Reverse

Engineering

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 Reverse engineering
• Reverse Engineering is a process of
redesigning an existing product to improve and
broaden its functions, add quality and to
increase its useful life.
• The main aim of reverse engineering is to
reduce manufacturing costs of the new
product, making it competitive in market.
• The duplication is done without the aid of
drawings, documentation or computer model.

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 why reverse
engineering?
• The original producer no longer produces the
product.
• There is inadequate documentation of product.
• Some bad features of the product needs to be
redesigned.
• To update obsolete materials or antiquated
manufacturing processes with more current,
less expensive technologies.

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 Methodology
Physical model

3D scanner Point

cloud data

Surface Model

CADreadiness, Accuracy, Smoothness

CAD
model 4
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 Digitizin
g
• Collecting data from physical part.
• Used when drawing of object is not available.
• Aim is to generate a 3D mapping of the
product in the form of CAD file.
• This requires acquisition of surface data,
which is large number of points on the product
surface.
• For this two types of processes are used:
contact and non contact method.
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 Discretization
method
Contact method Non contact method
• Requires contact between • Uses light as the main tool
the component surface & a • Uses white light or laser
measuring tool. scanners to scan 3D objects
• Uses Coordinate Measuring to generate CAD design.
Machine
(CMM), electromagnetic
digitizer or sonic digitizers
to get desired coordinates.

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 Manipulation of
data
• Basically, after completion of this a CAD
model of product is obtained.
• Used to fit a geometry to the large number
of points obtained from digitizing.
• The surface can be mathematically defined
as algebraic or parametric surface.
• Surface fitting techniques can be of two types:
interpolation and approximation techniques.

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 Surface fitting
techniques
Interpolation technique
• Surface to be fitted passes
through all the data points.
• Used when the data points
are accurately measured
without any errors.
Approximation technique
• Surface represents a
generalized or best fit to the
data points.
• Used when large number of
data points are to be fitted.
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 Generation of functional
part
• The geometric model obtained, can be used as
the basis for variety of operations.

• Operations such as automated process

planning, automated manufacturing,
automated dimensional inspection and
automated tolerance analysis.

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 Advantages of reverse
engineering
• RE typically starts with measuring an
existing object, so that a solid model  Cost saving for developing new
can be deduced in order to make use products.
of the advantages of
CAD/CAM/CAE technologies.
 Lesser maintenance costs
• CAD models are used for
manufacturing or rapid prototyping
applications.  Quality improvement
• Hence we can work on a product
without having prior knowledge of
 Competitive advantages
the technology involved.

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 Application
s
• ManufacturingField: To create a 3D virtual model
of an existing physical part for use in 3D
CAD, CAM, CAE or other software and to
analyze the working of a product.
• Medical Field: Imaging, modeling and
replication (as a physical model) of a
patient's bone structure
• Software engineering: To detect and
neutralize viruses and malware.

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Thank
You

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