Computer-Aided Design (CAD) has revolutionised manufacturing, making it faster and cheaper to manufacture components than ever before. But what if you need to replicate a part that doesn’t have a digital data thread?
It happens more often than you think. Many of the parts that were designed and manufactured before the invention of CAD tools still don’t have a digital model.
Let’s take the railway industry as an example. Many rails were cast up to a hundred years ago, meaning that the only data we have available are the tracks themselves, or the moulds used to cast them.
Here’s where reverse engineering comes in. It’s the process of interrogating a part or system with the intent of duplicating or improving it. In the world of manufacturing, this involves measuring an existing asset, whether that be a single component or a complete assembly, to obtain the digital information necessary to recreate it.
Accelerating manufacturing with reverse engineering
Let’s go back to our railway example. When the inevitable happens, and a crucial part of the track needs to be replaced, how can we accurately manufacture a new section of rail? How can we ensure that the track not only enables the train wheels to run smoothly but also mates correctly with the surrounding components? With reverse engineering we can achieve all of this, but faster than with traditional methods.
Reverse engineering has always been used in some capacity with a variety of measurement techniques: tape measures, callipers, and even a piece of string. As technology has improved, so has our ability to measure with improved accuracy. The introduction of 3D scanners has catapulted 3D data capture, making it much more efficient, accurate and repeatable.
But even the best hardware in the world is useless without the right software. For reverse engineering, this software should enable you to easily use the data to rebuild, optimise and recreate. There are several options, each with benefits uniquely designed to address real industry challenges.
Read this one-stop guide to reverse engineering software, so that you choose the one that suits your needs best.
Geomagic Design X
This is the industry-leading reverse engineering software that allows you to build accurate, parametric CAD models from just about anything. It features fully automated and guided tools allowing you to create complex hybrid 3D models for solids, surfaces and meshes. The model will have a history tree which can be imported directly into your CAD software.
Because Geomagic Design X comes in three plans, Go, Plus and Pro, anyone can use it, from a design novices to seasoned experts.
Geomagic for SOLIDWORKS
If you need a straightforward path from point cloud to complete CAD design file, inside SOLIDWORKS, look no further. Geomagic for SOLIDWORKS allows you to create a usable 3D CAD from “lighter” data sets. It works just as SOLIDWORKS does, making it very intuitive, quick, and easy to integrate into your workflow. This allows you to import data or scan directly in SOLIDWORKS and use the integrated, industry-proven feature extraction wizards to extract CAD sketches, surfaces, and solids.
Geomagic Wrap
This is a powerful toolbox for transforming 3D scan data of complex, organic shapes into accurate, usable models. It delivers the most affordable, fast, and accurate path from point cloud to 3D polygonal models and brings industry-leading scripting and macros to automate repetitive tasks during the reverse engineering process.
