3D Scanning large Boats

[Matt-Aburg]

I have just picked up a new customer. My jobs will be all scanning and reverse engineering for a large Marina on the Detroit River near the Burg. My first challenge is the interior of the "Independence". I have to scan and then model the existing interior of the cabin. The end customer will be completely updating this part of the boat and adding new kitchen appliances and marble countertops. This one is a real test run for a full rebuild this summer. On the next boat, they will be ripping it back to the fiberglass and completely rebuilding the whole cabin. A lot of promising work coming up on this customer.

I will post my work in progress. Right now I am converting, aligning scans from the "Independence". Raw files came in at 70GB. I am pushing my computer to the limits. This is also a first run on this kind of work, so I am developing workflow as I go... Point cloud every 1mm.....

 

[Susquatch]

I have just picked up a new customer. My jobs will be all scanning and reverse engineering for a large Marina on the Detroit River near the Burg. My first challenge is the interior of the "Independence".

A word of advice.

Guys with big boats all have money. Lots of money. And too many of them feel entitled to take advantage of the little guy.

I know two guys who got badly burned doing work for marinas and boat owners and then never got paid for it. $150k in one case. It's a miracle he didn't go under but it took him years to recover. It's almost impossible to put a lein on big boats.

It sounds like a great opportunity, but if I were you I'd make sure your payment arrangements never leave you too far up the accrual creek without a paddle.

 

[Matt-Aburg]

A word of advice.

Guys with big boats all have money. Lots of money. And too many of them feel entitled to take advantage of the little guy.

I know two guys who got badly burned doing work for marinas and boat owners and then never got paid for it. $150k in one case. It's a miracle he didn't go under but it took him years to recover. It's almost impossible to put a lein on big boats.

It sounds like a great opportunity, but if I were you I'd make sure your payment arrangements never leave you too far up the accrual creek without a paddle.

I will for sure be making sure he gets invoiced for every job. I already told him my rate for scanning. What I need to figure out is if processing is billed at the same rate... If I don't get paid for the work I have done so far, no next boat.... etc...

I have known the owner of the marina for over 25 years. He was my manager a undisclosed tooling company. He is retired now from them and now runs this extraordinary place. They cater to some very LARGE boats. His storage building is so crammed full, you have to walk sideways to get in between the boats. They have others shrink wrapped all the way down to the river along their canal.

 

[PeterT]

Isn't that one of the 'How to make a small fortune' gags? (Answer: you start out with a large fortune & buy a recreational boat) LOL.
Hopefully that means maintenance funds flow outward to people like you who do work. Good luck!

 

[Matt-Aburg]

Isn't that one of the 'How to make a small fortune' gags? (Answer: you start out with a large fortune & buy a recreational boat) LOL.
Hopefully that means maintenance funds flow outward to people like you who do work. Good luck!

I cannot imagine the cost to gas such a boat... Anyway.. as / @Susquatch advice... never let him get behind on paying. I will be getting payed for each job or it ends... Results are coming soon, I am still processing data. Tomorrow, I have real work again, got to bore some brake rotors for special modified Griffith..

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I have just picked up a new customer. My jobs will be all scanning and reverse engineering for a large Marina on the Detroit River near the Burg. My first challenge is the interior of the "Independence". I have to scan and then model the existing interior of the cabin. The end customer will be completely updating this part of the boat and adding new kitchen appliances and marble countertops. This one is a real test run for a full rebuild this summer. On the next boat, they will be ripping it back to the fiberglass and completely rebuilding the whole cabin. A lot of promising work coming up on this customer.

I will post my work in progress. Right now I am converting, aligning scans from the "Independence". Raw files came in at 70GB. I am pushing my computer to the limits. This is also a first run on this kind of work, so I am developing workflow as I go... Point cloud every 1mm.....

Congrats on the new client with ongoing work.

I wish I could get files of 3D scanned hulls instead of having to take line drawings and convert them to a 3D model when I want to start a new model.

C

 

[bigHUN]

Back in time between 98 to 04 I had a part time job (beside my a full time work schedules) for wife's uncle company. He had a big contract for one of Magna, to design and build automation lines and robotic stations. 2 years and multi million dollar project, to finance the project he had to pickup some loans. He was getting paid in "progress payments".
And still Magna managed to screw him badly and he lost he's house that resulted loosing health, I lost about my money $150K.
Because of a wording in the contract... "may be in use"may upgrade later"may this and that" ... It is hard t play with big guys.

 

[Matt-Aburg]

Back in time between 98 to 04 I had a part time job (beside my a full time work schedules) for wife's uncle company. He had a big contract for one of Magna, to design and build automation lines and robotic stations. 2 years and multi million dollar project, to finance the project he had to pickup some loans. He was getting paid in "progress payments".
And still Magna managed to screw him badly and he lost he's house that resulted loosing health, I lost about my money $150K.
Because of a wording in the contract... "may be in use"may upgrade later"may this and that" ... It is hard t play with big guys.

Automotive companies screw everyone.. So many shops have gone down because they take years to pay. Basically the tool shop is on the line financing the Auto company, then they put it on HOLD for months. In my years working with Molds, I have never saw a mold not go on HOLD.

As for this service I provide, the cost will be approx. 2 K / boat... depending on a few variables. Billing is / job, No data goes to the customer until I am paid in full. My long time associate that owns the business would rather be a termite than engineer now. He is retired and prefers being hands on.

