reverse engineering · hillsborough, new jersey
When a part fails and no drawing exists, the old part becomes the drawing. Reverse engineering is weekly work at our Hillsborough, New Jersey machine shop. Plant engineers, maintenance managers and purchasing departments bring us worn, broken and obsolete parts from many different industries: small and large shafts, couplings, large gears, gearbox components, bearing housings, rotor shafts and extrusion die parts. We measure them, rebuild the geometry and machine new replacement parts. When the original equipment manufacturer no longer supports a machine, the part has been discontinued or the drawings are long gone, reverse engineering is often the quickest way to get equipment back into service, and far less costly than replacing the whole machine.
Every feature of the old part is measured. We take much of it by hand with micrometers, bore gauges and depth gauges, and use our Keyence XM-5000 portable CMM for 3D measurement of larger or more complex geometry, capturing bores, bolt circles, center distances, angles and profiles directly on the part. From those measurements we produce a professional hand sketch, transfer it into our CAM software to build the digital geometry, and create a 3D solid model when the part calls for one. The replacement part is then CNC programmed and machined from that geometry, on the same turning, milling and boring machines we use for all our work.
Worn and broken features take judgement as well as measurement. When a bearing journal is worn, a bore has gone oval or a gear tooth has broken off, we work it through with the customer. If a mating part is available we measure that too, and we ask for any information they have on the equipment. Combined with decades of machining experience, that lets us set the correct dimension and tolerance for the new part instead of copying the wear. Where we see a way to improve on the original design, we recommend it.
Our sketches and models are working tools for manufacturing, not a drafting service: what the customer receives is the finished part, made to fit and ready to install. From obsolete blown film die parts to gear shafts and gearbox components, we have made new parts for equipment the original manufacturer could no longer supply.
Splined drive shaft: worn shafts measured, sketched and made new.
Helical gear shaft: damaged teeth, gear data taken from the old part, new shaft.
Gearbox: bore layout measured from the open case, then machined and assembled.
Original die parts that came to us with no drawings. Each one was measured, sketched and made new in our shop.
Most reverse engineering jobs follow the same six steps, whether the part is a small coupling or a large gear.
Bring the worn, broken or obsolete part to our Hillsborough shop, along with any mating parts and information you have on the equipment.
Each feature is measured by hand and with our Keyence XM-5000 portable CMM.
We discuss worn and broken features with you and set the correct dimension and tolerance, recommending improvements where we see them.
A professional hand sketch goes into our CAM software as digital geometry, with a solid model when the part calls for one.
We quote the new part from the finished geometry.
The new part is programmed and machined from that geometry and inspected before it leaves the shop.
Almost every week, jobs come through our door that have to be measured and made new from the old part. These are the parts we see most.
Small and large shafts, including splined, keyed and stepped drive shafts.
Couplings measured from the old part and made to fit the equipment they drive.
Gear shafts and large gears, with tooth data checked against the mating gear.
Housings with worn or oval bearing bores, sized to new bearings.
Rotor shafts for equipment where the original drawings are no longer available.
Die parts the original manufacturer no longer supplies, made new from scratch.
One customer brought us an old, out-of-date set of blown film die parts, worn and damaged from years of hard use. Replacement parts were no longer available, and the original manufacturer was recommending a whole new line. We measured every feature, advised on improvements, consulted with the customer on the questionable features and built solid models before quoting. Six months later the customer needed the parts in a hurry. We machined the new set of die parts from scratch, and the old line went back into production running like new.
The new part runs on the same machines as the rest of our work. If your part sits outside these sizes, call us and we will tell you whether we can help.
| Tolerances | under .001″ as standard |
| CNC turning | 32″ diameter × 60″ long (Okuma LB4000EX); 14″ × 83″ long (Doosan Puma 300XLY) |
| Vertical turning | 60″ diameter (Giddings & Lewis vertical turret lathes) |
| Large manual turning | 43″ diameter × 170″ between centres (Poreba) |
| 5-axis mill-turn | Mori Seiki NTX2000 |
| Milling | to 157″ — Zayer |
| Gundrilling | 4″ diameter × 96″ deep |
| Bore honing | 26″ diameter × 156″ long |
| Line boring | to 20″ diameter across a 50″ span |
| Lifting | to 10 tons |
| Materials | 4140 HT, 15-5 PH and other stainless steels, Inconel 718, titanium, bronze |
| Material in stock | steel bar and plate, 4140 round bar and other stock |
| Quantities | single parts to production runs in the thousands |
It is making a new part from an existing one when no drawing is available. We measure the old part, build the geometry and machine a new part from it.
By hand with micrometers, bore gauges and depth gauges, and with our Keyence XM-5000 portable CMM for larger or more complex geometry.
We discuss worn and broken features with you, measure the mating part if one is available, and use our experience to set the correct dimension and tolerance instead of copying the wear.
Yes, when the part calls for one. Every job starts with a professional hand sketch that we transfer into our CAM software to build the digital geometry.
Our sketches and models are working tools for making your part. We are a machine shop, not a drafting service, so what you receive is the finished part.
Small and large shafts, couplings, large gears, bearing housings, rotor shafts and blown film die parts, for many different industries.
Where we see a way to improve the original design, we recommend it before the new part is made.
Yes. For one customer the original manufacturer could no longer supply blown film die parts and was recommending a whole new line. We made a new set from scratch and the old line went back into production running like new.
Reverse engineered parts use the same machines and processes as the rest of our work. Each page lists the machines and sizes involved.
Call the shop or email sales@zalamachine.com to tell us about the part. You can also use the quote form below.
