Engineering and digitisation
Reverse engineering: from the part back to the design
The part exists, the data does not. The manufacturer is gone, the drawing is lost, or there never was one. We capture the part, re-engineer it and deliver a 3D model with a manufacturing drawing — so it can be made again.
Reverse engineering means turning an existing part back into a complete design. The part is measured or scanned, the geometry is rebuilt in CAD, and a standards-compliant manufacturing drawing with tolerances is derived from the model. The result is not a copy of the surface but a clean, editable CAD model that can be manufactured, modified and archived.
Measure and rebuild — or scan and trace?
A 3D scan delivers an image of the surface in minutes. Impressive, but not yet a design: a scan does not know that a hole is a hole, that two faces are meant to be parallel, or that a dimension is 20.00 and not 19.97. Reverse engineering is the step after that — the intent of the original designer is reconstructed from the capture.
| Use the scan as a mesh | Reconstruct the design | |
|---|---|---|
| Geometry | Millions of small triangles approximating the surface | Regular geometry: planes, cylinders, holes, radii |
| Dimensions | As the worn part is today — including wear and manufacturing scatter | Set to nominal values, tolerances defined by function |
| Editability | Practically none — a mesh cannot be dimensioned or changed parametrically | Full CAD model, every hole and dimension individually editable |
| Manufacturing drawing | Cannot be derived | Derived to standard, with tolerances, fits and surface finishes |
| Functional dimensions | Get lost in the point cloud | Recognised and measured specifically |
| File size | Often hundreds of megabytes | A few megabytes, opens in any CAD system |
Both have their place. For a free-form surface — a cast housing, an ergonomic grip, a flow channel — the scan is the only sensible capture, and we build the surfaces on it. For a turned or milled part, callipers, a dial gauge and a trained eye are often entirely sufficient. Which route is right we settle before the quote.
What you get
- A 3D CAD model of the part as STEP — and on request in the native format of your CAD system.
- A standards-compliant manufacturing drawing with dimensions, tolerances and surface finishes.
- Nominal instead of worn dimensions: the model shows the part as it was designed, not as it looks today.
- On request, DXF cutting contours for sheet-metal parts so cutting can start straight away.
- A measurement report of the captured dimensions if you need it for your documentation.
What we need
The part itself — or, if it cannot be moved, an appointment on site. Everything else helps but is not a prerequisite.
- The part, by post or for capture on site. Even a worn or broken part is a usable reference.
- Whatever old documentation still exists: sketches, partial drawings, photos, a catalogue sheet.
- What the part is used for — which faces bear, guide or seal. The tolerances depend on that.
- The mating part, if available: a fit is far safer to determine on the pair than on the single part.
- Material and manufacturing process, as far as known — or we determine them with you.
How it works
Four steps from part to design. No costs arise until you approve the quote.
Enquiry with photos
You describe the part briefly and send a few photos — via the form or in reply to our confirmation email. No account needed.
Review and questions
We assess whether measuring is enough or scanning is needed, and clarify which dimensions are decisive for the function.
Quote
You receive a fixed-price quote. Once the part is with us, capture begins after approval and receipt of payment.
Delivery and return
Model and drawing arrive by download, the part goes back by post. If something does not fit, it is corrected.
What does it cost?
The price depends on three things: the capture, the complexity of the geometry, and how much drawing you need at the end. A turned shaft with five shoulders is done in a morning; a cast housing with free-form surfaces and twenty hole patterns is not. That is why there is no flat rate but a fixed-price quote after review.
- Capture: measuring by hand is inexpensive, a 3D scan costs more — but pays off with free-form surfaces.
- Geometry: number of features, share of free-form surfaces, symmetries that can be exploited.
- Scope of delivery: model only, model with drawing, or additionally DXF contours and a measurement report.
- On-site visit: travel and time on site if the part cannot be shipped.
Enquiry and assessment are free. The quoted price is a fixed price; billing by prepayment, invoice with VAT shown separately.
Enquire about a projectFrequently asked questions
There really is no drawing left at all. Is that still possible?
Yes — that is the normal case in reverse engineering. The part is the drawing. What is missing is the intent behind it: which dimension was toleranced, which face is a functional face. That is exactly what we reconstruct from the part, its function and, if available, the mating part.
How accurate will the re-engineered part be?
As accurate as the function requires — no more. A nominal dimension can be determined on the part to a few hundredths; which tolerance belongs to it follows from the job of that face. A bearing seat gets a fit, an outer edge on sheet metal does not. We make those decisions visibly and with reasons in the drawing, not silently.
Does the part need to be scanned, or is measuring enough?
For turned parts, milled parts, sheet metal and anything made of planes, cylinders and holes, measuring is enough — faster and cheaper. Scanning comes in when free-form surfaces are involved: castings, grips, covers, flow contours. Often it is a mix: the scan delivers the free-form surface, the functional dimensions are measured by hand in addition.
How does the part get to you and back?
By parcel, insured, in both directions — the usual route for parts up to roughly the size of a car boot. Anything too large or installed we capture on site; the travel then appears as its own line in the quote. The part leaves us in the state it arrived: we measure, we do not machine.
Am I even allowed to have a third-party part re-engineered?
In most cases, yes: remaking a spare part for your own machine because the manufacturer no longer supplies it is common and permissible. Limits are set by patents, utility models and design protection — these concern individual designs, not the idea of a shaft or a flange. If a part is recognisably protected or carries a third-party logo, we raise it before the quote. We cannot and may not replace legal advice.
Related
Does your part have free-form surfaces? Then 3D scanning is the first step. And for the basics to read up on: