Go Jo Magazine

All engineers know that hands-on design is much easier than CAD conceptualization. Building a prototype and reverse engineering is often a much smarter way to design as well, since the prototype can be seen to work and then designed retroactively. But reverse engineering requires precision that is uncommon to human faculties, and for contoured, complex, or small objects, creating a 3d representation in a CAD environment can be a challenge – to say the least. By designing prototypes to have scanned in 3 dimensions, manufacturing and design companies can drastically reduce the time from design to functional prototype by working backwards and starting with the prototype. From there, in-house engineers or engineers employed by a 3D scanning company can help to reverse engineer the product and create specs and diagrams that would otherwise require shear foresight and creativity to get right on the first try. By building a prototype that works right away, and designing it retroactively, the costly trial & error of design is practically eliminated.

Assuming a product has already been designed – conventionally or reverse engineered from a prototype – manufacturing will commence and require hawkish eyes to make sure that finished goods meet their specifications. Even for parts manufactured entirely outside of human influence, errors in production are not uncommon, but also not easily detectable to the naked eye. One way to ensure that manmade and machine-made cogs alike are compliant with specifications is to employ contract inspection services that will analyze items coming off the line. With the use of advanced laser and 3d imaging, firms can see that the goods their customers receive conform with prototypes and CAD drawings, and will function properly. This, in turn, reduces the waste of defective products, improves product quality, reduces inspection (and thus time to market), which will translate into a better customer experience and higher profit margins for the businesses that employ technology for QA rather than fallible human eyes and measurements.

For the past twenty years, production has become more automated because automation is more cost-effective, more reliable, and faster. All three of these benefits translate to design and quality assurance processes when laser and three dimensional imaging are employed in the service of reverse engineering and contract inspection of finished goods. While the cost of 3D imaging technology is prohibitive for many firms, there are 3d imaging companies that specialize in translating prototypes to CAD design and manufacturing specifications and diagrams that can drastically improve the efficiency of firms’ engineering processes.