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Laser scanning is totally noncontact.
This makes the technique perfect for fragile or delicate parts and materials. Quite simply a laser source illuminates a small area on the surface at a fixed angle and is reflected by the surface on to a sensor. As the spot or the part is moved linearly, the reflected light strikes different positions on the sensor. Where the light stikes the sensor is a function of how the light is reflected from the surface as a result of the surface profile at each point. By regularly collecting these sensor readings, a composite profile is created in software where it can then be quantified.