 

[Former Member]

I played with the Auto Companies in the early 90's, they kept changing invoicing requirements, until we shut the line down by taking the elevator out of service for a day or 2, do it once and paying you promptly is the lesser of two evils. The one thing I learned cutting my teeth in business in the elevator industry was how to collect the money and get paid. In all my years in working I can count on one hand not getting all whats owed.

 

[John Conroy]

Congrats on picking up a new customer. Where is "the burg"?

 

[phaxtris]

So are you doing the Reno work/design work as well? or just the scanning portion?

And it's not just the auto industry that gets the contractors to finance the operation, construction is like that as well, put up a mill with of steel, get paid in progress payments, don't get fully paid for a year after your part of the job is done, GC's do that with all of the subtrades, so no one actually fully pays for the building until well after it complete.

Kind of a scam how that works

 

[Susquatch]

As for this service I provide, the cost will be approx. 2 K / boat... depending on a few variables. Billing is / job, No data goes to the customer until I am paid in full.

Withholding output doesn't prevent losses - they can still walk away. But at 2k per job, at least you can limit your losses. Be nice to change that to 20k per job though....

My long time associate that owns the business would rather be a termite than engineer now. He is retired and prefers being hands on.

I resemble that remark!

Big or small - at the end of the day it's the integrity of your customer and your relationship with him that matters most.

 

[Susquatch]

Congrats on picking up a new customer. Where is "the burg"?

Amherstburg Ontario. A short drive from Windsor and Detroit. Even shorter when the new bridge is finished.

 

[phaxtris]

Withholding output doesn't prevent losses - they can still walk away

I agree, doing this can make a payment situation worse, a lot of times completing the job can be the best hope for payment


So what scanner do you use to 3d scan the inside ? I know this technology exists, but I am not really aware of it, if that makes sense

 

[Matt-Aburg]

So are you doing the Reno work/design work as well? or just the scanning portion?

And it's not just the auto industry that gets the contractors to finance the operation, construction is like that as well, put up a mill with of steel, get paid in progress payments, don't get fully paid for a year after your part of the job is done, GC's do that with all of the subtrades, so no one actually fully pays for the building until well after it complete.

Kind of a scam how that works

I am not sure if this will go further than acquiring the data. He is the woodworker and wants to be able to fit the components in nice and tight. Currently he uses a digitizer to do the work, but would like to get away from the design side. We were all standing at the back of the building when he told his regular employee "I don't know the software anymore", (design software) and we need to figure out what platform we are going to use. This kind of sounds like there is a lot more work besides scanning.

I agree, doing this can make a payment situation worse, a lot of times completing the job can be the best hope for payment


So what scanner do you use to 3d scan the inside ? I know this technology exists, but I am not really aware of it, if that makes sense

I dropped in there last fall to re-acquaint myself after over 15 years. At that time I was doing some work for an engineering firm in Windsor doing a part design. This meeting was just a few weeks after I handed the prototype over to this other guy. I have not heard from that person since. My friend asked me if I had given data over? I said no, He responded that was a good thing. I take it he knows how easy it would be to rip off someone else doing sub work.

Scanner used is below. This one is for large field of view things and accuracy of about 0.25 mm. Accuracy required is plus or minus 1/16.

Withholding output doesn't prevent losses - they can still walk away. But at 2k per job, at least you can limit your losses. Be nice to change that to 20k per job though....



I resemble that remark!

Big or small - at the end of the day it's the integrity of your customer and your relationship with him that matters most.

I used to do a lot of termite work. Now I prefer Aluminiumm. Also, 2K is a trust building exercise. I have ROI to take care of. The software for processing the scans just cost a yearly maintenance to do this job, and it is a very resource hungry software. It needs a ton of RAM, which my 2014 computer won't support. (last night it scrolled out to 475 GB while processing)(of 192GB). This requires way more cores and at least 512GB RAM. (a server)

Amherstburg Ontario. A short drive from Windsor and Detroit. Even shorter when the new bridge is finished.

The marina is just 7 minutes north of my home.

 

[phaxtris]

Scanner used is below. This one is for large field of view things and accuracy of about 0.25 mm. Accuracy required is plus or minus 1/16

That thing looks far more user friendly than i would have expected, i was thinking something that looked along the lines of a total station, what does something like that run $ ?

 

[Doggggboy]

That thing looks far more user friendly than i would have expected, i was thinking something that looked along the lines of a total station, what does something like that run $ ?

Artec Leo​

The world’s first wireless and AI-driven 3D scanner
US $34,8002-year warranty

 

[phaxtris]

Thats a few bucks!

 

[Matt-Aburg]

Artec Leo​

The world’s first wireless and AI-driven 3D scanner
US $XXXXXX-1 year warranty

They have jacked their prices since mine arrived. Note though, this is now the second generation of the product. It has more Computer in it than before. Lens and focal attributes still as before. This was a BIG leap of faith. I have been so busy building the rest of my shop that I have had no chance to market services. I am so happy this one landed on me. They were originally only looking to have a Century decal scanned and printed. It developed into boat scans after he found out about the type equipment I use. I have some other projects completed with this scanner, but cannot disturb my software at this point. (been crunching on final iteration of 1 mm spacing for 9 hours SO FAR). I already have a 3 mm, and 2 mm processed. Very close to the end.... I am running different versions to develop process. Now time to go bore some brake Rotors for the Griffith shop.....

 

[phaxtris]

Im sure as the technology and knowledge of its existence becomes more main stream you will only get more and more business with it

i dont think many people even do it, so you may be getting in at the right time to build a thriving business around 3d scanning!

Fingers crossed for you!