Solving Obsolescence: Reverse Engineering Spare Parts

Reverse engineering is the process of deconstructing an existing physical component to understand its design, functionality, and geometry—often with the goal of replicating or enhancing it. This process is especially valuable for legacy equipment, where original tooling or design files are no longer available.

Historically, reverse engineering was labor-intensive, requiring hand-drawn schematics and extensive manual measurements. Today, digital tools such as 3D scanning and CAD modeling have transformed it into a precise and efficient workflow. Modern reverse engineering can recover both simple and complex parts—even those with internal channels or freeform surfaces. The ultimate goal is to produce a production-ready CAD model that accurately reflects the original component, complete with the correct dimensions, tolerances, and geometries for manufacturing.

Endeavor 3D delivers a turnkey reverse engineering workflow tailored to modern manufacturing demands. Our process combines CAD file generation, digital design consultation, and 3D scanning to validate parts and produce accurate results.

Our team utilizes the Keyence VL500 3D scanner, capable of capturing millions of data points with a resolution of 0.004 inches —”reconstructing components with up to 95% accuracy,” says Endeavor 3D’s Daniel Baker.

Once scanned, the part is reconstructed in CAD software (e.g. SolidWorks) where our engineers can clean, model, and validate the design in less than an hour. This same process without 3D scanning could take up to 12 hours to complete. During this stage, digital inspection loops and deviation analysis are conducted to ensure the CAD model aligns with the physical part —often within ±0.01 mm tolerances. The result is a validated, ready-for-production file that can be manufactured on demand.

Once a spare part is digitally recreated through reverse engineering, additive manufacturing (AM) provides a fast, flexible, and tooling-free method to produce it. Unlike traditional manufacturing, which often requires expensive molds, dies, or machining setups, AM builds parts directly from CAD files. This eliminates the need for retooling and shortens production cycles—particularly important for low-volume spare parts.

Additive manufacturing is especially well-suited for complex geometries and internal features that would be costly or impossible to produce using conventional techniques. Spare parts that incorporate channels, undercuts, or integrated components can be produced in a single build.

For industries managing legacy systems or distributed equipment, the ability to manufacture parts on demand with limited minimum order quantities is a game-changer. AM eliminates excess inventory and produces parts at the precise time they’re needed, whether for a decade-old aerospace bracket or a one-off industrial fixture.

Endeavor 3D operates a fleet of HP Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) systems, built to produce industrial-grade 3D printed parts at low-to-mid volumes. MJF 3D printing delivers excellent dimensional accuracy, repeatable mechanical properties, and support-free 3D printing.

We offer a portfolio of MJF polymer materials to meet a range of performance, regulatory, and durability requirements:

A strong, versatile thermoplastic with excellent dimensional stability and chemical resistance.

Applications: Housings, brackets, enclosures, mechanical fixtures

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A cost-effective, eco-friendly version of PA 12 with up to 85% reuse rate and a variable cost per part reduction of 25% compared to PA 12.

Applications: Jigs, fixtures, aesthetic covers, and medical device parts

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Biocompatible and dyeable with a bright finish, offering the same strength and reliability as standard PA 12.

Applications: Medical enclosures, biocompatible parts, fluid connectors

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UL 94 V-0 certified flame-retardant material for safety-critical and regulated environments.

Applications: Aircraft interior parts, electrical housings, robotic components

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Tougher and more ductile than PA 12, making it ideal for parts subject to impact or dynamic loading.

Applications: Snap-fits, clips, impact-resistant spare parts

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A flexible, durable elastomer ideal for parts requiring elasticity, shock absorption, or compression.

Applications: Seals, gaskets, orthotics and prosthetics, and protective covers

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One of the most immediate and measurable benefits of combining reverse engineering and additive manufacturing (AM) for spare parts is cost reduction—particularly by eliminating the need for expensive retooling. When a part becomes obsolete, reproducing it through conventional means often requires creating new molds, dies, or fixtures, which can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on the part’s complexity and material. With additive manufacturing, once a part is reverse-engineered and validated, it can be produced on demand, with no setup or tooling costs.

Furthermore, reverse engineering can secure a more cost-effective supply chain. This is particularly evident in the Department of Defense (DOD), where “military assets are often operational for decades and a single contractor sometimes supplies the parts needed to sustain them,” according to the U.S Government Accountability Office (GAO). Oftentimes, the original suppliers for spare parts no longer exist or are no longer under contract, leaving the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) dependent on a single-source supplier, increasing costs. As a result, the DLA has used reverse engineering to regain control over parts sourcing.

Spare parts recreated through reverse engineering aren’t limited to reproducing the original geometry. They offer an opportunity to improve the part using modern design and manufacturing principles. Engineers can incorporate design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) techniques such as lightweighting, lattice structures, or part consolidation. This flexibility allows parts to adapt to the ever-changing requirements established by customers, regulatory standards, and evolving industry applications.

Additionally, surface defects, wear patterns, or failure modes observed on the original part can be engineered out of the new design. This is particularly important in sectors like automotive or industrial equipment, where even marginal performance gains can lead to measurable improvements in efficiency and maintenance cycles. Reverse engineering workflows often include a digital inspection loop, ensuring that the final CAD model aligns precisely with the physical part. High-resolution 3D scanning and deviation analysis tools can detect dimensional inaccuracies with tolerances as tight as ±0.01 mm, giving engineers confidence in the part’s performance before production begins.

When managing lead times for spare parts, it’s not enough to focus on each component—you must consider the entire system’s development cycle. Spare parts don’t exist in isolation; their design and integration all depend on how the broader system functions and evolves. A delay in one part can ripple through the supply chain, causing extended downtime.

Reverse engineering combined with additive manufacturing dramatically reduces development timelines—especially in sectors like aerospace and agriculture, where legacy equipment must be kept operational despite the absence of original tooling or a reliance on long-standing, and sometimes unstable, supplier relationships.

Instead of waiting weeks or months for a single-source supplier to reproduce a part—or worse, discovering that the supplier no longer exists—engineers can capture the physical geometry of the existing part using 3D scanning tools and convert it into a production-ready CAD model. This model can then be modified, improved, or printed as-is using AM, often within days.

A primary benefit of this digital-first workflow is the repeatability of the process. The production-ready CAD file is stored in a secure digital warehouse, allowing the part to be reproduced on demand without the need to restart the reverse engineering process.

Reverse engineering turns the unsolvable problem of spare parts obsolescence into a challenge that can be systematically addressed: capturing lost designs, restoring critical components, and enabling reliable part reproduction.

When paired with additive manufacturing, this approach becomes even more powerful. Engineers can not only recover obsolete parts but also enhance them using DfAM principles and advanced 3D printing materials and technologies.

In industries where equipment longevity is critical and downtime is costly, reverse engineering and AM offer a proactive, future-ready solution. Ready to bring legacy parts back to life? Connect with Endeavor 3D to explore how reverse engineering and additive manufacturing can solve your obsolescence challenges with speed, precision, and confidence.