Situation and challenge

The customer's production line was down because of one worn aluminum part. No drawing, no CAD model, no contact to the original manufacturer. The customer had only the damaged physical part and needed a solution as quickly as possible.

The main challenge was obtaining accurate dimensions from a part that was partially deformed by wear. Manual measurement would not capture all curved surfaces and precise tolerances.

Spare part – CNC machining from 3D scan
CNC-machined spare part from aluminium alloy EN AW-6082, produced within 72 hours

Our solution

The customer brought the part in person. We scanned it with a 3D scanner using structured light - the full scanning process took under one hour. From the resulting mesh, we built a parametric CAD model in Autodesk Inventor with precise tolerances.

Before milling, we sent the 3D model for approval. After confirmation, we milled the part from EN AW-6082 aluminum on our CNC center. The full process from intake to delivery took 72 hours.

Key decision
The customer considered sending the part abroad, which would have taken 2+ weeks. Combining scanning and CNC with one supplier saved both time and communication overhead.

Outcome

The replacement part fit the original position exactly without modifications. The production line was back in operation within 3 days from first contact.

The customer also ordered a backup part and technical documentation - a dimensioned drawing for future sourcing.

  • Time from first contact to finished part: 72 hours
  • Material: Aluminum EN AW-6082
  • Tolerances: ±0.05 mm on functional surfaces
  • Bonus: Customer also received a technical drawing for archive and reuse