Hexagon's Portable Metrology Division has combined its ATLASCAN Pro handheld scanner with Geomagic Design X reverse engineering software to give maintenance, repair and overhaul teams a scan-to-CAD workflow for aircraft parts with no available technical drawings. The solution targets civil aviation and defence MRO operations dealing with ageing cabin interiors, where components such as seat shrouds, armrests, tray tables, and galley hardware are cracked, delaminated, or no longer available from suppliers.
The speed argument centres on Geomagic Design X's automated toolset: rebuilding an accurate model takes three to eight times longer with non-specialist CAD software than with Geomagic Design X, according to Hexagon. The combination integrates direct scanner control within the same environment, using tools including Region Segmentation, Modelling Wizards, and Auto Sketch, alongside NURBS surfacing that handles complex freeform shapes and preserves full edit history. What's new here is an Accuracy Analyzer that checks constructed surfaces against the scan data at every stage, cutting fit-and-rework risk before the model leaves the software.
The ATLASCAN Pro is built for unstable hangar, shopfloor, or field conditions, capturing high-density data on smaller components from any angle without requiring specialist scanning experience. Finished models transfer directly into SOLIDWORKS, Siemens NX, Autodesk Inventor, or PTC Creo via LiveTransfer, avoiding manual file conversion. Both the scanner and the software are vendor-agnostic, meaning shops can use them alongside third-party scanning devices and file formats they already operate.
Aziz Tahiri, Global Director, Aerospace and Defence at Hexagon, said the company is seeing "rising interest from defence customers in mobile units that combine a scanning arm, reverse engineering software and a 3D printer in one container, so a damaged part can be scanned, rebuilt and repaired on site." That interest has some precedent: the US Air Force has reverse-engineered and 3D-printed F-35 canopy frames for testing, and the RAF fitted its first in-house 3D-printed part to a Typhoon aircraft in 2025. The RAF is contributing to European Defence Agency efforts to scale on-demand part production further.
The ATLASCAN Pro and Geomagic Design X solution is available globally now, with regional support and maintenance. Hexagon has not disclosed pricing for the combination.
