1 Reverse Engineering

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Subjects Page No.

Abstract 2
Introduction 3
What is Reverse Engineering? 4
What can Reverse Engineering be used for? 5
Reasons for reverse engineering a part or product. 5
The Flow Chart of Reverse Engineering 6
3D scanner 7
Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) 33
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) 31
Rapid prototyping 31
Manufacturing Process 23
Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) 22
Example of some RE 21
Appendix 27
References 21
2 Reverse Engineering

Abstract
 3 Reverse Engineering

Introduction :

Engineering is the profession involved in designing, manufacturing, constructing, and

maintaining of products, systems, and structures.

At a higher level, there are two types of engineering:

 Forward engineering
 Reverse engineering.

Forward Engineer:

is the traditional process of moving from high-level abstractions and logical designs to the
physical implementation of a system.

In some situations, there may be a physical part without any technical details, such as
drawings, bills-of-material, or without engineering data, such as thermal and electrical
properties.

Reverse Engineer:

The process of duplicating an existing component, subassembly, or product, without the aid of
drawings, documentation, or computer model is known as reverse engineering.
 4 Reverse Engineering

What is Reverse Engineering?

Reverse Engineering is defined as the analysis of a device or object to determine its structure
or function.

It is also an activity you do to determine how a product works, or to learn the ideas and
technology that were originally used to develop the product.

Reverse engineering also involved using various measuring devices to hand measure the part or
parts and then recreating those dimensions in CAD.

For simple part, it is easy to create a CAD file. But for complex surfaces, it is nearly
impossible.

Reverse engineering is a systematic approach for analyzing the design of existing devices or
systems. You can use it either to study the design process, or as an initial step in the redesign
process, in order to do any of the following:

 Observe and assess the mechanisms that make the device work .
 Dissect and study the inner workings of a mechanical device .
 Compare the actual device to your observations and suggest improvements

Before you decide to re-engineer a component, be sure to make every effort to obtain existing
technical data. For example, you can proceed with reverse engineering if replacement parts are
required and the associated technical data is either lost, destroyed, non-existent, proprietary, or
incomplete.
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What can Reverse Engineering be used for?

 Replicating parts that have no tooling or CAD data.

 Documenting existing architectural work.
 Documenting museum pieces.
 Crime Scene Investigation.
 Creating digital data of engineering mockups such as clay or wood.
 Creating 3D data files of the human face or figure.
 Medical Device fitting.
 Scaling of artist's model.
 Packaging design.
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Reasons for reverse engineering a part or product:

 The original manufacturer of a product no longer produces a product.

 There is inadequate documentation of the original design.
 The original manufacturer no longer exists, but a customer needs the
product.
 The original design documentation has been lost or never existed
 Some bad features of a product need to be designed out.
 To strengthen the good features of a product based on long-term usage of
the product.
 To analyze the good and bad features of competitors' product.
 To explore new ways to improve product performance and features.
 To gain competitive benchmarking methods to understand competitor's
products and develop better products.
 The original CAD model is not sufficient to support modifications or
current manufacturing methods.
 The original supplier is unable or unwilling to provide additional parts.
 The original equipment manufacturers are either unwilling or unable to
supply replacement parts, or demand inflated costs for sole-source parts.
 To update obsolete materials or antiquated manufacturing processes with
more current, less-expensive technologies.

Reverse engineering may also be necessary if alternative methods of obtaining

technical data are more costly than the actual reverse engineering process.

What are the Benefits?

 Higher accuracy on complex surfaces vs. hand measuring.
 Faster process compared to traditional methods.
 Replicate existing geometry quickly and inexpensively.
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The Flow Chart of Reverse Engineering

Object

3D Scanning

Feature Detect Surface

Reconstruct

CAE
CAE CAD modeling RP/RT

CAM

Manufacturing
Process
CNC

Products / Mould
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3D scanner
Reverse engineering of a mechanical component requires a precise digital model
of the objects to be reproduced.

A 3D scanner can be used to digitize free-form or gradually changing shaped

components as well as prismatic geometries whereas a coordinate measuring
machine is usually used only to determine simple dimensions of a highly
prismatic model.

These data points are then processed to create a usable digital model, usually
using specialized reverse engineering software (CAE).

Definition:
A 3D scanner is a device that analyzes a real-world object or environment
to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance. The collected data
can then be used to construct digital, three dimensional models
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Technology

3D Laser Scanning or 3D Laser Scanners can generally be categorized into three

main categories - laser triangulation, time of flight and phase shift.

