Measure and document
Calipers, gauges, and reference photos on the original, with critical fits confirmed against the parts it touches.
Rebuild the part nobody makes.
The machine still works. The one plastic part that keeps it working is discontinued, back-ordered, or priced like a repair. Send it to us. We measure it, model it, improve it, and hand you a replacement and the file to make more.
- ⌀42.00bore, confirmed
- 4× M6tapped
- +0.8 mmwall where it cracked
From a worn original to a better replacement
Reverse engineering is measurement plus judgment. We capture the dimensions that matter, the ones that mate with something else, and then decide which features to copy exactly and which to improve: a thicker rib where it cracked, a slot instead of a hole where it bound up.
Model parametrically
A clean CAD model, not a scanned mesh, so the part can be adjusted, scaled, or re-toleranced later.
Improve the failure
If it broke, we ask why and fix that: material, wall thickness, geometry, or the way it was loaded.
What we recreate
Most requests are plastic and light-metal parts on equipment, vehicles, appliances, and fixtures: the things that fail first and are hardest to source. We tell you honestly when a part should be machined from metal instead of printed.
Equipment and machine parts
Knobs, guards, guides, covers, brackets, gears, and housings on production and shop equipment.
Vehicle and appliance parts
Clips, trim, adapters, bezels, and housings that are discontinued or absurdly priced through the dealer.
Legacy tooling
Fixtures and jigs built decades ago by someone who has since retired, recreated with drawings this time.
What a rebuilt part is worth
The cost of the part is rarely the point. The cost of the machine sitting idle, or of replacing it, is.
Equipment that keeps running
A guide, a guard, or a gear recreated in days beats waiting on a part that may never ship.
A weak point removed
The original broke for a reason. The replacement gets a thicker wall, a fillet, or a tougher material there.
Spares on demand
With the file in hand, spares are a print away instead of a search across resellers.
Measured, modeled,
and improved on the way.
Send the original, even in pieces. The mates and the failure tell us most of what we need.
Measure
Calipers, gauges, and reference photos. Critical fits are confirmed against the parts the original touches.
Model
A clean parametric CAD model, not a scan mesh, so the part can be adjusted or scaled later.
Fix the failure
If it cracked, bound, or wore, we change the material, wall, or geometry so the replacement lasts longer.
Make it
Printed here in days, or STEP files and a drawing for a machine shop when the part needs metal.
Common requestsKnobs and handlesGuards and coversGears and guidesClips and trimBracketsLegacy fixtures
One part in days.
The file forever.
From original to replacement
Most single parts are measured, modeled, and printed within a week of arriving.
Quoted from the part
Send photos and rough dimensions for a quote before you ship anything.
Next time is a reorder
You keep the STEP and print files, so the next one costs a print, not a project.
Frequently asked
questions.
Do you need the original part?
Ideally yes, even if it is broken. Failing that, the mating parts plus photos with a ruler and a few caliper measurements are usually enough. We confirm the critical dimensions before modeling.
Do you use 3D scanning?
For most mechanical parts, careful measurement and parametric modeling produce a cleaner, more useful file than a scan. Where a scan genuinely helps, such as organic or sculpted surfaces, we use one as a reference and still deliver a proper CAD model.
Is it legal to copy a part?
Making a replacement part for your own equipment is normal practice. We will not reproduce protected designs for resale. If a request looks like it crosses that line, we will say so.
What do I get at the end?
The replacement part, printed here or made by a shop from our files, plus native CAD, STEP, STL or 3MF, and a drawing, so the next one is a reprint rather than a project.
Can you recreate a part from just photos?
Often, if the photos include a ruler and you can confirm the critical dimensions with calipers. Anything that mates tightly with another part should be measured, not estimated.
How accurate is the rebuilt part?
Critical fits are held to the tolerance the process allows and confirmed against the mating part. Cosmetic surfaces are matched closely but not obsessively, unless they matter to you.
Can you improve the design while you are at it?
That is usually the point. We keep the interfaces exact and improve the material, wall thickness, or geometry where the original failed.
Related services and pages.
CAD Design
CAD design for Quad Cities businesses — production-ready 3D models and drawings for parts, fixtures, enclosures, and jigs, quoted at a fixed price and delivered in days from Moline.
3D Printing
3D printing for Quad Cities businesses — prototypes, fixtures, replacement parts, and small-batch runs printed in Moline, quoted at a fixed price, with local pickup or shipping.
Jigs & Fixtures
Custom jigs, fixtures, and shop tooling for Quad Cities manufacturers: designed around your operation, 3D printed in Moline in days, and revised for free if the first version is not right.