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Case Study | Alpha Manufacturing
Introduction
Alpha Manufacturing, proudly part of The HEX Group, is a Staffordshire-based sheet metal fabrication specialist with over 40 years of experience. While historically serving in-house group brands like Bri-Stor Systems,
Alpha Manufacturing has transformed into a diversified subcontractor delivering full-service manufacturing, from CNC machining to sub-assembly and integration, for a wide external client base.
The company’s commitment to continuous investment has led to a highly advanced shop floor, with state-of-the-art laser cutting, bending, and machinery, with its latest focus on digital transformation in quality control.
Objective
Alpha Manufacturing recognised a growing need for a more robust, data-driven inspection processes, particularly when serving customers with complex, high-precision fabrication requirements.
The business sought to move beyond traditional inspection methods and adopt a system capable of capturing accurate, repeatable data, both for customer assurance and internal quality development.
Application Areas
The introduction of the MetraSCAN 3D at Alpha Manufacturing is already shaping how quality control is approached across the business. While initial use has been focused on a key customer project, Alpha Manufacturing is laying the foundations to extend scanning into multiple stages of its production process, particularly where high precision and repeatability are critical.
The system’s flexibility makes it well-suited to the varied workload and the diverse needs of its customer base:
- Inspection of large fabrications
- Dimensional comparison to CAD models
- Data capture for repeat and long-term production runs
- Quality assurance touchpoints at multiple production stages (e.g. post-punch, post-weld)
Challenges
Like any implementation of new technology, Alpha Manufacturing’s adoption of the MetraSCAN has come with its share of practical considerations. Rather than obstacles, these early challenges have provided valuable insights, highlighting areas where processes can be strengthened and ensuring the business is set up for long-term success. From team structure to infrastructure planning, Alpha Manufacturing is taking a thoughtful and phased approach to integration.
- Establishing Ownership: The business is actively developing internal champions who will help embed the MetraSCAN into daily quality processes and cross-functional workflows.
- Facility Planning: A dedicated scanning area is currently being developed to house the system in a controlled, optimised environment, ensuring consistency, ease of use, and operational flow.
- Process Development: While initial usage has focused on immediate needs, Alpha Manufacturing is now formalising reporting protocols and exploring how to best integrate data outputs across departments.
- Future-Focused Mindset: The team recognises the importance of shifting from reactive checks to proactive process control, and is putting structures in place to make that transition.
These steps reflect Alpha Manufacturing’s commitment not just to adopting technology, but to embedding it meaningfully and sustainably into the business.
Solution
Alpha Manufacturing selected the Creaform MetraSCAN 3D for its flexibility, precision, and suitability for varied subcontracting demands:
Key Features:
- Metrology-Grade Accuracy: Up to 0.025mm, enabling high-precision dimensional analysis
- High-Speed Scanning: Captures millions of data points per second, up to 25x faster than traditional methods
- Portability: Lightweight and easy to deploy across different areas of the shop floor
- Intelligent Tracking: Scans remain accurate even if the part or scanner is moved during measurement
- Quick Setup: Ready to use in minutes, reducing downtime and increasing responsiveness
This versatility made it the ideal choice for Alpha Manufacturing, where projects can range from small, intricate parts to assemblies of large-scale components.
The MetraSCAN 3D
MetraSCAN 3D is the most accurate combined scanning and probing solution on the market today. Creaform’s TRUaccuracy technology ensures highly accurate measurements, regardless of the operator’s skill or the measurement environment, instability, vibration, thermal variation, etc.
Scanning up to 1,800,000 million points per second. The system is handheld and armless, so it is easy to learn and quick to use.
- Accuracy & Speed
- Dynamic Referencing & Auto Alignment
- Scan any surface
- Portable and Flexible
Benefits and Early Outcomes
Although still in the early stages of its journey, Alpha Manufacturing is already seeing the positive impact of adopting 3D scanning. The MetraSCAN is helping the business respond more confidently to customer demands while setting the stage for deeper process improvements.
With a clear roadmap in place, the benefits are expected to grow steadily over the coming months, particularly as scanning becomes embedded in day-to-day operations.
- Improved confidence in quality for key fabrication customers
- A structured roadmap toward full process integration
- Plans for a digital library of scanning templates to support high-volume repeat work
- Reduced reliance on manual measurement and end-of-line inspection
- Growing internal alignment around data-driven quality assurance
“We’re still early into our journey with the MetraSCAN, but the vision is clear. We want to build a process where every repeat job can be scanned, compared against programmed criteria, and quality-assured from the first part. The technology’s potential is huge; it’s just about getting the right people and structure in place to unlock it.”
Greg Howell, Business Improvement, Alpha Manufacturing
Looking Ahead
By the end of 2026, Alpha Manufacturing expects to have a dedicated scanning zone operational, alongside an established process for integrating 3D scanning across production stages. A phased rollout of repeat-part scanning templates will follow, ensuring efficiency and traceability for long-term and high-frequency orders.
Long-term, the MetraSCAN will support Alpha Manufacturing’s vision of transforming inspection from a final checkpoint into an in-process assurance tool, strengthening customer partnerships and enabling even higher standards of quality.
Closing Summary
Alpha Manufacturing’s early-stage adoption of the MetraSCAN 3D marks a strategic step toward more robust, data-driven quality assurance. While still in the early phases of integration, the business is already building the foundations for in-process inspection, improved repeatability, and stronger customer confidence.
With a clear roadmap in place, 3D scanning is set to play a central role in Alpha Manufacturing’s long-term quality strategy, supporting everything from complex fabrications to high-volume repeat work.
Download the full case study to explore the challenges, implementation approach, and early outcomes in detail.