These laser scanning techniques are typically used independently but can also be
used in combination to create a more versatile scanning system.

There are also numerous other laser scanning technologies that are hybrids and/or
combinations of other 3D scanning technologies.

 Laser triangulation is accomplished by projecting a laser line or point

onto an object and then capturing its reflection with a sensor located at a
known distance from the laser's source. The resulting reflection angle can
be interpreted to yield 3D measurements of the part.
 Time of flight laser scanners emit a pulse of laser light that is reflected
off of the object to be scanned. The resulting reflection is detected with a
sensor and the time that elapses between emission and detection yields the
distance to the object since the speed of the laser light is precisely known.
 Phase shift laser scanners work by comparing the phase shift in the
reflected laser light to a standard phase, which is also captured for
comparison. This is similar to time of flight detection except that the phase
of the reflected laser light further refines the distance detection, similar to
the vernier scale on a caliper.
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3D scanner areas covered include:

 Human body scanner.

 Face scanning.
 Automated part scanner.
 Industrial tracking.
 Building measurement.
 Animal measurement.
 Medical applications.
 Automatic inspection.
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Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)

In today’s competitive environment, companies are constantly facing the pressure

to produce differentiated products that are low cost, high quality, and satisfy
customer demands.

Traditional design and analysis tools require too much time and effort from
engineers who must rely heavily on physical prototyping, educated guesses, a
handbook, and their experience to validate their design.

CAE is the use of information technology to support engineers in tasks such as

analysis, simulation, design, manufacture, planning, diagnosis, and repair.

Definition:
CAE is the software that analyzes designs which have been created in the
computer or that have been created elsewhere (3D scanning) and entered into the
computer.

Also used computers in modeling engineering factors, processes, or systems,

such as heat transfer, liquid- and gas flows, stresses and strains.
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CAE software is used on various types of computers:

 Mainframes and super minis.
 Grid-based computers.
 Engineering workstations.
 Personal computer.
A typical CAE program is made up of a number of
mathematical models (Numerical theories)like Finite element method, Boundary
element method, Finite difference method and encoded by algorithms written in a
programming language.
CAE allows for many more iterations of the analysis-design cycle than was
possible by hand computation, especially when the CAE is coupled with
optimization systems that drive this cycle automatically.
The benefits are translated into improved productivity and quality of design.
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CAE areas covered include:

 Stress analysis on components and assemblies using FEA (Finite Element
Analysis).
 Thermal and fluid flow analysis Computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
 Kinematics.
 Mechanical event simulation (MES).
 Analysis tools for process simulation for operations such as casting,
molding, and die press forming.
 Optimization of the product or process.

In general, there are three phases in any computer-aided engineering task:

 Pre-processing – defining the model and environmental factors to be

applied to it. (typically a finite element model, but facet, voxel and thin
sheet methods are also used)
 Analysis solver (usually performed on high powered computers)
 Post-processing of results (using visualization tools)

This cycle is iterated, often many times, either manually or with the use of
commercial optimization software.
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Key Benefits of CAE:

• Ease of testing, analyzing and optimizing the design consistently.

• Design confidence knowing that the product will meet performance
requirements before it is built.
• Design optimization versatility cost, quality, or reliability.
• Scalability gives you the flexibility to buy what you need today and
upgrade capabilities anytime.

Some CAE software:

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Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

Its primary purpose is to create a faster production process and components and
tooling with more precise dimensions and material consistency, which in some
cases, uses only the required amount of raw material (thus minimizing waste),
while simultaneously reducing energy consumption.

CAM is a programming tool that makes it possible to manufacture physical

models using computer-aided design (CAD) programs.

CAM creates real life versions of components designed within a software

package.

Definition:
is the use of computer-based software tools that assist engineers and machinists
in manufacturing or prototyping product components and tooling.

Early Use of CAM:

The first commercial applications of CAM were in large companies in the
automotive and aerospace industries for example UNISURF in 1971 at Renault
for car body design and tooling.
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Overview:
Traditionally, CAM has been considered as a numerical control (NC)
programming tool wherein three-dimensional (3D) models of components
generated in CAD software are used to generate CNC code to drive numerically
controlled machine tools.

As with other “Computer-Aided” technologies, CAM does not eliminate the need
for skilled professionals such as Manufacturing Engineers and NC Programmers.
CAM, in fact, both leverages the value of the most skilled manufacturing
professionals through advanced productivity tools, while building the skills of
new professionals through visualization, simulation and optimization tools.

