3D Scanning Service

Do you need to replicate a component to create replacement parts?

Do you want to create a custom part that needs to fit existing equipment?

Are you looking to digitise an artifact or a sentimental object?

This is where 3D scanning comes in. At 3D Printing Forge we provide professional 3D scanning and reverse engineering service and can help with your project.

What are the use cases for 3D scaning

There is wide range of scenarios where 3D scanning can be used. Some examples of where we use it are:

Speeding up reverse engineering process for manufacturing spare parts

Using 3D scan data of existing parts as reference for modelling custom parts

Replicating valuable artefacts so that it can be replicated by 3D printing and keep the original safe

Digitise artefacts, sculptures etc to be used digitally (eg. for film, interactive content, games)

3D scanning workflow

Step 1 - Get in contact with us and send us photos and dimensions of your part along with your requirements for the project. (For example - do you need to have the part reverse engineered and 3D printed. Or do you require a digital copy of the model to preserve the object digitally.)

Step 2 - Send us the part for assessment and scanning.

Step 3 - We scan your part and create the scan file.

Next steps will depend on your project requirements. We can send you the scan file, print the scanned file or reverse engineer your part.

3D scan data is usually not suitable for directly 3D printing engineering/functional components. For example if you scan a worn part, the scan will also include the wear. This is where reverse engineering and CAD modelling comes in. Having a 3D scan provides excellent reference that allows much faster modelling. No need to manually measure every feature and try judge part curvature.

As 3D scans capture the part with its imperfections it makes it the perfect method for replicating things like sculptures or artifacts. Contrary to engineering parts, in this instance capturing the imperfections is actually an advantage.

What 3D scanning can and cannot do?

3D scanning is a very powerful tool. It makes it possible to easily capture the geometry of very complex objects.

If you need to reverse engineer a component then a 3D scan can seriously speed up the process. Rather than manually measuring a component, we can build a parametric CAD model using the scan data. This is especially useful if you have a complex part with various angled and curved surfaces which can be extremely difficult to measure manually.

What it can do:

Capture complex geometry in high detail

Capture small details on the object - this can be wear on a part or