Stable Equipment and Professional Services: SHINING 3D Empowers Oil Equipment Manufacturers to Enhance Product Inspection Capabilities

Boosting Dimensional Inspection with High-Precision 3D Scanning

In today’s fiercely competitive manufacturing landscape, delivery timelines and product quality remain fundamental to a company's competitiveness. To strengthen their edge, manufacturers continually adopt new technologies to reduce costs and increase efficiency. This case highlights how one oil equipment manufacturer enhanced its dimensional inspection capabilities through high-precision 3D scanning.

From Outsourcing to In-House: Building Full-Scale Inspection Capacity

In the mold-making stage, this oil equipment manufacturer began using 3D printing to create complex sand molds, significantly reducing production lead times.

Due to their intricate geometries, sand molds are difficult to measure using conventional methods. Contact-based measurements, such as those performed with coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), can damage the molds and are not ideal. The company initially outsourced inspection services to meet client demands for accompanying 3D inspection reports upon delivery.

However, outsourcing incurred high per-piece costs and introduced delays from transportation and scheduling, often requiring 2–3 days—disrupting delivery timelines. As order volumes grew, the need for frequent inspections intensified, compelling the company to enhance its in-house quality inspection capabilities.

By partnering with SHINING 3D Tianyuan, the manufacturer adopted the FreeScan Combo, a metrology-grade, dual-light-source handheld 3D scanner. This device enables rapid, high-precision scanning of sand molds. For example, a mold measuring 70–80 cm can be fully scanned within minutes.

Using inspection software, the scanned model can be directly compared to the CAD design, enabling efficient, full-scale dimensional inspection and generating a comprehensive report.

△ Schematic diagram of dimensional measurement results

 “With SHINING 3D’s scanning solution, we can accurately capture critical internal features of our sand molds and verify whether they fall within tolerance by comparing them to the design. The visual inspection reports we generate can be delivered with the final product, providing transparency and clarity. This not only boosts our inspection efficiency but also shortens our delivery cycle—helping us remain competitive in the marketplace.”

— Li, Engineer, 3D Printing Department

Robust Hardware and Expert Support: SHINING 3D as a Technical Backbone

While the FreeScan Combo equipped this oil equipment manufacturer with in-house dimensional inspection capabilities, simply owning advanced equipment does not automatically equate to inspection proficiency. As a technology partner, SHINING 3D Tianyuan continues to elevate its service standards, providing clients with the technical support they need to solve practical challenges and improve overall capability.

First and foremost, SHINING 3D ensures the precision and quality of its equipment. The company operates a CNAS-accredited precision lab, with calibration certificates recognized in over 100 countries, guaranteeing measurement accuracy. Underpinned by internationally standardized management systems, SHINING 3D enforces rigorous quality control protocols to ensure product excellence. The company also emphasizes ease of use—its powerful scanning software features an intuitive guided interface, enabling even novice users to operate the system effectively.

Secondly, SHINING 3D has built a nationwide technical service network with regional service centers capable of providing prompt support—helping users operate efficiently and get the most out of their equipment.

Lastly, SHINING 3D maintains strong investment in R\&D, ensuring continuous technological advancement. With a commitment to expertise and professionalism, the company stands as a long-term partner, offering clients not just present-day solutions but also future-ready support for sustained development.