CAM is a process just like the rest of the steps in CNC. You need to do certain
things before it spits out the tool paths and then the G-Code. These things you
need to define change with the type of CAM you are using and the CAM
program you are using. They are all similar, but a bit different.

Typical areas of concern:

 High Speed Machining, including streamlining of tool paths
 Multi-function Machining
 5 Axis Machining
 Ease of Use

Here are the CAM Steps:

 Define Material .
 Define Stock Size.
 Define Coordinates.
 Define Tool .
 Define Feeds and Speeds.
 Simulate Machining .
 Post Process .
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Rapid Prototyping
The first techniques for rapid prototyping became available in the late 1980s and
were used to produce models and prototype parts. Today, they are used for a
much wider range of applications and are even used to manufacture production-
quality parts in relatively small numbers. Some sculptors use the technology to
produce complex shapes for fine arts exhibitions.

There are different forms of Rapid Prototyping available depending upon the
needs. One can differentiate between them by the methods these systems employ
to make the layers. Following are few of the main types of Rapid Prototyping.

Definition:
Rapid prototyping is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive
manufacturing technology.
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Stereo lithography (SLA):

Stereo lithography uses UV ray to solidify liquid acrylic polymer layer by layer
on a moving platform and after many layers, the prototype in the preferred form
is formed. This process is carried on in a VAT, a device that is filling up with
photo curable liquid acrylate polymer.

Stereo lithography is one of the most used forms of rapid prototyping because of
accuracy (Tolerances= 0.0125mm), less time taken (depends upon the size and
complication of the part) and where parts details are fine and their geometry is to
difficult to machined.
 19 Reverse Engineering

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Fused deposition modeling also referred as FDM, is a rapid prototype technology
commonly used to convert CAD drawings into physical parts.

FDM works on an "additive" principle which extrudes material in layers. Plastic

or wax is melted and liquefied in the extrusion head and extruded through a
nozzle. The nozzle is made to move over a trail identified by the CAD design to
produce part. This way single layer is extruded and then it is dropped to extrude
the next layer on top of the first until the entire prototype is built, with one layer
at a time.
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Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing technique that uses a
high power laser (for example, a carbon dioxide laser) to fuse small particles of
plastic, metal (Direct Metal Laser Sintering), ceramic, or glass powders into a
mass representing a desired 3-dimensional object.

The laser selectively fuses powdered material by scanning cross-sections

generated from a 3-D digital description of the part (for example from a CAD file
or scan data) on the surface of a powder bed.

After each cross-section is scanned, the powder bed is lowered by one layer
thickness, a new layer of material is applied on top, and the process is repeated
until the part is completed.
 21 Reverse Engineering

MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Casting :
Casting is a manufacturing process by which a liquid material is usually poured
into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then
allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is
ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process. Casting materials are
usually metals or various cold setting materials that cure after mixing two or
more components together; examples are epoxy, concrete, plaster and clay.
Casting is most often used for making complex shapes that would be otherwise
difficult or uneconomical to make by other methods.

Casting is a 6000 year old process. The oldest surviving casting is a copper frog
from 3200 BC .
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Turning :
Turning is the process whereby a single point cutting tool is parallel to the
surface. It can be done manually, in a traditional form of lathe, which frequently
requires continuous supervision by the operator, or by using a computer
controlled and automated lathe which does not. This type of machine tool is
referred to as having computer numerical control, better known as CNC. and is
commonly used with many other types of machine tool besides the lathe.
 23 Reverse Engineering

Grinding :

Grinding is a machining process that uses an abrasive wheel as the cutting tool.

A wide variety of machines are used for grinding.

They include:

 Hand-cranked knife-sharpening stones.

 Handheld power tools such as angle grinders and die grinders.
 Various kinds of expensive industrial machine tools called grinding
machines.
 The bench grinders often found in residential garages and basements.

Grinding practice is a large and diverse area of manufacturing and tool making. It
can produce very fine finishes and very accurate dimensions; yet in mass
production contexts it can also rough out large volumes of metal quite rapidly. It
is usually better suited to the machining of very hard materials than is "regular"
machining (that is, cutting larger chips with cutting tools such as tool bits or
milling cutters), and until recent decades it was the only practical way to machine
such materials as hardened steels. Compared to "regular" machining, it is usually
better suited to taking very shallow cuts, such as reducing a shaft's diameter by
half a thou.
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Technically, grinding is a subset of cutting, as grinding is a true metal cutting

process. Each grain of abrasive functions as a microscopic single-point cutting
edge (although of high negative rake angle), and shears a tiny chip that is
analogous to what would conventionally be called a "cut" chip (turning, milling,
drilling, tapping, etc.). However, among people who work in the machining
fields, the term cutting is often understood to refer to the macroscopic cutting
operations, and grinding is often mentally categorized as a "separate" process.
This is why the terms are usually used in contradistinction in shop-floor practice,
even though technically grinding is a subset of cutting.
 25 Reverse Engineering

Milling:
Milling machine is a machine tool used for the shaping of metal and other solid
materials.

