Reverse engineering is a common need across a wide variety of industries and technologies.
Reverse engineering is the process of duplicating an existing component, subassembly, or product without having the original drawings, documentation, or computer models.
We have used reverse engineering to provide a wide variety of services to companies in the
manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and even nuclear industries.
Reverse engineering can be useful in situations where you need to:
- IIdentify an assembly’s components and their interrelationships.
- Build new digital models of the assembly or part.
- Rebuild a part and need a new digital model.
- Inspect equipment and parts to ensure quality and tolerances.
- Scan a facility and plan changes in the layout to improve performance.
Additionally, reverse engineering might also be needed if:
- The original manufacturer of a part or assembly no longer makes it.
- There is documentation missing for a part.
- The original manufacturer of an assembly no longer exists, and a customer needs to replace a part.
- There are bad features of a part that needs to be redesigned, such as improving where a product is experiencing excessive wear.
- There are bad features of a part that needs to be redesigned, such as improving where a product is experiencing excessive wear.
- When the original CAD model is missing data, and you need to make modifications or changes to your manufacturing methods.
- The original supplier is unable or unwilling to provide replacement parts.
- To update obsolete materials or antiquated manufacturing processes.
Reverse engineering is exactly what it sounds like. In forward engineering, you have an idea for a part, and you build the models. You then produce the part using those CAD models.
To reverse engineer a part, you reverse that process. You start with a finished part, scan it to build a CAD model, and then refine that CAD model.
STEP 1: Capture Data
STEP 2: Refine the Mdoel
STEP 3: Manufacturing