Pandas greet visitors to Shining 3D’s booth at CES 2017.
As 3D scanners continue to transform from bulky, expensive machines into compact, portable and increasingly less pricey consumer products, many companies in the 3D printing and the entire tech industry have begun offering their own versions of the technology, each competing to design the most user-friendly, high-quality scanners for the average person. One of the first companies that always comes to mind in terms of 3D scanners, though, is Shining 3D, the Chinese creator of the popular and award-winning EinScan series of scanners.
Last year at CES 2016, Shining 3D introduced the EinScan-Pro 3D scanner as well as the EinStart-L 3D printer – while they may be famous for their scanning applications, the company also offers a large selection of 3D printers utilizing FDM, SLA, SLS and SLM technology. The EinScan-Pro was recently honored with the 2016 Electronics Industries Product of the Year Award, and even as scanners diversify, there still hasn’t been anything quite like it.
Image: Shining 3D
The EinScan-Pro caught public attention right away for its four scanning modes: automatic, free scan, handheld rapid and handheld HD, with options for full-color or industrial packages. Optimized for a wide range of both consumer and commercial uses, the scanner is one of the most versatile ones out there, lending itself to applications in manufacturing, engineering, design, development, testing, archiving, animation, human form acquisition and more.
This year at CES 2017, Shining 3D unveiled the next generation of their scanning technology: the EinScan-Pro+, which retains the features that made its predecessor so popular while adding plenty of new innovations to take it to a higher level of professionalism and quality. The handheld HD mode, first of all, has been upgraded to a new, internationally patented technology that’s 7.6 times faster at 550,000 points per second, with 100 data capture lines as opposed to the 7 that the original had.
The range of single-frame scanning has also been increased by 1.6 times to 300 x 170 mm, for a much faster handheld scanning speed for large objects. A new optional paid module has been added to the handheld rapid scanning mode, too: the R² (Rapid Registration) Scanning Module, which can be activated in both the EinScan Pro and the EinScan Pro+, has an additional feature to recognize and align reference points specifically when scanning large objects. Normally difficult-to-scan objects, such as flat objects with few geometrical features, can be scanned easily and accurately with this feature.
The new scanner is equipped with Shining 3D’s new EinScan 2.0 software, which was introduced just last month. Finally, the EinScan Pro+ has been given a makeover with a new champagne gold finish.
The EinStart-C on display at CES 2017.
Like last year, Shining 3D is also bringing a new 3D printer to CES. The EinStart-C is a compact, single-extruder FDM desktop printer with a sizable build area of 6″ x 6″ x 6″. Shining 3D describes it as a plug-and-play printer that’s ideal for home or school settings, with a fully enclosed printing area and a safety sensor that stops or prevents printing if the door isn’t completely closed. (This feature can be deactivated, if you so choose.)
The EinStart-C, which prints in PLA, has a new auto-calibration feature with three sensors embedded in the print bed, not only making calibration easy but compensating for any differences in height during the printing process. It can print wirelessly, through USB cable, or standalone. Users can access Shining 3D’s large 3D model library, 3DKer, and easily download any model to the EinStart-C for free and with just a few clicks.
We were able to visit with Shining 3D at their CES booth today, and got a look at the EinStart-C, the EinScan-Pro+, and the other products the company has on display. Stay tuned, as we’ll be bringing you more details in the coming days about our visit with Shining 3D and what we learned about their new products and plans for the future! Discuss in the Shining 3D forum at 3DPB.com.
