Reverse-engineering legacy industrial gearbox parts

Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration

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October 2026 Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration

No equipment manager wants to hear that replacement parts for industrial gearboxes, such as gear drives and tooth wheels, are running out. Even worse, after contacting the OEM to reorder, they may learn that the remaining stock was sold years ago, the models have been discontinued, and the original manufacturing tooling no longer exists.

Companies run industrial gearboxes for decades, during which vendors can exit the market, discontinue support for legacy units and stop producing relevant parts. Replacement has long seemed like the only option when spares run out. WEG Africa’s turbine workshop offers a different answer.

Reverse-engineering legacy parts

WEG Africa’s workshop uses 3D scanning to reverse-engineer, document and manufacture components for gearboxes, turbines and compressors, extending their operational lifespans.

“We frequently service equipment that has outlasted its supplier’s support lifespan,” says Alastair Gerrard, executive of energy systems at WEG Africa. “This is a major issue with turbines and gearboxes. There has been significant vendor consolidation and many brands are no longer available regionally, particularly in terms of workshops and spare parts. Legacy equipment can run for decades and there is no reason to replace it until spares become unavailable. That is why we established our reverse-engineering services.”

WEG’s workshop covers industrial gearboxes, turbines and compressors, with maintenance experts across all major vendor brands. The team conducts onsite inspections and repairs, produces detailed reports, and can perform stripping and rebuilds onsite or at WEG’s workshop in Johannesburg. Reverse-engineering is carried out using 3D scanning technologies such as the FARO ScanArm, which scans parts with exceptional precision before detailed schematics are produced. The workshop also has access to local and international professionals and manufacturing sites through the wider WEG organisation.

“We have worked with machines where nobody has seen the plans in many years. We scan and replicate parts, produce 3D drawings for the owners, and tool their replacement. In some cases, we improve the part for better performance and longevity. For our customers, knowing they can keep a crucial gearbox running rather than taking the expensive and disruptive replacement route is a considerable relief,” says Gerrard.

Extending the lifespan of legacy gearboxes

This service is particularly valuable to mines which use dozens of gearboxes on conveyors, crushers, mixers, compressors, cranes and many other utilities. Well-maintained gearboxes can run for at least a decade, often longer. Even the most diligent maintenance schedule cannot compensate for a missing part. Precision reverse-engineering resolves this and extends equipment lifespans. When the vendor has disappeared and parts stockpiles have run dry, obsolescence is no longer the only outcome.

For more information contact WEG Africa, +27 11 723 6000, [email protected], www.zestweg.com

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Maintenance, Test & Measurement, Calibration

Reverse-engineering legacy industrial gearbox parts

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