Success Story: Reverse Engineering a Turbine Blade

Written by Drawbridge Team

In the maintenance service industry, unexpected part failures can lead to costly downtime especially when dealing with older equipment and missing part files. This was the case when a team needed to replace a worn turbine blade from a legacy hydropower system, with no CAD models or technical drawings available.

The 3D scanning was conducted inside a hydropower station, where a centrifugal turbine uses water flow to generate electricity. Using the HandySCAN Black+| Elite, they captured the blade’s complex geometry on-site. The data was processed in Creaform.OS Scan-to-CAD, with key features extracted and transferred into Autodesk Inventor to create a fully parametric CAD model that met all required tolerances. 

The final model enabled fast, accurate manufacturing of a replacement blade without contacting the original manufacturer or relying on outdated documentation. This reverse engineering approach cut turnaround time by over 70% and significantly reduced costs, showcasing how modern tools like 3D scanning and Scan-to-CAD workflows are redefining what's possible in maintenance and repair operations.