Our Process for Mechanical Components

Our primary goal throughout the process is to refurbish the item’s design. The objective is to produce a perfect model that represents the intention of the original or new design. This may suggest a solid understanding of the part’s application, since only then can the design intent be properly translated. It is essential to note that, because of the way they are produced, all manufactured and fabricated objects have imperfections. Some products may have been impacted by wear and tear, which disguises their initial design intent. Most often, the designed part is reshaped to capture design intent and overlook imperfections. The modeling of each flaw can be time-consuming, costly and superfluous in many instances.

Based on the size and complexity of the part, different metrology equipment may be used depending on the CAD requirements. Our scanners are portable and capable of scanning at your location. Once the objects have been scanned, our 3D modeling experts will begin converting the polygonal model to the desired CAD format. The completed model can then be imported into virtually any CAD software suite (e.g. Catia, Solidworks, Inventor, etc.). The type of design output for CAD modeling varies based on the necessary detail and accuracy.

Types of CAD Design Outputs:

• NURBS Surface (Non-Uniform Rational Basis Spline): Used to create a very smooth or mathematically exact surface. The NURBS is constructed by forming a continuous surface around a polygonal mesh, similar to shrink wrapping an object.
  The surface model will consist of production flaws and enables the patching of small surfaces.
• Parametric Solid Model: In the generation of solid shapes and geometric features, parametric modelers focus on establishing parameters. Model changes can then be made simply by editing those set parameters. The parametric model can be imported into a CAD editing software that allows you to access the feature tree and conveniently create drawings and modify features. With a solid model, you have the option of incorporating or ignoring manufacturing flaws.
• Hybrid Surface – Hybrid modeling is the blending of surface and solid modeling techniques. This sophisticated method typically involves building the model as a solid and altering it using surfaces, or vice versa.

The process of reverse engineering can be complex and requires a team of specialists. Tri-State Metrology’steam has years of direct experience in both 3D laser scanning and reverse engineering.