Experiment 6 :- Scan the given complex component using

available 3D scanner.
Reverse engineering is a powerful way to create digital designs from a physical part, and
can be a valuable tool in your prototyping toolkit alongside technologies like 3D scanning
and 3D printing.

3D scanners measure complex objects very quickly, and can speed up your design
workflow tremendously when real-life references are involved. With the ability to capture
and modify physical shapes, you can design 3D printed parts that fit perfectly on existing
products of all kinds. 3D printed jigs allow you to repeatedly locate a drill or saw, or
assemble parts precisely with adhesive. Create close-fitting, reusable masks for
sandblasting, painting, or etching.

From Physical to Digital: Meshes and Solids

Meshes are the main output of all 3D scanners, and the format commonly understood by
3D printers (STLs). A mesh represents the surface of a shape with a large number of
triangles, connected edge to edge. Mesh models don‟t contain any information about the
object, besides the position of the triangles that define the shape.

On the other hand, engineers are trained to work with solid models. Solid models hold
information about how an object is designed, and this information is explicitly encoded
into the model as features in a „stack‟ of logical steps. In solid CAD, it‟s possible to
change the dimensions for a single feature, and the rest of the model will update to
accommodate the change.

Since meshes lack information about the construction of the object, the ways you can
alter a mesh model are limited—CAD software like Solidworks and Onshape can‟t
directly modify meshes. If you need to make major modifications to the underlying design
of a scanned part, the mesh needs to be converted to a solid CAD drawing: this process
is reverse engineering.

How to Scan an Object for 3D Printing: The Reverse

Engineering Workflow
Reverse engineering is important when you want to create new parts that reference or
incorporate older designs, where the original CAD design isn‟t accessible.

For example, you can create replacement parts that match the original design of
damaged existing pieces, or use reverse engineering processes to integrate complex
surfaces from existing objects into 3D printable jigs, which are useful when modifying
mass manufactured and handcrafted products.

To demonstrate the basic steps in a reverse engineering workflow, let's take a look at the
process for creating an assembly jig for an aftermarket digital gauge that fits onto the air
vent of a Volkswagen Golf.

1. Prepare the Object for Scanning

Spray coat the object with a temporary matte powder to improve scan accuracy. Even
slightly glossy surfaces tend to degrade scan quality, while reflective and transparent
surfaces cannot be scanned at all without a matte coating.
2. 3D Scan the Object

Use a high accuracy 3D scanner to capture the important sections of the part. Tabletop
structure light or laser scanners are the right tools for the job, with accuracy of ±100 or
better.

Learn more about how to choose the right 3D scanner for your application in our 3D
scanning white paper:

3. Refine the Mesh

Some scanners produce extremely large mesh files, which will make later steps grind to
a halt.

Scanner software repairs small gaps and simplifies the scan, making the data more
manageable in CAD. Try to reduce the model as much as possible without destroying
important details.
 Tip: If you need more control, Meshmixer is a great choice for refining scanned meshes.

4. Import the Mesh to CAD

Import the mesh into CAD software equipped with reverse engineering tools. Geomagic
for Solidworks is a powerful choice for resurfacing complex, organic shapes.

If you are reverse engineering a part with simpler flat surfaces, Xtract3D is a less
expensive, lightweight alternative.

In this step, move and rotate the scan mesh into alignment with any existing design
components.
5. Extract Important Surfaces

There are three paths to extract the shape of the scan in order to create a solid model
that is editable with CAD tools: semi-automatic surfacing, automatic surfacing, and
manual redrawing.

Semi-automatic surfacing

Complex curved surfaces are difficult to manually draw, so you may choose to use semi-
automatic surfacing. This function generates surfaces that fit to detected regions of the
scan. By varying the sensitivity of the surface detection function, different surfaces will be
found.

Tip: Geomagic for Solidworks detects surfaces on the scan to fit 3D curves. Use a
“brush” to manually add or subtract areas on the scan from each region.

You may need to repeat this process several times with different sensitivity settings to
detect all your surfaces. These surfaces can then be trimmed and knit together to create
an editable solid.

Use semi-automatic surfacing to re-create curved shapes when you want maximum
editability later on, and when sharp edge accuracy is important.

Automatic surfacing
Automatic surfacing generates a solid model from any watertight scan. You can use
standard CAD tools to subtract and add to this auto-surfaced body, but it will be more
difficult to move basic features around on the body itself.

You may not need control over edge placement. For example, if you are scanning a part
of the human body to create custom ergonomically-shaped products, or want to create a
jig to precisely or repeatably modify a handmade object. In these cases, automatic
surfacing is a great way to save modeling time.

Manual redrawing

For simple features such as bosses, holes, and pockets, it‟s usually fastest and most
accurate to redraw the features using the scan model as a reference. Reverse
engineering software allows you to create sketch planes aligned with flat surfaces on
the scan and to extract cross sections from the scan mesh, which helps you match
the shape of the original object.

6. Integrate New Objects

Once the scan has been converted to a solid, it can be subtracted from another solid
body to create a jig that securely holds the original part.
The design of the new gauge component also references the dimensions of the scan,
using curves extracted with semi-automatic surfacing.

7. 3D Print the New Design

Printing the jig on a Formlabs stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer gives you a high degree
of accuracy comparable to the output of engineering-grade 3D scanners. Use
Formlabs Rigid 4000 Resin for its strength and precision.

Once these steps are complete, the 3D printed jig is ready to use to assemble the new gauge
onto the OEM air vent.