Reverse Engineering with a slightly different angle. We were approached by one of our long term clients regarding a Reverse Engineering requirement. Their client was in a position in which they only had one set of gear alignment tools for removal/installation of gears for their diesel locomotives globally.

An attempt to Reverse Engineer the tooling on 3 separate occasions had resulted in failure. Our clients client was in a very difficult position and they were adamant that 3D Scanning was the only solution that would resolve the situation so they asked us to visit and discuss the project in detail. After inspection of the equipment & understanding the issues surrounding the re-makes, we identified that it would be possible to Reverse Engineer the tooling without the added expense of us 3D Scanning the parts.

We identified that using our clients CMM machine would give us enough positional data/accuracy to recreate the geometry. We ended up not only Reverse Engineering the tooling but also improving the ergonomic design to assist installers when using the equipment due to the mass & handling of the tooling. The design & drawings were approved and manufacturing of the first set was completed and tested. The tooling kits are now manufactured & shipped sites globally.