Proliner

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1 Overview
2 Description
3 Industries
4 Advantages
5 Disadvantages
6 References

[edit] Overview

The Proliner® consists of a portable digitizer produced by the dutch company Prodim International BV.

[edit] Description

It is a wired based device: capable of making accurate 2-or 3D measurements by marking relevant points with a pen. The pen registers the X-Y-Z co-ordinates of the desired shape, then translates these co-ordinates directly into a digital DXF CAD file. The Proliner® is capable of measuring individual points and contours.
Prodim International BV owns the patent of this technology and therefore the Proliner® is unique in his kind.
This mobile measuring device records the measuring points very precisely and then saves the collected information digitally. Since the Proliner® can be connected to the common CAD-systems, it is possible to get drawings in a relatively fast time .
The Proliner® is capable of precise measurements of straight, curved, or very complex shapes. It doesn't matter whether the object is in a horizontal, vertical or slanting position. It is also possible to measure a combination of these positions at once. In relatively short time, the special pointer marks the relevant points in order to register the outlines of the object. All the measuring data will automatically be registered digitally. Measurements up to 14 meters can be made at one time and larger measurements can be made by combining drawings in a simple "leap frog" process.
Thanks to a direct link to common CAD-systems, measured outlines can be quickly translated to a scale drawing. The Proliner® can be connected to CNC production machines. This makes separated programming unnecessary and results in shortened run time.
The Proliner® is solidly constructed to withstand actual "in the field" working conditions. The Proliner® 3D can be used in horizontal and vertical positions plus it can rest at any angle. The touch screen also has contrast regulation to provide a razor sharp display.
The device is compact, only 10 kilos, has a rechargeable battery, and can be taken anywhere. Starting up the Proliner® requires zero calibration and set up time, so measuring can be started immediately.

[edit] Industries

The Proliner® is present in a large wide of industries:
• kitchen and bath counter-tops
• natural stone
• glass (flat and bent)
• interior design
• shipbuilding
• wood jobs
• architecture

[edit] Advantages

The most important quality of the Proliner® is surely its portability, being compact, relatively light device, and optionally working on batteries. It can be taken on job site.
Another remarkable quality of the Proliner® is the lack of any need for a set-up. The machine can be placed in any position/angle and it is ready to operate.
Last but not least, the Proliner® produces immediately polyline CAD files (DXF) which are optimized for production (to be loaded on CNC machines). Eventually only a short editing in a CAD software could be needed (not always).

[edit] Disadvantages

The Proliner® has obviously also some disadvantages, when compared to other digitizers: arm-robots could possibly (not in every case) provide an higher accuracy (less than 0.1 mm) (the Proliner® has anyway an high accuracy: max error of 0.3 mm on 5mt measurement). Laser devices and photocamera systems can reach distances greater than the Proliner® in just one session, above all when measuring extremely large objects: such as building facades or monuments. Never the less the Proliner® can combine multiple drawings overcoming this limit.