
• An article on how to start evaluating PhotoModeler on a Coded Target project.

Applications in Manufacturing Retrofits

There are several applications of photogrammetric measurement in retrofit work. Three of the most common ones involve stairs (for lifts and railings), kitchen refit, and boat templating. The following sections show examples of each.

Stairs

There are two main applications in measuring staircases in homes and offices. The first is the retrofit of stair lifts, and the second is measuring for more complex banister/railing installation (curved staircases).

Kitchen / Bathroom

Kitchen and bathroom remodels, or new construction requires accurate measurements of walls shape, dimensions, and placement of existing cabinetry and outlets for complex cabinet and counter-top installs.