In today’s fast-paced design world, effective innovation often builds upon proven solutions rather than beginning from the ground up. Forward-thinking engineers and designers frequently turn to existing components, assemblies, or systems, conducting a thorough analysis to uncover the underlying structure, manufacturing process, and functional details. By carefully examining how a product or part was created, what challenges it overcomes, and the techniques used during its development, professionals gain critical insights that drive improved performance, better compliance with industry standards, and accelerated project timelines. This method empowers teams to leverage existing best practices, mitigate costly trial and error, and ultimately deliver better quality products that have been improved over their earlier revisions.
At its core, reverse engineering is the process of taking an existing product, breaking it down (physically or digitally), and rebuilding it in CAD to understand its structure, function, and design intent.
This is often done when:
You don’t have the original design files.
You want to improve an existing product.
You need to recreate a broken or worn-out part.
You want to study your competitor’s designs.
Reverse engineering can apply to almost anything—from consumer products to legacy tooling parts like fixtures that are no longer in production.
Industrial design focuses on the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of a product. When reverse engineering, industrial designers:
Observe form, texture, and visual proportions. You can see how the part has worn down over time, and possibly find ways to improve upon the design
Understand how parts interact with human use, or the ergonomics of it.
Recreate the design language that gives a product its identity.
This means reverse engineering isn’t just about duplicating a shape—it’s about understanding intent and context, and many times-improving upon it.
SOLIDWORKS is a powerhouse when it comes to reverse engineering, especially when paired with scanning tools or calipers for measurement.
You can do this in a few ways:
Use 3D scanners to capture complex organic shapes.
Use digital calipers or manual measurements for prismatic parts. For more organic parts, ship curves can also be very useful.
Take reference images with scaling tools in-frame. For instance, you use a ruler or a yardstick positioned next to your part to capture the scale of your part. That way you can use the photo as reference image that you can insert into the sketch directly into SOLIDWORKS.
If you have a scan, import the mesh (usually STL or OBJ).
Use reference planes, pictures, or sketches to start building geometry. Sketch pictures can be a great place to start.
Align the model to the origin and set units correctly. Consider proper placement to make modifications downstream easier.
Use standard CAD features like:
Extrudes, Revolves, Sweeps, and Lofts
Surface modeling for organic forms
Curves and splines for flowing or more complex shapes
Symmetry and mirroring to simplify rebuilds
This is where design insight really matters. Plan on how the part you are designing might change in the future. Make sure you build your model in way that makes it easy to modify down the road. You can rename features and organize them into folders for later modifications. This is especially helpful when other people might be also working on the project.
Another thing to consider is using configurations, where you can have different versions of a part, all contained in a single part file. If this is the case, consider configurations early on. For instance if a fillet might exist in one version but not another, then a separate fillet feature might be favorable over a sketch fillet, as it is able to be suppressed in one configuration, but active in another.
Carefully evaluate the rebuilt model by checking for fit, form, and function. Ensure that critical dimensions and tolerances align precisely with the original part’s requirements. Assess whether the component accurately interfaces with adjacent parts or assemblies, confirming correct geometries and clearances. Review the overall shape, contours, and any aesthetic design elements to maintain intended appearance and brand identity. Finally, verify that all performance criteria are met, including mechanical strength, material compatibility, and overall function. It all comes back to design intent!
If 3D printed or manufactured, test it physically and iterate. Creating a prototype is a great way to test the design before committing to manufacturing on a larger scale.
Reverse engineering leverages existing solutions, analyzing parts or assemblies to reveal their structure, manufacturing methods, and function. By studying how products are made and addressing design challenges, teams gain insights that improve performance, enhance function, and streamline development. This approach reduces risk, accelerates timelines, and builds on proven best practices for higher-quality results. If your team is looking for assistance in reverse engineering components, or maybe need help documenting or creating CAD files for legacy parts, CADimensions might be able to assist. CADimensions guides you through every phase of the design and manufacturing process, from concept refinement through detailed documentation and CAD creation. Whether you need precise patent-ready drawings or seamless coordination with trusted manufacturing partners, our team is committed to supporting your success at every stage.
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