Reverse Engineering · Discontinued Parts · MRO
Replacement and Obsolete Parts, Reverse-Engineered and 3D Printed
The OEM part is discontinued, back-ordered for weeks, or only sold as part of a much larger assembly. Send us the broken one. We measure it, model it in CAD and print a replacement in a material chosen for where it has to live.
A person quotes every job, usually within one business day.
A surprising amount of equipment is held hostage by small plastic parts: a cracked guide, a worn bushing, a knob, a clip, a housing that snapped at a mounting boss. When the manufacturer has stopped making it — or wants weeks of lead time, or only sells the whole sub-assembly — production waits on a part that is small and simple to make.
Reverse engineering and 3D printing close that gap. We take the original (broken is fine), capture its geometry, build a clean CAD model, and print the replacement in an engineering thermoplastic that suits the job. You keep the CAD file, so the next time the part wears out, it's a reorder rather than a project.
This is work we do for maintenance teams, facility managers, equipment owners and repair shops across Dallas–Fort Worth, and for customers anywhere in the US who ship us the part. Most parts are small, functional and unglamorous. That's the point: the right printed part, in the right material, gets a machine running again.
How a replacement part gets made
Every job starts with the original part, or what is left of it. We measure critical features — bores, shaft diameters, hole spacing, mating faces, thread sizes — and note which dimensions matter for fit and which are cosmetic. Where pieces are missing, we work from the mating parts, photos of the installed part, or your drawing if one exists.
From those measurements we build a parametric CAD model. That is not just a digital copy: it's the moment to fix whatever made the original fail. If it cracked at a sharp inside corner, the replacement gets a fillet. If a boss sheared off, it gets more material or a heat-set metal insert. If the original was molded with thin walls that only made sense for a molding process, we redesign them for printing.
Then we print, check the part against the original and any mating parts you've sent, and adjust if needed. For a part that will be reordered, the first print effectively becomes the reference for every one after it.
- Send the broken part, the mating part if you can spare it, and photos of where it's installed
- Tell us what it does: loads, temperatures, chemicals, sun, vibration
- We model it, quote it and print it — and you keep the CAD file
Choosing a material for a part that has to work
The material decides whether a replacement lasts. Most original parts were injection molded in a plastic chosen for that process; we pick the printable material whose properties best match how the part is actually used.
Carbon-fiber nylon (PA6-CF and similar) is the usual answer for parts that carry load or run warm — brackets near motors, pump and hose adapters, guides and clamps. Unfilled nylon suits wear parts and clips that flex. ASA is the default for anything outdoors in Texas sun. PETG is a tough, economical choice for covers, guards and indoor parts. TPU handles bumpers, boots and non-critical gaskets.
Heat matters more than people expect here. A part that sits in a vehicle, on outdoor equipment or next to a warm motor in a North Texas summer can reach temperatures that soften PLA in an afternoon, so we don't use PLA for functional replacement parts unless the part truly lives in a climate-controlled space.
What a printed replacement can and can't do
We'll be straight with you about fit. A printed part is excellent for housings, brackets, clips, knobs, guards, spacers, guides, adapters, covers and many gear and pulley applications at moderate load. It is not the right answer for pressure-rated parts, safety-critical components, parts that carry a certification, or anything where a failure could hurt someone — for those, use the specified OEM part.
Some parts are better made in metal. When that's the case, we'll say so rather than print something that will fail, and we can arrange metal parts through production partners so you still deal with one shop.
What We Offer
Materials
Not sure which one? The materials guide covers heat, UV, strength and chemical resistance for each, and we'll recommend one when we quote.
Common Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you copy a part if it's broken into pieces?
Usually, yes. We can model from the pieces, from the mating parts, and from photos of the part installed. If a critical dimension is missing entirely, we'll ask you to measure something on the machine or send the mating part.
How long does a replacement part take?
Modeling time depends on the part's complexity, and we'll tell you when we quote. Printing follows our standard turnaround: 3–7 business days for most jobs. Rush jobs are available — ask, and we'll tell you honestly what's possible.
Will a 3D printed part be as strong as the original?
Often comparable for the job it does, sometimes stronger — because we can choose a better material than the original and fix the design weakness that broke it. Printed parts are weaker between layers than along them, so we orient each part to suit its load. For safety-critical or pressure-rated parts, use the OEM part.
Do I own the CAD file?
Yes. You get the model, so a future reorder or a small change doesn't start from scratch.
Is it legal to copy a discontinued part?
Replacing a broken part on equipment you own for your own use is generally routine. Copying a part to sell, or reproducing logos and trademarks, is a different matter. If you're unsure, check with the manufacturer or your own counsel; we won't reproduce branding.
Can I ship you the part from out of state?
Yes. Ship the part with a note on what it does and where it's installed, and we'll return the original with the new part. We ship anywhere in the US.
Got a Part That's Holding Up a Machine?
Upload your files or describe the part. A person quotes every job, usually within one business day. Standard turnaround is 3–7 business days for most jobs.