Reverse-Engineered Replacement Part

This sample project illustrates AGX Engineering's approach to reverse engineering an obsolete machinery component. Obsolete parts — where the original OEM has ceased production and no drawings exist — are a recurring challenge for maintenance teams in mining, agriculture, and manufacturing environments.

The example covers a cast iron mounting bracket for a legacy conveyor head shaft bearing housing, where the original equipment manufacturer ceased trading and replacement brackets were no longer available through any supply chain. The physical bracket was measured and documented to produce an accurate 3D model and manufacturing drawings for production in mild steel by a local fabricator.

AGX Engineering measured the physical bracket using digital verniers, a bore gauge, and a height gauge referenced to a surface plate, capturing all critical dimensions to ±0.1 mm. The geometry was built in SolidWorks as a fully-dimensioned CAD model, with the bearing seat and adjustment slot toleranced to maintain the original functional geometry.

The part was redesigned in mild steel fabrication (replacing the original cast iron), which was achievable given the static loading and non-impact application. A supplier-ready drawing set was produced with complete dimensions, tolerances, material specification, and surface finish callouts — allowing the bracket to be manufactured by any competent fabrication shop.