Reverse Engineering &

Remanufacturing

Rajender ThakurM.E (Mechanical Engineering)Punjab University

Reverse EngineeringSystematic evaluation of a product with the purpose of replication.

Design of a new part

Copy of an existing part

Recovery of a damaged or broken part

An important step in the product development cycle

Why Reverse engineering

We cannot start from the very beginning to develop a new

product every time.

We need to optimize the resources available in our hands and

reduce the production time keeping in view the customers’

requirements.

For such cases, RE is an efficient approach to significantly reduce the product development cycle.

ExampleSuppose there is a impellor pump which had an original pumping capacity of 20000 cubic feet of water per minute; now, after a year of use, the pump manufacturing company finds that it is pumping 19000 cubic feet per minute. They need to figure out what happened to that extra 1 thousand cubic feet in performance

The pump manufacturer scans the year-old impeller into the CAD system. Once those measurements are captured, engineers can compare the measurements taken from the actual impeller against the original, as-designed part. This helps determine exactly how and where the part has degraded. With that information in hand, engineers can redesign the impeller to avoid future loss in pumping capability

Benifits

RE typically starts with measuring an

existing object, so that a solid model can be

deduced in order to make use of the

advantages of CAD/CAM/CAE technologies.

CAD models are used for manufacturing or

rapid prototyping applications.

Hence we can work on a product without

having prior knowledge of the technology

involved.

Cost saving for developing new

p products.

Lesser maintenance costs

Quality improvement

Competitive advantages

LimitationsToday, however, reverse engineering is most commonly associated with theft of intellectual property. Someone might purchase an engineered kit from the original manufacturer, take it apart and analyze it in order to re-build clones or copies of the original device without investment into development and research. This form of reverse engineering is generally illegal and frowned upon

RE Process

I. Digitization of the object/

Data Capturing (using

CMM, scanners etc.)

Processing of measured

data

Creation of CAD model

Prototype

Rapid Prototyping in combination with RE

A group of techniques to quickly fabricate a scale model of a

physical part or assembly using 3D CAD data

Integration of reverse engineering and rapid prototyping is being

used for getting product to the market quickly by resolving a long-

standing conflict between design and manufacturing

CAD model generation using laser scanner: (a) wooden pattern, (b) cloud of points, and (c) 3D CAD model

a b c

Fabricated RP Model

Areas of Application

Design of a new component

Reproduction of an existing component

Improving quality & efficiency of existing

parts

Manufacturing Engineering

• To create a 3D virtual model of an existing physical

part for use in 3D CAD, CAM, CAE or other software

• To make a digital 3D record of own products

• To assess competitors' products

• To analyze the working of a product

• To identify potential patent infringement etc.

Software Engineering

• To extract design & implementation information

• To detect and neutralize viruses and malware

• To determine chemical composition

• To substitute or improve recipes to stimulate or improve

the products performance

Chemical Engineering

Film-Entertainment Industry

• Animated objects are imparted motion using the

reverse engineered human skeletons

Medical Field

• Applications in orthopedic, dental & reconstructive surgery

• Imaging, modeling and replication (as a physical model) of a patient's

bone structure

• Models can be viewed & physically handled before surgery, benefiting

in evaluation of the procedure & implant fit in difficult cases

• Less risk to the patient and reduced cost through saving in theatre

time

Future Scope & Possibilities

With the advent of RE & RP, we can hope to see

commercial and domestic use of these technologies to

manufacture desired products at home and offices which

will be revolutionary in coming time. Possibilities of use of

this technology is only restricted by boundaries of human

thinking.

TheRemanufacturing

Remanufacturing is the rebuilding of a product to specifications of the original manufactured product using a combination of reused, repaired and new parts. It requires the repair or replacement of worn out or obsolete components and modules.

REMANUFACTURING

• Parts subject to degradation affecting the performance or the expected life of the whole are replaced. See an example of a professional automotive electronics remanufacturing flow.

