The ScanShark V4ix laser scanning probe works by the principle of laser triangulation.  A laser stripe of  hundreds of  points is projected on the work piece.  These points are reflected from the surface to a solid state camera chip.  Each line is processed as a profile of the surface at that machine position.  The data is collected at over 23,000 points per second.  This allows some features (such as holes and small slots) to be measured in a single pass where with tactile probes and spot lasers multiple measurements are required.  Laser scanning probes are useful for collecting point clouds where an entire free-form surface needs to be compared to CAD data.  The point cloud can be overlaid on the CAD model, creating a visual "weathermap" of the surface, showing the deviation from nominal in different colors.  

For sheet metal, soft bodied parts that can be deformed by a touch probe, and other inspection applications where throughput and speed of measurement take priority, stripe laser technology may be a worthwhile investment on your next CMM.  Laser probes on a bridge CMM are best for situations where you need to repeatedly inspect similar parts, or where you need to combine free-form surface inspection with higher-accuacy tactile probing. This can be done in a single part program with ScanShark and PC-DMIS software.

Because of the fast data collection, solid mesh models can be created from the surface profiles making these probes ideal for STL generation for reverse Engineering, product development and rapid prototyping applications. 

Product Availability:  ScanShark V4ix is a probe option on the Discovery III and Pioneer Plus CMMs from Sheffield.