Case Study: 3D Rev Eng halves reverse-engineering time and cuts costs with 3D Systems' Geomagic Design X

Reverse Engineering an Impeller Made Easy with Geomagic Design X

3D Rev Eng, led by Matthew Percival, was hired by Dependable Industries to reverse-engineer a worn Francis Runner impeller with no drawings and only a one-day window to scan the part. Limited access meant only about 85% of the geometry could be captured and the casting showed wear, misaligned axis and inconsistent cavity volumes—creating a tight timeline and accuracy challenges for producing a replacement casting within a year.

Using Geomagic Design X, Percival built solid CAD directly on the scan data, corrected the impeller’s axis, recreated blade geometry and validated accuracy with deviation maps before exporting a native SolidWorks part via LiveTransfer. The workflow halved reverse-engineering time, reduced cost to about 65% of traditional methods ($3,800 → $2,500), cut manufacturing costs by 48%, produced parts ~40% faster, and lowered tooling lead time and cost (CNC tooling $22K/3 weeks vs $35K/5 weeks), while ensuring the hydraulic passages and balance met requirements.

3D Rev Eng

Matthew Percival

3D Rev Eng