Mining & Resources
When a machine goes down, every hour costs tens of thousands. We reproduce obsolete and discontinued parts fast — no drawings required.
What is Reverse Engineering?
Reverse engineering is the process of capturing the geometry of an existing physical part using 3D laser scanning, then reconstructing it as a fully parametric, editable CAD model. The resulting file can be used to reproduce the part using 3D printing, CNC machining, casting, or fabrication — without any original drawings.
In Australian mining and heavy equipment practice, the most common triggers are: original drawings lost; OEM has discontinued the part; a wear component has been modified in the field; or a broken part needs recreating urgently to minimise plant downtime.
Key distinction: Reverse engineering produces a parametric solid body (STEP/IGES) — not a scan mesh (STL). Only a parametric model can be edited and re-toleranced by your team. A mesh is a 3D photograph; a parametric model is a digital twin.
Scan-to-CAD: The Technical Workflow
The process begins with data capture. Industrial-grade scanners collect millions of data points, creating a dense point cloud with sub-millimetre accuracy. This raw data is registered — multiple scan positions merged into a unified coordinate system — and cleaned to remove noise.
The critical step is CAD reconstruction, which transforms the scan mesh into a parametric solid. Our engineers identify flat faces, cylinders, radii, and fastener geometry, then rebuild the model using these primitives. The result is a clean B-Rep solid with NURBS surfaces that behaves correctly in SolidWorks, CATIA, Fusion 360, or any other platform.
Working from Broken or Damaged Parts
We regularly work from broken, corroded, worn, or heavily damaged components. Our engineers exploit undamaged regions, design symmetry, and known engineering standards (thread forms, bearing journals, key seat dimensions) to reconstruct valid manufacturing models.