Send the physical part, or your scan data, and get back clean parametric CAD with real features, not a mesh. Then modify it, print it, mold it, or hand a drawing to a machine shop. Replacement parts, obsolete parts, improved parts.
A raw scan is millions of triangles: it looks right, it prints once, and you cannot edit it, dimension it or send it to a molder. Reverse engineering rebuilds the part as proper geometry, with the holes round, the walls flat, the fillets real and the dimensions where the designer meant them. That is the file you can keep using.
The clip that broke, the bracket nobody sells any more, the housing for a machine whose maker is gone. Rebuilt, improved if you want, and printed or quoted for molding.
Parts you make or sell but only have samples or paper drawings for. Turned into CAD so the next run, the next supplier and the next revision all start from a file.
While the model is open: thicker where it broke, a better snap, a mounting boss that was always missing. Reverse engineering is the cheapest moment to fix a design.
| Good fit | Talk first | Not this service |
|---|---|---|
| Hand-sized to shoebox-sized plastic and simple metal parts | Large parts, or parts with complex sculpted surfaces | Copying parts that are patented or trademarked, for resale |
| Replacement and obsolete parts for your own use or products | Very tight tolerance or mating features that need metrology-grade inspection | Food-contact, medical or safety-critical parts |
| Parts you make but only have samples or paper drawings for | Assemblies with many parts |
Replacing a part on equipment you own is fine. Reproducing someone else's protected product to sell is not, and I will say so rather than take the job.
Usually yes; measurement and a fit check need it in hand. If you already have a good scan, send that with photos and a couple of hand measurements instead.
It will be what the original was meant to be. Worn, warped or broken features are rebuilt to their intended geometry, and the deviation note tells you what was changed.
Yes, and that is the best time. Say what failed or what you wish it had, and it goes into the brief.
Yes: printed in FDM or SLA, or designed for molding if you need quantity. Or take the files anywhere.
Parts are measured, not destroyed, and returned with the files. If a part is irreplaceable, say so and it is handled that way.
Send a photo and a sentence about what it is and what you need it for. You get a reply with questions or a written quote within two business days.