Industrial Reverse Engineering
We turn parts and equipment with no drawings into CAD models ready to manufacture. We scan the physical part with our Creaform scanners and rebuild its exact geometry so you can reproduce, modernise or document it.
We deliver reverse engineering projects across Spain and Europe. With portable 3D scanning equipment, we work on-site wherever the part or equipment is, or in our workshop. Our technical office is based in Erandio (Bilbao, Spain).
From the physical part to the CAD model
Reverse engineering starts from something that already exists —a part, a piece of equipment, a mould— and rebuilds its CAD model when the drawings no longer exist or no longer match reality.
The usual problem: the part exists, the drawings don't
It is a situation we see in industry every day: you need to manufacture a spare part, modernise an old machine or document a piece of equipment, but the original drawings have been lost, never existed or no longer match the real part after years of repairs and modifications.
Measuring by hand with a caliper and tape measure is not viable on parts with curved geometries, complex surfaces or wear. Reverse engineering solves the problem: we 3D scan the part to capture its real geometry and, from that capture, we rebuild a usable CAD model.
The result is a file ready to manufacture, edit or archive, faithfully reproducing the original part with sub-millimetre precision.
Typical reverse engineering cases
If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, reverse engineering is the answer.
Spares with no drawings
You need to manufacture a new part identical to the current one and don't have the drawings. We scan the original and rebuild the model to manufacture.
Discontinued parts
The original manufacturer no longer exists or no longer makes the spare. We digitise the old part so the new one can be produced.
Machinery modernisation
Integrating new components onto decades-old machines with no CAD documentation, with the certainty that everything fits.
As-built documentation
Generating the up-to-date CAD model of critical equipment for maintenance, audits or a change of ownership of the facility.
How we do it, step by step
A workflow that goes from the physical part to the CAD model ready for manufacturing.
3D scan
We capture the real geometry of the part with the most suitable Creaform scanner for its size, on site or in the workshop, with accuracy up to 0.025 mm.
Mesh & cleanup
We align and merge the captures into a 3D mesh faithful to the part, ready to work on.
CAD reconstruction
We rebuild the parametric CAD model respecting the real geometry, with surfaces and dimensions usable for manufacturing.
Delivery
We deliver in the format you need (STEP, IGES, STL, editable solid) ready for manufacturing or to introduce improvements.
Reverse engineering projects
Three real examples of parts and equipment rebuilt from 3D scanning.
Modernising a piece of equipment from the 1960s
Cast iron frame of a hardness tester, originally analogue and fully mechanical. The client wanted to reuse it and bring it up to date with a digital display, USB ports and LED lighting. The original drawings had not been preserved and it was very hard to work out the available internal spaces. 3D scanning let us map the interior geometry with precision and rebuild the CAD model to design every component with the certainty that it would fit.
Hardness tester frame
CAD model generated
Discontinued automotive spare part
The age of the vehicle made it impossible to source the original spare part. The solution: scan the bumper to capture the exact geometry of the surface contours, rebuild the part in CAD (Solid Edge) and 3D print it, ready to paint and install.
Scanned bumper
Rebuilt in Solid Edge
Manufactured and installed
Industrial tank with no drawings to manufacture its twin
The client needed to manufacture a new tank identical to the current one, with no drawings of the original. We scanned the tank on the factory roof with the Creaform HandySCAN Max and rebuilt its geometry into a CAD model ready for manufacturing. We tell the full story in our industrial tank case study.
Reverse engineering starts with a good scan. See 3D Scanning of Parts →
Sectors that trust us
Experience across the most demanding industrial sectors in Spain and Europe.
Automotive
Discontinued spares, components and tooling rebuilt from the original part.
Industrial Machinery
Modernising old equipment, replacing parts and producing CAD documentation for machines with no drawings.
Capital Equipment
Tanks, heat exchangers, columns and pressure equipment rebuilt to manufacture or replace.
Naval
Rebuilding naval components and structures for repair and retrofitting.
Everything about Reverse Engineering
Related articles
Case study: 3D scanning an industrial tank
Scanning a tank with no drawings to manufacture its twin, with all the field challenges.
Reverse engineering with 3D scanning
How a part is rebuilt from the scan all the way to a usable CAD model.
How to digitize a part without drawings
Step-by-step guide to reproducing industrial parts with no technical documentation.
From point cloud to CAD model
The technical process that turns a 3D capture into a parametric CAD model.