Case Study: Rebuilding a Legacy Pump Housing for a New Application
From incomplete drawings and missing dimensions to a production-ready 3D model validated through casting simulation.
- Legacy part rebuilt from incomplete records
- Converted from cast iron to steel
- Simulation-backed and used for tooling + production
The Problem
No complete modern CAD model existed for the pump housing
- Original legacy drawings had multiple missing dimensions
Old Mylar sheets and historical records were incomplete
The part had to be adapted from cast iron to steet
- The customer wanted the part for a different end application
- Production needed a usable engineering model, not just a redrawn sketch
Our Approach
- Reviewed legacy drawings and old Mylar sheets to recover original design intent
- Used old patterns, scanned references, and part interpretation to rebuild missing geometry
- Created a clean 3D CAD model from incomplete historical inputs
- Updated selected dimensions and features for conversion from cast iron to steel
- Ran casting simulations to check manufacturability before tooling
- Delivered a model that could support tooling and production
Key design choices
- Reconstructed missing geometry by cross-checking multiple legacy sources
- Used pattern and scanned references to verify unclear feature relationships
- Adjusted selected features to suit steel instead of the original cast iron design
- Built the final model for practical production use, not just visual reference
- Validated the design with sound casting simulation results before release
Results
Before
- Incomplete historical drawings
- Missing dimensions across key features
- No reliable production-ready 3D model
- Original design tied to cast iron
- Difficult to reuse for a new application
After
- Clean 3D CAD model reconstructed from legacy records
- Missing geometry recovered through engineering interpretation
- Design adapted from cast iron to steel
- Sound simulation results before production
- Model used for tooling development
- Production-ready data package for manufacturing use
Implementation Notes
- Source inputs: old Mylar sheets, legacy drawings, patterns, and scanned references
- Engineering work: reverse reconstruction of missing geometry
- Material conversion: cast iron to steel for new application requirements
- Validation: casting simulations completed with sound results
- Output: production-ready 3D model used for tooling and manufacturing
Need to rebuild a legacy casting with incomplete drawings?
We help foundries and manufacturers convert fragmented old records into usable 3D models, simulation-backed designs, and production-ready tooling data.
Typical response within 1 business day.