Success Story

Van Raam Special Needs Bicycles: Mastering Mobility with 3D Metrology

15 April 2021

Van Raam, a manufacturer of special needs bicycles based in Varsseveld, the Netherlands, supports disabled people to be independent in their mobility. The specialties of Van Raam are tricycles, scooter bikes, tandems, duo bikes, wheelchair bikes, transport bikes, walking aids and low step through bikes. As each of these vehicles is manufactured individually, the number of tailor-made parts is huge. They need to be digitized in order to identify, analyze and eliminate quality problems as fast as possible. That’s why Van Raam decided for ZEISS Metrology’s ATOS ScanBox with the high-speed 3D scanning system ATOS 5, a precise and efficient measuring solution for production monitoring. The company uses it for serial quality checks of the steel production parts and for incoming goods inspection of delivered rims. Based on the full-field scan data, Van Raam is able to completely check the produced parts in order to initiate targeted corrective measures.

ZEISS Inspect Suite is key — In the ZEISS software all scan data is put together in one digital 3D model – checks with the surface comparison can be indicated and passed to the production department.

ZEISS INSPECT is key

Another key factor is the ZEISS software. Sjoerd ter Horst, additive manufacturing engineer, emphasizes the importance of the software. “The software is key for us. All the scan data is put together in one digital 3D model. We can indicate checks with the surface comparison and pass this information on to the production department. This exchange is necessary because, when constructing a new bicycle, we inevitably make a frame that deviates from the theoretical CAD model. Now we base our production on actual data instead of theory. The more scan data we have, the better the results will be in the long run, and that makes for a nicer and tighter result. Ultimately, together with the production department, we achieve a higher quality of the produced frames”.

Checking delivered bicycle parts

Van Raam also uses the ATOS ScanBox for quality control of rims. “The delivered rims should meet the set quality standards, such as roundness and flatness, but as we put safety first, we scan these rims in our ATOS ScanBox, too,” says Sjoerd ter Horst. “If the scan data shows that the rims do not meet our quality standards, we send them back to the suppliers. Thanks to the metrology data, we have hard evidence and can continue with products that we are absolutely sure are safe"

Van Raam

Van Raam has been producing bicycles for almost 110 years, and for more than 35 years with a focus on   special needs bikes. Nothing is produced in stock, each bike is manufactured individually. With around 230 employees, Van Raam produces Dutch quality bikes, mainly for adults and children with disabilities and who are looking for more safety and stability when riding a bike.

Van Raam

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