3D Scanning
OutsideDbox, a studio in Nitra, offers 3D scanning for companies: we turn a physical object into an accurate 3D model, whether it is a part with no drawing, a hand-shaped prototype, a sculpture or a product you need to modify. Scan, clean model and print, all from one team.
What Do We Scan, and What for?
Reverse engineering of parts
A part with no drawing or a spare the manufacturer no longer supplies. We scan it, rebuild a clean CAD model and print it or hand over the file.
Organic and hand-made shapes
Clay models, sculptures, ergonomic grips, castings. Shapes that are slow or impossible to measure by hand.
Fit to an existing object
A cover, mount or holder that has to follow the surface of a machine, a vehicle or a product exactly.
Inspection and documentation
Compare a manufactured part with its model and see the deviations as a colour map, or archive a physical original as a digital file.
How Does a Scanning Job Run?
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You send photos and dimensions
A few photos, the overall dimensions and what you need the model for. We reply with price and date within 48 hours.
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We scan the object
Send the part by courier or hand it over in Nitra by arrangement. Large or fixed objects are scanned at your site.
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We clean or rebuild the model
A watertight mesh for printing, or a parametric CAD model when you need to edit or manufacture the part.
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File, print or series
You get the files. If you want, we print the part and check it against the scan.
What Do You Get?
- A cleaned mesh as STL or OBJ, ready to print
- A parametric CAD model as STEP when the part has to be edited or manufactured
- A deviation report on request
- The files are yours after payment
What Scans Badly, and What We Do About It
- Shiny, transparent and black surfaces get a matting spray that wipes off afterwards.
- Deep holes, threads and internal channels are measured by hand and modelled.
- Details finer than the scanner resolution are rebuilt in CAD from measurements.
Lead Times by Technology
| Technology | Standard (working days) | Express (working days) |
|---|---|---|
| 3D modelling (simple to medium) | 2 to 7 | on request |
| 3D scanning and model clean-up | 2 to 5 | on request |
Lead times run from quote approval. Express depends on capacity and carries a surcharge.
Related Services
- 3D modelling from scan data →
We turn the scan into an editable CAD model with exact dimensions.
- Spare part manufacturing →
We remake the scanned part, even when it can no longer be bought.
- Custom 3D printing →
Printing the scanned part in FDM or SLA.
- Choosing a material →
Which material lasts as long as the original did.
- 3D scanning and printing in Nitra →
Hand the part over in Nitra; large objects are scanned at your site.
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FAQ
Can you scan a part and print a copy of it?
Yes. We scan the part, clean and close the mesh, and print a copy in a suitable material. For a worn or broken part we restore the model to its original shape.
Do I get an editable CAD file or only a mesh?
Whichever you need. A cleaned STL mesh is enough for printing. When the part has to be edited or manufactured by another method, we rebuild a parametric CAD model from the scan and hand it over as STEP.
Do you scan on site?
Yes, by arrangement. Large, heavy or fixed objects are scanned where they are. For smaller parts it is faster and cheaper to send them by courier or hand them over in Nitra by arrangement.
What is reverse engineering?
Creating a 3D model or drawing from an existing part that has no documentation. We scan the part, turn the data into an editable CAD model and use it to make a copy or an improved version.
How much does 3D scanning cost?
It depends on the size of the object, the accuracy you need and whether a mesh for printing is enough or you need an editable CAD model. You get the price and lead time in a quote within 48 hours.
What is 3D scanning?
The digitisation of a physical object: a scanner captures its surface as a point cloud, which becomes a 3D mesh that we clean for printing or rebuild as an editable CAD model. As a service it suits parts with no drawing, hand-made shapes and anything that has to fit an existing surface exactly.
What is 3D scanning used for?
For reverse engineering parts with no documentation, for copies and spare parts, for covers and mounts that have to follow the surface of a machine or product, and for checking a manufactured part against its model. In our studio scanning feeds straight into modelling and 3D printing, so one object becomes both a file and a finished part from one team.
How accurate is 3D scanning and how large an object can you scan?
Accuracy and achievable detail depend on the size of the object and on whether you need a mesh for printing or a CAD model for manufacturing; OutsideDbox states both in the quote within 48 hours. Details finer than the scanner resolution, deep holes and threads are measured by hand and modelled in CAD. Send smaller parts or hand them over in Nitra by arrangement; large, heavy or fixed objects we scan at your site.
How long does 3D scanning take?
3D scanning and model clean-up take 2 to 5 working days at OutsideDbox from approval of the quote. When the scan becomes a parametric CAD model, the modelling lead time of 2 to 7 working days applies, and if we also print the part, add 3 to 5 working days for FDM or 3 to 6 for SLA.
Is scan data kept confidential?
Yes. The scan, the model and photos of the part are used only for your project, we sign an NDA on request before you send the part, and files are deleted after delivery on request. The outputs are yours once paid.
Send Us Your Brief Today
Send photos of the object and its size. Price and date within 48 hours.
If 3D printing is not the right route for your part, we will say so and point you to CNC, injection moulding or laser cutting.