Reverse engineering

Reverse engineering (also known as reverse engineering) is the process of finding out how an object under study works and/or was made so as to create a physical equivalent. It is a process that is particularly important in technology and industry, allowing machine parts, equipment components and other sub-assemblies to be accurately reproduced and/or made.

The tools that help in this process are 3D scanners, which allow digitisation, i.e. the transfer of a physical object into the digital world to create its 3D model, and specialised design software. It is thanks to this, and specialised knowledge, that on the basis of the digital version of the object we are able to design it in a format that will be read by CNC machines and then, step by step, element by element, reproduce the examined detail.

In the case of the Foundation’s activities, the use of reverse engineering mainly consists of drawing up plans and projections of entire buildings or selected floors and reproducing details. This is particularly important when the vast majority of historic buildings do not have any technical documentation.

Once such a plan has been drawn up, we are able to accurately assess the possibilities and means of potential repairs to a building or room, anticipate any collisions or calculate the amount of material needed for repairs.

As mentioned earlier, this technique is also used in detail reproduction. Many CNC machines cannot cope with a triangle mesh – that is, the standard form of a 3D model obtained with a 3D scanner.

In order for the model to be prepared for machining on CNC machines, it must be converted into a parametric solid model or NURBS surfaces, which are excellent for reproducing surfaces with a more organic shape. Only if the model is prepared in this way can we prepare the appropriate machining.

This method is ideal for detail milling, e.g. for reproducing the shapes of fragments or entire historical objects in any material, such as furniture, architectural details, sculptures, stuccowork, etc.