Accurate Reverse Engineering Services for Industrial and Hobbyist Applications

Sentinel 3D offers CAD model reverse engineering services for customers locally in the greater Seattle area and remotely for customers throughout the United States. Our reverse engineering service puts accuracy first. Using our high-accuracy, metrology-grade 3D scanners, our process starts with an accurate mesh and ends with a 3D model built for further development and manufacturing.

What is Reverse Engineering?

Most products get their start as a new idea. An engineer or designer creates a new CAD model to represent the idea, which eventually gets used downstream for further modelling, simulation, rapid prototyping, and eventually, production.

But what if the product you’re developing depends on an existing part or assembly? What if you don’t have a CAD model for the existing part?

Reverse engineering is the process of recreating a CAD model from an existing part or assembly. When executed properly, it can greatly accelerate the development of products derived from existing geometry.

CAD models can enable you to…

– Remanufacture out-of-production parts

– Modify existing designs

– Design mating parts for an existing part

– Create mechanical drawings where none existed

– Perform simulations (finite element analysis)

Reproduce Hard to Find, Out of Production Parts

What do you do when you can’t find an OEM or aftermarket replacement part for your passion project, aging equipment, or one-off assembly? One option is to try recreating the part using primitive measurement tools like tape measures and calipers. This might work well for simple parts, but probably not ones with complex geometry. You could scrap the project altogether, but the result of doing so may mean a significant amount of wasted time and money. Have you considered reverse engineering?

Sentinel 3D Scanning can help you create accurate CAD models of your existing parts – even if they are broken! These CAD models can then be remanufactured using modern manufacturing technologies, like 3D printing, CNC milling, or laser cutting. In some cases, reproductions may even function better than the original due to advancements in manufacturing technology.

Modify existing designs to fit your needs

Not all designs prove to be reliable the first time around. And in some cases, these designs end up making it into consumer products, eventually failing at some point. In other situations, the design may be reliable, but it might not serve the customer’s needs fully. But with a parametric CAD model in hand, old designs can be modified and improved upon to improve reliability or add functionality.

When performing modifications to a CAD model, it may be necessary to have a parametric CAD model. Unlike some CAD models, parametric CAD models can be edited to change the design intent, and typically include features like sketches, extrudes, cuts, revolves, lofts, and sweeps – all of which can be edited to meet the design requirements. Sentinel 3D Scanning’s reverse engineering services can provide parametric CAD models when necessary, or non-parametric models for designs that require more simple modifications.

Perform Finite Element Analysis and Simulations on Off-the-shelf Parts

Suppliers aren’t always willing to share CAD models of their components. While this practice does help prevent piracy, it can also stall companies attempting to integrate those products into their own designs. Reverse engineering sidesteps this obstacle, enabling the use of accurate CAD models throughout the product development cycle.

Having accurate CAD models for all your components can greatly speed up your design process. Without them, modelling can be cumbersome. Taking measurements with a caliper or referring to a drawing may work for simple objects, but having a truly accurate representation of your part will speed up modelling time, preventing mistakes caused by manual processes and guesswork.

CAD models are also indispensable when performing simulations. Finite element analysis and other types of mathematical modelling often require a CAD model, especially when the design is complex or organic. 3D scanning and reverse engineering paves a path to perform simulations previously thought impossible.

File Types Compatible with Your Workflow

After an object is scanned, there are many CAD model file types and formats that can be produced from the scan data. These outputs can be in the form of a single part or an assembly model. Knowing which file format you need for your project can be confusing, but Sentinel 3D can work with you to formulate a plan before providing an estimate.

Solid Mesh

Although data collected during 3D scanning is very accurate, it often contains defects found on the real part, and in some cases, missing data caused by line-of-sight issues. But once a mesh is cleaned up and solidified, duplicates can be 3D printed without further processing.

Nonparametric CAD Model

If you need to make simple modifications to the original part or design geometry for a mating part, chances are a simple mesh won’t be enough. Simultaneously, an editable CAD model may be an unnecessary expense. In this case, nonparametric CAD surfaces and/or solids may be a good compromise. This option is also the entry point for machining duplicate parts.

Partially Parametric CAD Model

If only some features of the produced CAD model do need to be edited, a partially editable CAD model may work well for your needs. This will allow you to make only necessary modifications to the CAD model and is cheaper than a fully parametric CAD model.

Fully Parametric CAD Model

Fully editable (parametric) CAD models have unlimited editing possibilities. These models are built within CAD software and are provided in that software’s native format.

Simple and transparent pricing for reverse engineering services

Use the calculator below to gain insight into what your project may cost. Contact us to receive a more accurate formal estimate. Please note that pricing may change at any time. See our pricing page for additional cost calculators, including the cost of 3D scanning..