MINNEAPOLIS — GKS Scanning Services  is seeking partnerships with surveying and civil engineering firms that want to offer 3D laser scanning to their customers. The GKS Professional Partner Program can be tailored to fit the specific needs of a surveying or civil engineering firm. GKS can provide scanner equipment rentals or full scanning services with one of its expert operators. The company can also provide 3D scan data processing services. All of these services are discounted when provided through a professional partner.

Many of these firms see the benefit of 3D scanning but have not yet incorporated this complementary technology because of its high cost and technical complexity. Since GKS is not a competing professional engineering firm, the company aims to form collaborative partnerships with a select number of these firms in different regions.

“Today large-scale 3D laser scanning is a viable alternative for surveying sites and making digital models of structures like never before,” said a GKS company spokesperson. 3D scanning is a great tool for surveying large-scale, complex entities, such as entire buildings, factories, power plants, roads, bridges, landscapes, and other structures and locations. The collected data can be used to create universally usable, dimensionally accurate 3D CAD models or conventional 2D line drawings such as blueprints or floor plans.

As with any complex technology, 3D laser scanning requires specialized equipment, software, and training for optimal results. Many of these scanning applications are one-time projects where the professional firm can’t justify the substantial cost of buying and learning a new system and its software. GKS says it can make the laser scanning experience smooth, seamless, and profitable for its professional partners.