Agri Techni Concept , a French manufacturer of agricultural machinery, has improved its equipment customization and reproduction processes by integrating an Artec Leo 3D scanner into its workflow. This has led to significant improvements in the efficiency and precision of their operations.
Challenge:
The company needed a fast and accurate way to capture 3D data to customize and reproduce farm equipment parts.
Solution:
By using the Artec Leo 3D scanner in combination with the Artec Studio software, Agri Techni Concept can now scan parts with a high level of precision. This capability allows them to adapt or reproduce components for machine modifications, such as a core cleaning module or an improved seeding system.
Result:
The implementation of the Artec Leo scanner has simplified the company's processes, enabling fast and accurate 3D data collection. This improvement facilitates the development of more functional, efficient and durable agricultural equipment. The scanner's portability and ease of use are particularly beneficial, enabling on-site scanning without logistical constraints.
Why Artec 3D:
Artec 3D offers unique solutions for part customization, focusing on precision, speed and ease of use. Their scanners enable the seamless production, redesign or adaptation of agricultural machinery parts, making them the ideal choice for Agri Techni Concept's needs.
From a means of survival to a key economic activity around the world, agriculture has continuously transformed and evolved throughout history. Over time, incredible progress has been made. Thanks to the rapid development of technology, agricultural operations today operate in a much safer, more efficient and more sophisticated manner. Still, the question remains: do these advances adequately address global food system challenges and sustainability issues?
Agri Techni Concept , an innovative French company, has a good answer to that question.
Responding to the needs of local farmers
The food we consume every day passes through a complex global network of farmers, food manufacturers, retail chains and technology suppliers. The influence of the latter is often a key factor in improving agricultural methods and achieving sustainability of the entire system. Agri Techni Concept , based in Soret, a small region in the southwest of France, has made a major contribution to the modernization and environmental sustainability of local agricultural practices. In addition to producing specialized equipment for agriculture and forestry, the company gives a "second life" to agricultural machinery for harvesting root vegetables throughout south-west France.
As a manufacturer dedicated to exceeding the expectations of its customers, Agri Techni Concept is always following new technologies that could help create more functional, efficient and long-lasting equipment. With that in mind, the company turned to CADvision , a leading provider of advanced and integrated 3D solutions in France. With unique expertise in the field of CAD and additive manufacturing, CADvision is a long-term partner of Artec 3D , helping many companies make strategic investment decisions.
And while agriculture may not be the first industry that comes to mind when considering the various applications of 3D scanning, the company's scanner of choice – the Artec Leo – proves just how much benefit this technology can bring to this sector.
A unique 3D harvest optimization device
Benjamin Leroux, founder of Agri Techni Concept , has always been committed to innovation. For one particular project, he needed specially adapted solutions: the company took on the challenge of adapting and repairing agricultural equipment that would otherwise be obsolete. To help farmers continue to use proven machines, while improving their harvest with custom parts, Leroux opted for Artec Leo , the world's first and most famous wireless 3D scanner. The three key criteria that influenced its selection were portability, autonomy and Leo's ability to collect high-quality data.
This unique wireless device makes 3D scanning completely simple. The scanning process itself is so intuitive and easy that it can be surprising how much power it contains (to emphasize: the new NVIDIA processor , built-in 5" HD display and battery). Leo guarantees the precision and high quality of the collected data at every stage of the process, which is crucial for drawing parts of older machines whose plans are no longer available.
Adaptability and precision that are key
An additional challenge in this project was the specific requirements of farmers. For example, sandy carrots , a vegetable that Agri Techni harvests from light soils, must be thoroughly cleaned directly in the field to facilitate further processing in factories. Since only specific machines are suitable for this, Leroux and his team had to adapt the equipment to make it more efficient.
"Artec 3D technology gave a whole new meaning to my work. I was able to gain speed, but also precision, in order to offer better quality models."
To create an integrated carrot cleaning module, Agri Techni first held a meeting with the client to review the machine intended for this module. The team designed the part in the form of a rubber star system that the carrot passes through, removing as much sand as possible. To ensure that this basic module is fully integrated into the machine, they digitized the equipment using Artec Leo .
Agriculture in 3D - faster, more precise, simpler
The scan generally lasted between two and three minutes, and in some cases, when the object was larger than usual, extended to ten minutes. After scanning, the data from the objects was sent to Artec Studio for quick processing and fine-tuning. Known for its high accuracy, this intuitive 3D software allowed the scanning process to be completed flawlessly and the 3D models to be exported to CAD software for further specific manipulation.
"Once the data is sent to Artec Studio, I work on the file to ensure that the rendering is perfectly clean of the various imperfections noted during the scan," explained Leroux.
"First of all, the scanner allows me to get precise measurements and create a significant database that will be easy to use for processing in CAD software. 3D technology has given a whole new meaning to my work - I was able to gain speed, but also precision, in order to offer better quality models."
Another example was the case of a client who wanted to shorten the sowing time with modified equipment. Agri Techni experts visited the farm to inspect the machine and discuss possible options. After the inspection, they came up with a plan to install a fertilizer spreader and mount the hoe on the lift system, which would reduce the number of tractor passes.
The machine was scanned down to the smallest detail to ensure that all adaptations fit its shape perfectly. "Agricultural machinery is often quite bulky, so I needed a practical and easily portable scanner to be able to perform operations directly at the farmer, without any logistical constraints," Leroux said of the process.
Agri Techni has been involved in a number of equipment customization projects, all of which required the precision and adaptability that only 3D scanning technology can offer. Whether scanning large parts or accurately measuring hard-to-reach areas, the Artec Leo handled the challenges with ease. In order to provide farmers with the necessary machines, Leroux had to adapt parts to the properties and dimensions of different objects, which would have been impossible without precise 3D digitization.
According to the French company, there was no blueprint available for most of the agricultural machinery they encountered in similar projects. Some key but obsolete machinery units would be particularly challenging to rebuild, as would those with curved, irregular shapes, such as buckets for soil looseners. Artec Leo was the right solution: it was now completely possible to measure such parts with sub-millimeter precision, so that the replacements would fit the machines perfectly. Even with no plans to repair or restore the older machines, the team was able to reproduce spare parts quickly and easily. Instead of excessive consumption and additional investments, farmers were given the opportunity to improve the equipment they already own.
A global perspective: the transformation of agriculture
Regardless of their complexity, parts of agricultural machinery now have the opportunity for a "second life." From a global perspective, the application of 3D technology not only optimizes equipment customization for farmers, but also allows them to save time, money and effort in the long run, leading to greater sustainability. Aware of this, Agri Techni Concept is currently planning to expand their practices and offer 3D scanning services directly to companies looking to improve their agricultural work processes.
There is much promise for the agricultural sector as the history of innovation continues to unfold. Replacing machine parts, making custom tools, making scale models for agricultural facilities - these are just some of the cost-effective solutions that 3D scanning can offer. With the huge advances in 3D methods and technologies, some of the most pressing agricultural challenges could be solved with these innovations – as was the case now, in the fields of France.