3D scanning for reverse engineering and the QC of cast parts in the pump industry

For over 60 years, Hidrostal has been manufacturing high-quality, low-maintenance pumps, ranging from small, portable pumps for construction sites and flooded basements to ten-ton wastewater and thick matter pumps.

Hidrostal has been using optical measuring systems for more than 15 years. In the past, a 3D scanner with structured light and strip projection, made by a well-known manufacturer, was used for both the quality control and reverse engineering of cast parts ranging from 10 cm to 2,500 cm. This conventional measuring system was no longer generating the level of results required. Hidrostal decided to look for a new device that would overcome the weaknesses of the company’s current system. Hidrostal wanted a system that would be easier to use, better capture difficult-to-access areas, and require less time for the scanning process. Moreover, the team wanted to capture the processed surfaces of cast parts without having to use any scanning spray.

An on-site demo of the Go!SCAN SPARK at Hidrostal’s facilities made a particularly good impression as it enabled the team to save several hours compared with the technology the company had been operating, and, on top of that, it was also easier to use.

Application areas

Now, Hidrostal uses the Go!SCAN 3D for, among other things, the reverse engineering of oil chamber casings with the aid of Geomagic Design X.

Another application area is the actual comparison of printed sand cores using VXmodel. 

Jörg Wessler, a technical modeler at Hidrostal, explained: “The Go!SCAN 3D has done much more than replace the old scanner. It offers other benefits by being easy to use and reaching deep scanning surfaces. What we also really like is that the scanner can be operated intuitively. This means that the onboarding was very simple: we could implement what we had learned immediately and productively. The 3D scanner fulfilled all our expectations.”