• Remanufacturing is a form of a product recovery process which differs from other recovery processes in its completeness: a remanufactured machine should match the same customer expectation as new machines.

• In 1995, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented the Comprehensive Procurement Guideline(CPG) program to promote waste reduction and resource conservation through the use of materials recovered from solid waste, and to ensure that the materials collected in recycling programs will be used again in the manufacture of new products. The EPA is required to designate products that are or can be made with recovered materials, and to recommend practices for buying these products.

Types of RemanufacturingRemanufacturing without identity loss A current machine is built on yesterday’s base, receiving all of the enhancements, expected life and warranty of a new machine

Machine tools, airplanes, computer mainframes, large medical equipment and other capital goods

Remanufacturing by recoating of worn engine parts Instead of disposing of large engine blocks, remanufacturing has resulted in re-use of the parts by coating them with plasma transferred wire arc spraying (PTWA) . e.g Caterpillar

Aircraft field, the geothermal pipe field and the automotive engine field.

Remanufacturing with loss of original product identity With this method, used goods are disassembled into pre-determined components and repaired to stock, ready to be reassembled into a remanufactured product. • Once the product is disassembled and the parts are recovered,

the process concludes with an operation not too different from original manufacturing.

• Disassembled parts are inventoried, just like purchased parts and made available for final assembly.

• The National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery (NCR3) at Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) is researching remanufacturing processes including testing standards for remanufactured products

Range of products being remanufactured

AerospaceAir-conditioning unitsBakery EquipmentCarpet tilesCompressorsComputer and telecommunication equipment.Defense equipment

Electrical motors and apparatusExcavation equipmentGaming MachinesIndustrial food processing equipmentMachine toolsMusical InstrumentsOffice furniture

Office photocopiers (laser toner cartridges)Power bearingsPumpsRobotsRolling stock (railway vehicles)Vehicular PartsVending Machines

• Reuse implies that items are used by a second customer without prior repair operations or as originally designed.

• Repair: the process of bringing damaged components back to a functional condition.

• Refurbishing/Reconditioning is the process of restoring components to a functional and/or satisfactory state to the original specification, using methods such as resurfacing, repainting, etc.

• Recycling is the process of taking a component material and processing it to make the same material or useful degraded material.

• Cannibalization (parts) - practice of removing parts or subsystems necessary for repair from another similar device, rather than from inventory, usually when resources become limited

Other forms of product recovery

EXAMPLE OF REMANUFACTURING

There are a number of advantages of remanufactured transmissions. Many drivers prefer remanufactured transmission due to their cost. But, the point is, are they ultimately worth it?

WHAT is a remanufactured transmission?

• A remanufactured transmission is a used transmission that has been completely disassembled and rebuilt using new parts for the major internal components while continuing to use the original transmission housing.

ADVANTAGES OF RE-MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSIONS

POCKET-FRIENDLY

Cost is one of the major factors of why people opt for a re-manufactured transmission instead of buying a new one. In many cases, a remanufactured transmission will save 50 percent or more over the cost of a new one. With modern transmissions costing more than $2,000 or $3,000, the savings can be considerable. Also, if you know how to install it yourself, then you can save on the cost of installation as well.

LATEST PARTS

• Re-manufactured transmissions will have the latest parts. However, there is no guarantee that you will have updated parts in a new transmission. It may just be a part the company had in stock already. Together with the latest parts, re-manufactured transmissions come with warranties; anywhere from 1 to 3 years depending upon the manufacturer.

ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY

• Re-manufactured transmissions are environment-friendly. Many industry analysts and experts estimate that re-manufactured transmissions use only about 1/10 of the energy and natural resources needed to manufacture a new one. Also, compared to the production of a new transmission, re-manufactured transmissions produce far less carbon base emissions.

These days, companies that re-manufacture transmissions utilize the latest technology. As a result, re-manufactured transmissions are now more affordable and reliable than ever before. In fact, many large trucking and shipping companies make it a common practice to purchase re-manufactured transmissions due to the affordability compared to new transmissions.

More Reliable