Case-Study: Aftermarket Motorcycle Parts Using 3D Scanning

The aftermarket industry is rapidly growing thanks to new tools that enhance CAD design. 3D printing, 3D scanning, and CAD software make designing and prototyping parts quick. Now, creating custom aftermarket parts or improving existing designs is more accessible for businesses of all sizes. If you're looking to modify parts or design new ones based on existing geometry, a 3D scan should be your first step. This ensures accuracy in your designs.

How 3D Scanning Transforms Design

EDR Performance, a motorcycle repair and racing outfitting service, is taking advantage of this modern workflow. We've assisted them in digitizing parts to help design new velocity stacks, intake covers, and other accessories. Using high-end 3D printers, EDR Performance can create aftermarket parts overnight. These parts are functional for racing and high-quality, ensuring top performance for the bikes they work with.

In this blog, I want to show the workflow from taking parts and creating aftermarket designs from them. I’ll highlight how 3D scans and CAD services provided by Arkify3D can help in product development!

Starting with a Scan

OEM parts, or original manufactured items, are often unique to each year's model and vehicle. Accounting for all the small changes can be challenging. Making a 3D scan of the part allows you to easily create CAD features on key components. Mounting holes, intake circles, and heights can all be identified in just two scans.

A processed mesh next to a 3D scan of a stock part.

Now, instead of measuring all those individual curves, you have a 3D reference to measure from.

A dimension measurement made from the mesh file.

Modeling Off 3D Scans

The 3D mesh created from the scan is exportable as a .stl file, which can be imported into various CAD software. This file serves as a reference to extract sketch features and check against.

A newly designed CAD model (light gray) overlapping the reference mesh (dark gray).

Typically, a few key features must match the original part. This ensures everything fits together neatly during installation, and the original fixtures don’t need to be changed. For motorcycle velocity stacks, this often means fitting to mounting holes and airbox walls. Each part is unique, so it’s crucial to know your design constraints before making significant changes.

Utilizing CAD to the Fullest

Once a new design is made, it can be 3D printed for prototyping. This gives you instant feedback on changes that can be made or adjustments needed for a better fit. For aftermarket parts, this may mean slightly increasing diameters for holes to ensure they work better or snap into place more easily.

A stock part (left) next to a printed prototype (right). This is used to check hole locations and fitting inside the airbox walls.

Having a CAD file allows for creative design and the addition of custom features. It’s easy to adjust things like feature heights or angles to see how they affect functionality. You can also create entirely new designs better suited for your market, such as removing features from an intake cover to improve airflow.

A large section is removed from this intake cover's CAD model so a new plate can be placed over it, better suited for racing.

And when your design is complete, a logo can be embossed!

Two 3D printed accessories with the company's logo embossed on them.

The Benefits of 3D Scanning and CAD Modeling

By utilizing 3D scanning and 3D printers, getting custom parts to your customers has never been easier. EDR Performance has been using 3D scanning resources for several parts to optimize designs for racing or improve performance on their bikes. This approach significantly reduces engineering time and brings test prototypes to life quickly.

Other customers have used this workflow to create functional replacement parts and fixtures for items inside cars, workspaces, or machine shops. The versatility of 3D scanning allows for a wide range of applications, making it an invaluable tool in today’s design landscape.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the integration of 3D scanning and CAD modeling into your workflow can revolutionize the way you design and produce parts. Whether you are creating custom aftermarket components or improving existing designs, these technologies provide the precision and efficiency needed to stay competitive.

If you have any questions or would like to begin a scanning project with us, please reach out via arkify3d@gmail.com or use the Contact form on our website!

By embracing these modern tools, you can bridge the gap between physical objects and the digital world, enhancing your product development process and achieving outstanding results.