All you need to know about Reverse engineering services

If you need to make manufacturing design changes, but don’t have parts data and documentation, Laser Design’s on-site or in-lab reverse engineering services can help.

Reverse engineering using 3D scan data is the most efficient & effective way to generate a CAD model from a physical object that has any kind of complex or free-form shape. While using traditional measurement techniques such as calipers to reverse engineer these complex surfaces can be difficult or even impossible, 3D scanning shines – literally! Scan data can be turned into a model representing its as-built shape or to match original as-designed features – including parametric ones.

Take advantage of our more than 5 years of reverse engineering experience to help you:

1. Get the CAD data that captures an object’s original design intent
2. Design a new part to fit a legacy part
3. Accurately model powered surfaces
4. Update CAD models of your tooling to match shop-floor changes
5. Redesign a part without manufacturing defects
6. Modernize your manufacturing process

The CAD models we generate from reverse engineering services are:

1. Time and resource savers – giving you a huge marketing advantage
2. Usable in engineering, structure building, BIM and other types of projects for faster prototyping
3. Useful for retrofitting, reverse engineering and various types of simulations
4. Reverse engineering services make simulations and physical calculations much easier

How is reverse engineering different than 3d scanning?

The process of creating a CAD model for reverse engineering services requires some understanding of the original designer’s thought process. For example, one must make assumptions about whether a part is supposed to be symmetrical or perfectly round in shape. With reverse engineering, the goal is often to produce a CAD model of very high-quality surfaces, or “idealized”, where faces are perfectly flat, holes are perfectly round and surfaces are all seamlessly blended into one another. This makes it easier to create feature-based models along with dimensioned 2D drawings. This is different than “as-built” modeling, where the goal is to intentionally model a part’s flaws wherever they exist.

Why utilize Reverse engineering services?

Common reasons for reverse engineering:

1. To make a part or other item cheaper
2. Replicate a one-of-a-kind part
3. Analyze a competitor’s product
4. Create machining drawings for a handmade prototype
5. Create a nominal model to be compared against for inspection
6. Make changes and improvements to a product’s design
7. Preserve and document handmade molds & obsolete parts
8. Blueprint parts for government certification
9. Create the mold for a part

What can you do with a 3D model created by reverse engineering services?

Because of the high-quality models produced during the reverse engineering process, the models happen to be very versatile. Among the many things that are possible:

1. Machining & molding
2. 3D printing
3. Making changes to the design
4. Patent drawings
5. Exploded 3D visualizations and animations
6. Comparisons with other parts or scans
7. Can be used to design mating parts or packaging
8. Drawings can be sent overseas for manufacturing instead of the part

Alternatively, you can just keep the 3D model for safekeeping as documentation for future reference knowing, should the part ever be lost or destroyed, that you have sufficient information build another one. The sky is the limit as to what you can do once the object is in its digital form.

Are there limitations on size?

With different 3D scanners, we are able to scan huge parts to tiny parts and everything in between. Examples of scanning we have done range from large components-vessels to things as small as an intricate plastic assembly part. We are also able to scan complex organic surfaces such as impellers, bowl, and casting parts.

Different scanners are used depending on the application. Most of our scanners are portable, therefore we are able to scan at your location. But if your item is small enough, it is usually cheaper to ship the item to one of our scanning offices. This is because our offices are set up to scan items quickly and economically.

Reverse Engineering Process We Follow

Being a leading reverse engineering service providing company, we believe in providing quality services within quick turnaround time. This is possible by making use of a streamlined and systematic process. The key steps involved in our process are –

1. Receive Parts

In the first step, we receive the parts and the physical components from the client for our team's review at Fibrox3D.

2. Scanning

Our team at Fibrox3D performs a white light scanning of the part and extract the crucial cloud point data/mesh to our work stations.

3. Modeling

Using the cloud point data, our team generates a 2D/3D model which can be used to enhance the product. This includes inspection, failure analysis, general study, reproduction, etc.