The Bott Group designs vehicle and operating equipment as well as workplace systems. From its headquarters in Gaildorf, Germany, and two production sites in Bude, England, and Tárnazsadány, Hungary, Bott Group designs and manufactures work environments for mobile and stationary manual work environments of all kinds.

A sales-and-service network that stretches across France, Austria, Denmark, and Italy, as well as dozens of global licensees, keeps support close to every customer, whether a single craftsperson or a multinational fleet. From basic development work to order processing, Bott’s internal processes are characterized by precision work and onsite provision for seamless, high-quality assembly. This allows all employees involved to work more proactively, quickly, and safely.

Hidden bottlenecks from inaccurate point clouds

Engineers need an accurate 3D digital model of each vehicle. Before 3D scanning, those models began as laser point clouds that looked convincing on screen yet wouldn’t become usable surfaces.

“Point clouds were fine for reference,” says Mario Leiser, head of Basic Interior Development, “but as soon as we tried to generate solid geometry, our workflows took more time than originally planned.”

Cleaning data, patching voids, and reverse-engineering surfaces routinely took up to three working days per vehicle model, and that delay rippled through production, installation, and the final handoff to the customer. Slower lead times compromised just-in-time fit-outs; the team knew it had to break the cycle.

Leiser’s group pinned three must-haves to the whiteboard: capture accuracy within tenths of a millimeter, a learning curve short enough for multisite rollout, and integrated 3D scanning software for feature extraction and CAD modeling from scan data. After testing several metrology solutions, they settled on the HandySCAN 3D|MAX series paired with the Scan-to-CAD software module part of the Creaform Metrology Suite.

The HandySCAN 3D|MAX series makes it easy to 3D-scan large vehicle parts in minutes

Accelerating production processes

Because the HandySCAN 3D|MAX is a metrology-grade and portable 3D scanner for large parts, technicians could carry it from the shop floor to the vehicle park outside. The setup and scanning process takes minutes. Once the scanning process is complete, Creaform’s Scan-to-CAD software module environment optimizes the mesh and extracts all geometric information for postprocessing in Inventor, the Bott Group’s preferred CAD software. This scanner and software tool set makes reverse engineering a breeze.

Onboarding was fast and simple. “After a short training session, my team called the workflow ‘intuitive, fast and stable,’” Leiser says.

3D-scan data of a vehicle panel imported into Inventor CAD software 

Measurable payback in lead times

The lead time for one of the first new projects was reduced by three days. Because the Scan-to-CAD software module delivers clean solids immediately, engineers bypass the laborious surfacing stage and move directly to 3D modeling. That change alone frees up many engineering hours per vehicle model, time now reinvested in value-adding design tweaks that improve end-user ergonomics.

In addition, the accuracy of each vehicle has improved: Dimensional deviations are now color-coded in real time so brackets and panels arrive at the workshop with a perfect fit and rework is avoided. The flood of newly introduced vehicle models has increased noticeably in recent years, but Leiser’s team still has the upper hand, thanks to the faster workflow.

For Leiser, his team’s journey with 3D scanning is only just beginning. In the future, he wants to scan the entire vehicle for aerodynamic add-on parts such as roof-rack systems. “With good tools and half the work, Creaform has helped us redefine our level of performance,” he says.

Published July 15, 2025, by Creaform.