No 3D scan, no CAD file, just the part itself? Ship it to me and I'll measure it directly with precision tools — calipers, height gauges, or CMM — and rebuild it as a clean, fully-dimensioned, editable parametric model.
Overview
This comes up constantly: a legacy part with no digital record, a component from a supplier who's gone quiet, a broken part for equipment discontinued a decade ago, or a competitor product you're benchmarking. Sometimes there's no time or budget to arrange a 3D scan — you just need someone to take the physical object and turn it into a real CAD model.
That's what this service is for — no scan, no point cloud, just the part. I measure it directly with precision tools and rebuild it as a genuine parametric solid model, the same rigor as scan-based reverse engineering, just starting one step earlier in the process. Already have a 3D scan or mesh file? See Scan-to-CAD Reverse Engineering instead — that's a faster, lower-cost path when scan data already exists.
Typical inputs I work from:
How It Works
Receive the physical part, shipped or on-site. Assess condition, identify critical features and datum surfaces, and choose the right measurement method before any modeling starts.
Measure every relevant feature with calipers, height gauges, or CMM equipment depending on tolerance requirements and geometry complexity.
Rebuild the part as a true feature-tree solid — extrudes, revolves, fillets, patterns — with real dimensions taken from measurement, not estimated by eye.
Cross-check critical dimensions against the physical part again before delivery, then hand off native and neutral-format files.
What You Get
Feature-tree CAD in SolidWorks or Fusion 360 — real, editable features and dimensions, built from direct measurement.
A verification pass cross-checking the final model's critical dimensions against the original physical part.
2D drawings with GD&T callouts, suitable for machining, molding, or incoming-inspection QC.
STEP, IGES, and native SolidWorks/Fusion source files — whatever your downstream tools need.
FAQ
Shipping is the most common path for parts small enough to send safely. For larger or immovable parts, on-site measurement can sometimes be arranged — let me know the part and location when you reach out.
For standard geometric features — holes, bosses, flat faces, common fillets — precision hand tools are plenty accurate. For complex freeform surfaces or very tight tolerances, CMM measurement or arranging a proper 3D scan gets better results, and I'll tell you upfront which approach your part actually needs.
Parts are handled carefully and returned after the project unless you say otherwise. For irreplaceable or high-value parts, insured shipping is worth the extra cost — happy to advise on packaging before you send it.
Yes — this is a common request. If you want dimensional or material changes for a new manufacturing process, let me know before the rebuild starts so the parametric structure supports the change.
Cost depends on part complexity, size, and required tolerance, plus shipping if applicable. Send photos and rough dimensions and you'll get a fixed-price quote before committing to anything.