3D Scanning & Reverse Engineering
Our 3D Scanning process offers you a complete digital representation of your part to be used for reverse engineering, quality inspection, or 3D printing prototype. With 3D digital data at our disposal, the range of applications becomes essentially limitless once the limitations imposed by conventional measurement technologies are eliminated.
The technique of 3D Scanning involves using equipment that measures the distance between the scanner and the object using a laser or other light source to digitally record information about the shape of the thing. Very small things all the way up to full-size aeroplanes can be captured with 3D scanning. We can quickly inspect parts thanks to 3D laser scanners, which can gather tens of thousands of points per second.
Reverse engineering, product development, and computer-aided simulation can all benefit from 3D scanning (CAE). 3D Scanning is helpful for reverse engineering, product designing, measuring complex curved surfaces, quality monitoring, prototyping, and development of industrial tools and devices. 3D Scanning systems are used within various industries including automotive, aerospace, medical, manufacturing, education, architecture, survey, healthcare, etc.
At RA Global we have been providing industry-leading 3D Scanning and reverse engineering systems and services to a variety of industries since 2013. Our expertise in capturing data for Marine, Industrial, Manufacturing, and Automotive applications ensures you have an expert you can rely on.
Contact Us today for your 3D Scanning and Reverse Engineering requirements.
Solutions to Quick and Accurate Reverse Engineering Process
What should you do if you need to make or construct a replacement for an existing part, tool, or object but lack the CAD file or design blueprint for it? What if the plans that are currently on file are poor and don't match the final product? Reverse engineering is the solution in both situations.
Reverse engineering is revolutionized by the use of 3D data capture, which enables users to quickly digitize complex geometries and produce digital models that may be used as design files in the future.
Rapid prototyping in the manufacture of plastics, component part design revisions or retrofits in aerospace assembly, and the creation of mesh or CAD models of car interiors are just a few of the many applications. Once developed, the digital files can help with the manufacture of aftermarket components, 3D printing, machining, the construction of molds and patterns, tools, and part inspection.
Count on our expertise in 3D Scanning, and reverse engineering if you need to generate 3D CAD models from existing objects (as-built), whether to determine the original design intent, modernize manufacturing processes, or design a new part to fit a legacy part, for instance.
We help our customers by utilizing the appropriate reverse engineering tools, to deliver 3D CAD models and STL files at any point of the product development process.
- 3D modeling of objects of all sizes
- Using generic or native file formats for parametric 3D modelling
- 3-D reconstruction scanning information, sketches, 2D drawings, etc.
- Hybrid modeling (design intent and as-built)
- Design modification from existing objects
- Data preparation for simulation
- Class-A surface modeling and Class-B surfacing
- Part design for injection molding (e.g. draft angle analysis, shrinkage)

Features of Industrial 3D Scanning
- Reverse Engineering
- Enhanced Precision for large objects
- Part Inspection
- Scan to 3D files in less than 1Day
- Mass Inspection
- Intuitive data capture
- 3D Printing
- Complex Metrological Measurements
Advantages of 3D Scanning
- Measure any physical object's physical attributes quickly
- Ensure the pieces will fit together by checking clearances and interference
- Save time in product design work
- Identify engineering improvements built into manufacturing products
- Utilize modern manufacturing on parts that were initially manufactured before CAD
- Compare “as-designed” model to “as-built” condition of manufactured parts
Use of 3D Scanner in R&D
1. Reverse Engineering & CAD Models
Reverse engineering a physical object for which you don't have a CAD file is a fairly typical difficulty in the field of engineering and product design. A fantastic technique to create a CAD file when none is already available is to use a 3D scanner that can capture the intricate geometrical details of a particular part. Early on in the reverse engineering process, creating or locating high-quality CAD files can significantly enhance project outcomes by reducing time wasted and guesswork based on incorrect data. Every single time, RA Global has discovered that our reverse engineering solutions have reduced the amount of time required for CAD development and produced more effective reverse engineering projects.
2. CFD/FEA
For testing in wind tunnels and during flights, CFD simulation is frequently employed. When predicting how a particular part or product will respond to forces like heat, fluid, vibration, etc., finite element analysis is commonly used. Precise digital models are required, and this is where 3D scanning comes in, as these simulations and analyses are utilized to mimic circumstances for industries like aircraft where safety is of the utmost significance. The simulations are more trustworthy the more precise the 3D models are.
3. Rapid Prototyping & 3D Printing
Other typical 3D scanning and reverse engineering applications include rapid prototyping and 3D printing. A physical product can be scanned into a digital format, such as the STL file format, using a 3D scanner, and then you can work with the digital model to produce prototypes that are subsequently manufactured using 3D printers. Due to the accuracy and speed of the 3D Scanner, it drastically reduces the manual time needed to generate a solid model and thus 3D printing.
4. Quality Control
Quality control is one of the most often used 3D scanning applications for scanners. Quality control is crucial in today's highly competitive industries as every company aims to create the most flawless parts in the shortest possible time. Precision, accuracy, and repeatability are essential components of every manufacturing facility because high-quality manufacturing processes may set a company apart from its rivals. By producing accurate 3D models of manufactured parts and providing procedures tailored for particular sectors, 3D scanning can help businesses increase the quality and efficiency of their inspections. To ensure that every location on the part is within the required tolerances, each part can be scanned and its digital representation analyzed.
As 3D scanning technology evolves, more industries are discovering uses for it, including more conventional metrology, product development, digitization, and even design for the architectural, engineering, and construction sector. The ability to collect data from the physical world, turn it into 3D models utilizing that information, edit those models, and then bring them back into the actual world using modern manufacturing technologies has fundamentally transformed reverse engineering in particular.
Applications
- Obsolete & Prototype Parts
- Reverse Engineering
- Inspection and Quality Control
- Architectural/Construction, Engineering
- Manufacturing
- Movies/TV/Games
- Art/Reproductions
- Medical / Dental
- Historical Artefacts
- Marine, Oil, and Gas
3D Scanning and Reverse Engineering, for engineering and manufacturing applications, the output is usually a mesh (STL file), NURBS surface, or 3D CAD model (static and parametric) in STEP/IGES/Parasolid file formats.