# How do you make an impeller for a turbo pump

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [October 11, 2016, 8:20am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484 "2016-10-11T08:20:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 19\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jlv3r4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@Jlv3r4](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Jlv3r4)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 8:20am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/1 "2016-10-11T08:20:55Z")

</div>

I’m designing a turbopump, I’m running into trouble with the impeller. I need it to look like this. I just can’t figure out how to make the “flaps”  
 ![](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/1X/e208ffbc3e8b7b857a4aaab199977e1163d7c18c.PNG)  
 ![](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/1X/631aa9b9ce77d1bdfcdac1b238ca05f2598db271.JPG)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [October 11, 2016, 9:23am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/2 "2016-10-11T09:23:06Z")

</div>

I would make it with lofting, but it can be really laborious. You may want to consider just importing this model: 🙂 [turbo-rotor-nb1.STEP](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/1X/e61b408d2f400ed114e2545223573907ce6652f6.STEP) (1.7 MB)

I got it from GrabCAD btw.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jlv3r4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@Jlv3r4](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Jlv3r4)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/3 "2016-10-13T23:33:06Z")

</div>

All of my work disappeared:/ it showed in the workspace menu that I had a project started. I was separating groups so it wouldn’t lag then it all disappeared

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2016, 6:33am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/4 "2016-10-14T06:33:26Z")

</div>

Send me your workspaces to [istvan@shapr3d.com](mailto:istvan@shapr3d.com), and I will fix it. We handle your files confidentially. You can save your workspaces using itunes:

![](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/1X/31f5dcea0dd0e0e779df8d2bc23b5922ed801bc5.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![danac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ab097/32.png) [@danac](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/danac)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 8:05am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/5 "2016-10-17T08:05:37Z")

</div>

This impellor model is a good example of being able to Project lines onto a surface and then use a Polar array to propagate them. not sure if this is available in Shapr3d - but would be useful.

Dana Church

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 11:51am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/6 "2016-10-17T11:51:27Z")

</div>

You can sketch on curved surfaces, that would result in something similar, but indeed that lacks the precision, and projection would be much better indeed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/7 "2016-10-17T11:52:04Z")

</div>

But array tools and projection are both on the roadmap btw.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jlv3r4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@Jlv3r4](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Jlv3r4)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/8 "2016-10-17T17:07:34Z")

</div>

here they are

![](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/1X/e10d931c53ccdd3edb54ff9bdd2425e47cdc5f17.png)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/9 "2016-10-17T17:57:36Z")

</div>

That’s just a thumbnail, I will need the file named “workspace”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alejandro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@alejandro](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/alejandro)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/10 "2018-04-04T15:30:08Z")

</div>

> [@Istvan](#):
>
> array tools

I am new to the app, and loving it, but I haven’t found any array capabilities and this response is like one and a half years old. So is there any actual planned support for maybe even simple polar arrays? I mean like an actual planned release date for these features.

This is a real showstopper for me because I use arrays a lot in my work.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/11 "2018-04-04T15:30:40Z")

</div>

It’s on the roadmap, but we are not sure yet when we can ship it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alejandro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@alejandro](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/alejandro)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/12 "2018-04-04T15:39:49Z")

</div>

Wow I can’t believe there are not a lot of people asking for this…

Are there any workarounds or methodology to copy a feature and distribute them in an arc?  
Are there any instructional videos that may show how to do this or something similar?

Thanks!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/13 "2018-04-04T16:23:15Z")

</div>

You can use the transform tool for copying objects in a circular or linear pattern: [https://support.shapr3d.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001415134-Move-Rotate-Scale](https://support.shapr3d.com/hc/en-us/articles/115001415134-Move-Rotate-Scale)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![uber.geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b782af/32.png) [@uber.geek](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/uber.geek)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2018, 5:06am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/14 "2018-04-06T05:06:26Z")

</div>

I was not familiar with polar arrays, but now that I’ve looked them up, that would be extremely useful (along with other alignment tools). The transform/translate tools available can be powerful, but they still feel limited

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alejandro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@alejandro](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/alejandro)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 3:44am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/15 "2018-04-08T03:44:02Z")

</div>

I tried the transform tool and I could only copy in linear form, not circular. Besides, it cannot position with precision, so it’s mostly for quick drafting.  
I did find a way to distribute sketch objects in a radial form with specific angles (using support lines and later erasing them). So I was able to emulate a polar array but only in sketch mode because once objects get 3D they are very hard to position with precision (at least for my case).  
If I would like to contribute a video on this is that possible?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/16 "2018-04-08T13:25:22Z")

</div>

Here is an intro video that shows you how to copy in a circular pattern: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGc1v5vZIkE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGc1v5vZIkE)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alejandro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@alejandro](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/alejandro)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/17 "2018-04-08T13:40:37Z")

</div>

That’s pretty cool and exactly what I was looking for. And actually good workaround for polar array.  
Thanks!!!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [April 8, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/18 "2018-04-08T14:06:27Z")

</div>

You can watch a lot of basic introductory videos like this in the app, in the “Learn” section. Highly recommended, we put a lot of work into the videos 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MCSDesign](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/mcsdesign/32/18695_2.png) [@MCSDesign](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/MCSDesign)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 5:49am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/how-do-you-make-an-impeller-for-a-turbo-pump/484/19 "2026-05-28T05:49:20Z")

</div>

I designed a turbo impeller this morning using 2 basic steps;

1. The impeller base is 2 extruded round objects with a fillet at the base
2. Lofted rectangles shaped & angled to get the shape I was trying to replicate.

Hope this helps anyone still working on an approach

> ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/b/b/bb528cf8a64e2785af1c61772ecd64c24d175a21.jpeg)