3D scanning and reverse engineering algorithms in the railway sector

This project has developed equipment and methods for 3D scanning parts for trains and other industries. One has come a long way towards creating a direct 3D model of this type of scan via shape recognition. This means that the computer program tries to "understand" how the part looks and thus create a drawing model that can be changed directly in CAD software. The need for this technology in reference to the railway is great, and one sees more opportunities to recycle parts and keep older trains in traffic for longer. The project has stopped as it is proving very difficult to get this type of part approved in the railway as the rest of the eco system is not mature enough. But the technology and methods can be reused and further developed for both railways and other industries.

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The transport sector, including rail, depends on rapid access to spare parts so that transport services can be delivered with the required regularity. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) guarantee supply of spare parts only for a limited number of years and have long lead times. Lack of competition implies a high cost for spare parts even when they are accessible. Technical information, including detailed parts documentation, is often withhold. Ageing fleets of trains where parts obsolescence is commonplace often make it difficult to keep vehicles in service. The project goal is to establish a reverse engineering workflow from physical parts to well behaved CAD models facilitating rapid manufacturing of replacement parts as well as a library of digital replica and tools for training personnel and efficient maintenance of components. Two prototype products are envisioned: A precise, automized and user-friendly photogrammetry scanner, and a tool to enhance point cloud data to CAD models compatible to the ISO 10303 format STEP and fit for subsequent use. The latter will be mainly automatic but require user input for quality control. Algorithms for reverse engineering have a long history, but the tools used for industrial applications are far from automatic. Selecting and extending new and existing algorithms and workflows to rise the user friendliness and degree of automation involve challenging research. To integrate the new tools in the maintenance work, the right parts to be reverse engineered must be selected. The results will be consolidated in a roadmap starting from part selection to reverse engineering of parts.