Solidworks Model Making

$2,995 for a 3D scanner!

How many time $$$ to measure and model... each piece?

$3K ?...Yeah so. It's intended for businesses. That's cheap. The software we use for design and analysis is $24K...per seat!

Then again your handle is "Economist" so...

If you can't justify that cost, then you will have to pay for someone else to do it.

No sense buying something you will not use often enough to pay for itself.

I can't tell if your exclamation point is because you think $2995 is expensive or because you think it is inexpensive. Assuming it can do what is shown with a reasonable amount of time and effort, I find it incredibly inexpensive. For comparison Check out Nikon or Faro...

CMM.

Your asking how to reverse engineer an object.

The two most common methods use either white light or laser scanning technology to generate a 3D "as built" point cloud that can be rendered into a surface model. White light is generally considered to be more accurate but is the most expensive. Software such as Geomagic, Polyworks or Rapidform are used to create a usable model. You should probably contract this out. The model will dimensionally mirror the sample part so it will probably need to be tightened up (edited) to be used for your application depending on form, fit and function.

Form

• the shape, size, dimensions, mass and/or other visual parameters which uniquely characterize an item. This defines the "look" of the part or item. Sometimes weight, balance and center of mass are considerations in 'form'. Color can be in general considered in 'form', except when has a specific functional meaning.

Fit

• the ability of an item to physically interface or interconnect with or become an integral part of another item or assembly. This relates to the associativity of the part in relation to the assembly, or to other parts, and includes tolerances.

Function

• the action[s] that an item is designed to perform. This is the reason for the item's existence, which also includes secondary applications.