Only a few products have remained relevant due to the continual advances of technology. Despite this, there are still parts in machines that are still being used for decades. When a part malfunctions, instead of replacing the whole device, you can replace the component that is malfunctioning. Reverse engineering makes replacing these parts possible and in many cases more affordable. Most parts that need replacing are usually more than 20 years old. To maintain the product’s operation and long term use, sometimes components have to be reverse engineered in order to fix failed components.
Understanding Reverse Engineering
Reverse engineering or back engineering as it is sometimes known, is a process in which components, and other products are deconstructed to extract design information from them. Reverse engineering usually involves deconstructing each component of larger products. This process enables you to understand how a component was designed so that engineers will be able to recreate it. Because this process involves working backwards through the initial design, it is coined reverse engineering. It requires a series of steps to gather information on a product’s measurements and dimensions. Engineers will enhance the design and information acquired and combine them with new innovations.
How Does it Work?
Typically, an engineer will acquire an example of a product in question and strip it down to pieces to examine its internal mechanisms. By doing this, engineers can discover information about the original construction and design of that product. Before starting the reverse engineering process, engineers need to analyze the attributes and dimensions of said product, be it a ship, vehicle, or a piece of industrial machinery. During the analysis, important measurements, and key features of the part or object are extracted and recorded in order to create new CAD data which can be used for remanufacturing and even alteration of the part.
Some engineers use 3D scanning to capture the object’s shape in order to use it as a reference point when creating new CAD data. With 3D scanners, you can gain accurate data of the product’s specifications and have this information readily available during the Reverse Engineering process. After all the information and data has been collected and recorded, engineers can then use this information to create computer-aided design or CAD designs for further analysis and development. CAD designs are digital 2D and 3D versions of the products, which engineers can use to analyze the product’s design and functionality. These models will help reveal design intent and inform engineers of the creation of a reverse-engineered component.
What is the Purpose of Reverse Engineering?
The reverse engineering process gives manufacturers and engineers useful information about the design of a component or product. It gives engineers a virtual blueprint of the initial design of the product. It is perhaps the most accurate way of recreating the designs for parts that are not in production anymore and the only way to bring products from decades ago back to life. Engineers are able to use those insights to create better models, repair parts, or make improvements for future products. As in any industry, technology is developing and advancing rapidly. Reverse engineering has become essential for today’s manufacturing systems by allowing you to archive old designs that may no longer have their original design files available. By doing so you can breathe new life into outdated parts, and in many cases create improvements on older and outdated designs.
