Reverse Engineering & Visualisation

At the Urbanavitcha studio, I love to work with technical-led companies who’ve honed their products through years of in-house development and hands-on problem solving - you know, the proper innovative engineering crowd with a passion for tinkering and problem solving in their blood, the kind of people who grew up taking things apart to find out how they work and will often choose ‘making the thing’ over ‘buying the thing’.

Shakesby Ltd. is a great family firm from Dereham, Norfolk and I’d say an fitting example of the above. Their expertise lies in iron and manganese filtration systems for private water supplies - both the design/manufacture of key components and the full installation of systems. Many of these components start life as workshop prototypes, refined through real-world testing and recorded in pencil sketch format (sometimes). Eventually the need arises for more formal documentation.

That’s where we step in. We take physical samples, measure them by hand and create precise 3D CAD models, typically using Autodesk Fusion 360. From these, we generate fully dimensioned 2D manufacturing drawings, as well as advanced visualisations that go beyond standard orthographic views:

• Section cuts that reveal hidden details, helping identify opportunities for improved functionality and manufacturing efficiency.

• Exploded views to clarify assembly procedures.

• Motion studies to confirm fit and movement between parts.

• Realistic rendered 3d views. Because why not take advantage if it's already modelled.

From these digital assets, Shakesby now has options for CNC machining, laser cutting and additive manufacturing, all backed by accurate, repeatable data.

We've also applied the same approach to full installations. Again for Shakesby, a full depth borehole well was modelled in part section - from the steel casing tube, submersible pump, pipework and electrical cabling, with the surrounding strata also shown to illustrate typical East Anglian geology. This has provided striking visuals for their website and marketing literature, helping prospective customers understand what lies beneath the surface and help provide confidence in the firm as a supplier.

So there you go, some neat examples of how reverse engineering isn’t just about documentation - it’s also about unlocking new insights and opportunities for design improvement, communication, and production.

For more expert information on water filtration visit www.shakesby.co.uk

To contact me for CAD/CAM and other enquires you can reach out by email phill@urbanavitcha.uk or visit www.urbanavitcha.uk 

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