Start with something people underestimate
Temperature is not just a background condition.
It directly changes your measurement.
1. Material expansion is real
All materials expand.
That includes:
- Machine structure
- Calibration ball
- Ball bar
Even small expansion can affect:
- Diameter
- Distance
2. It’s not just room temperature
People often say:
“Room is 20°C, so it’s fine.”
But in reality:
- Machine generates heat
- Airflow is not uniform
- Local temperature varies
So two measurements in the same room can still differ.
3. 3D scanners are even more sensitive
In optical systems:
- Temperature affects sensor stability
- Changes light behavior
- Influences reconstruction
So errors may not look like “thermal errors”, but they are.
4. What you can actually do
Instead of trying to control everything:
- Let the machine stabilize before measurement
- Avoid airflow directly on the setup
- Keep calibration artifacts in the same environment
Final thought
Temperature errors are usually small.
But they are always there.
And they accumulate.