Challenge
Maintaining large, heavy rotary gears in ships is a complex and critical task. These components feature intricate geometries—including gear profiles, internal bores, and threaded sections—that demand exacting specifications. Traditional manual measurement techniques often fall short, leading to inaccuracies, inefficiencies, and prolonged maintenance cycles.
When rotary gears malfunction, ship maneuverability is severely affected—posing serious risks during docking, towing, and long-range operations. To minimize downtime and enhance safety, a faster, more precise, and reliable solution was essential.

Solution

Digital Ship Maintenance with the FreeScan UE Pro 3D Scanner
To address these challenges, OTS implemented a cutting-edge 3D scanning and reverse engineering workflow using the FreeScan UE Pro 3D scanner. This hand-held, metrology-grade scanner features 26+7+1 blue laser lines and built-in photogrammetry, delivering an impressive accuracy of up to 0.02mm—ideal for high-precision gear repair in ships.
Key Steps
•  Surface Preparation: Application of markers and matting spray to enhance laser scan clarity and ensure complete data capture
•  High-Precision 3D Scanning: Comprehensive scanning of rotary gears using the advanced laser modes of the FreeScan UE Pro. This allowed accurate capture of complex geometries, including hard-to-reach and high-detail areas
•  Reverse Engineering: Scanned data was used to generate accurate CAD models of the components. These models guided precise gear restoration and, where needed, part replication