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3D scanning and reverse engineering.

The part exists. The drawing does not. That is a normal place to start, and it is what the scanner is for.

ScannerCreaform HandySCAN
OutputSTEP / IGES
Drawing neededNo
01 When you need it

Most parts that arrive here have no model behind them. The drawings were never made, or they were lost years ago. The supplier who produced the original has closed. The part was modified on the bench and nobody updated the paperwork. Or it belongs to somebody else and you need something that fits against it.

All four are routine. We measure the component you have, rebuild it as a working model, and manufacture from that model in carbon fibre. You end up with both the part and the geometry, which means the second one is straightforward and the twentieth is identical to the first.

If you do not have the component either, and only a problem to solve, that is still a conversation worth having. Tell us what the part has to do.

The scan resolving into a mesh on screen
02 How it works

Component in, geometry out.

Four stages. Send us the part and the first three happen here, usually without you needing to be involved.

01

Target and scan

Reflective positioning targets are applied to the component so the scanner can locate itself in space as it moves. No tripod, no fixed arm, and the part can be turned over mid-scan without losing reference.

02

Build the mesh

The scan resolves into a dense triangulated surface, which is where the shape you handed us becomes something a computer can reason about.

03

Rebuild as a working model

A mesh is a record of a surface, not a model you can modify. We rebuild it as solid CAD geometry so features can be adjusted, tolerances applied and tooling driven from it. You get it as STEP or IGES.

04

Make the part

Tooling, lay-up, cure, trim and assembly all happen on the same site. The model does not leave the building between being created and being made.

Creaform HandySCAN 3D
Scanning a component with no drawing
03 The scanner

Creaform HandySCAN 3D.

A metrology-grade handheld laser scanner, not a visualisation tool. Creaform publish the following for this series.

Accuracy0.025 mm
Volumetric accuracy0.020 mm + 0.040 mm/m
Measurement rate1,300,000 /sec
Acceptance testVDI/VDE 2634 pt 3

These are the manufacturer's published figures for the instrument, verified against VDI/VDE 2634 part 3 in an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory. The tolerance achievable on a finished carbon part depends on its size, geometry and how it is tooled, so tell us about the component and we will tell you what is realistic for it.

04 Who uses it

Where this comes up most.

Anywhere a part has outlived its paperwork.

Classic and competition vehicles are the clearest case. A door card, a duct or a bodywork section from a car that went out of production decades ago has no digital record anywhere, and the only reference is the part in your hand, usually damaged. Scanning turns that into something repeatable.

05 Next

Where this fits.

06 FAQ

Common questions.

About scanning specifically. The general ones are answered on the homepage.

Do I have to send you the actual part?

It is much the better option, because we can then check the rebuilt model against the real thing. If the component cannot leave your site, talk to us, because the scanner is portable and does not need a tripod or a fixed installation.

What condition does the part need to be in?

Worn, cracked and repaired components are normal. What matters is that the geometry you want to reproduce is still intact somewhere on the part. Tell us which features are critical and which are damage, because the two are not always obvious to us.

Do I get the CAD model, or just the parts?

You get the model. It is delivered as STEP or IGES and it is yours, whether or not you come back to us to make the components.

Can you scan something you did not originally make?

Yes. Most of what we scan was made by somebody else, often decades ago.

07 Enquiry

Tell us about the part.

A drawing, a photograph, or just a description. Whatever you have is enough to get a price, and we reply to most enquiries the same working day.

Nothing to attach? Leave it blank and describe the part above, or call us on 01480 861 221.

We reply to most enquiries the same working day.
Call us Request a quote