Milling machines exist in two basic forms: horizontal and vertical, which terms
refer to the orientation of the cutting tool spindle. Unlike a drill press, in which
the work piece is held stationary and the drill is moved vertically to penetrate the
material, milling also involves movement of the work piece against the rotating
cutter, the latter of which is able to cut on its flanks as well as its tip. Work piece
and cutter movement are precisely controlled to less than 0.001 inches (.025
millimeters), usually by means of precision ground slides and lead screws or
analogous technology. Milling machines may be manually operated,
mechanically automated, or digitally automated via computer numerical control
(CNC).

Milling machines can perform a vast number of operations, some very complex,
such as slot and keyway cutting, planning, drilling, die sinking, rebating, routing,
etc. Cutting fluid is often pumped to the cutting site to cool and lubricate the cut,
and to sluice away the resulting swarf.
 26 Reverse Engineering

Shaper :
A shaper is a machine tool used for shaping or surfacing metal and other
material.

Shapers have been largely superseded by milling machines or grinding

machines in modern industrial practice. The basic function of a shaper
machine is still sound and tooling for them is minimal and very cheap to
reproduce. They can be invaluable for jobbing or repair shops where only one
or a few pieces are required to be produced and the alternative methods are
cost or tooling intensive. The mechanically operated machines are simple and
robust in construction, making their repair and upkeep easily achievable.
 27 Reverse Engineering

Forging :
Forging is the term for shaping metal by using localized compressive forces.
Cold forging is done at room temperature or near room temperature. Hot
forging is done at a high temperature, which makes metal easier to shape and
less likely to fracture.
Warm forging is done at intermediate temperature between room temperature
and hot forging temperatures.
Forged parts can range in weight from less than a kilogram to 170 metric tons.
Forged parts usually require further processing to achieve a finished part.
 28 Reverse Engineering

Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC)

In Industry it is not efficient or profitable to make everyday products by hand. On
a CNC machine it is possible to make hundreds or even thousands of the same
item in a day.

First a design is drawn using design software, then it is processed by the

computer and manufactured using the CNC machine.

CNC machines can be extremely large or medium size. and can classified by the
number of axis.

CNC is an important manufacturing process for rapidly prototyping an object.

 29 Reverse Engineering

How CNC machine work:

CNC run on G-Code. This code is made up of commands that tell the mill how to cut your part.

Performing actions like turning on and off, rapid positioning moves, controlled feed moves in
straight lines and arcs, selecting tools, turning coolant on and off, and setting spindle speeds.

While G-Code can be directly programmed into a text file and read by the mill, it is more
common to use Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) programs, like Pro/Engineer, to write
G-Code over a much easier to use user-interface.
 30 Reverse Engineering

RE Example: Turbine Blade render

As we see in flow graph we follow the steps until we reach the final product.

3D scanning :
In 3D scanning there is many feature need to cheek it like :

 Accuracy.
 Resolution.
 Type of scanner suitable for this application.

Feature

Name Faro arm Konica Z scanner 600 Z scanner 800

Minolta
VIVID 9i
Accuracy. Up to 35 microns Up to 50 microns Up to 80 microns Up to 40 microns
Resolution. - - 0.1 mm in Z 0.05 mm in XYZ
 31 Reverse Engineering

CAE:
We use finite element method by Ansys or other program to find the stress in the
part and modified it.

Also we use thermal and fluid flow analysis Computational fluid dynamics
(CFD) .

Rapid prototyping:
Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)

Stereo lithography (SLA)
CAM &Manufacturing Process:

There is many type of manufacturing process can be used :

Manufacturing process Cost Quantity Quality

Casting low high low
Forging medium low low
Forming high low low
CNC high high high
 32 Reverse Engineering

Analysis
3D scanning :
select (Z scanner 800)

CAE:
Use (Ansys) for stress analysis and fluid flow analysis.

Rapid prototyping:
Chose FDM and create the part.

CAM &Manufacturing Process:

Chose CNC for low quantity and for high quantity casting .
33 Reverse Engineering

References
 www.ems-usa.com
 www.metropolisdesign.com
 www.wikipedia.org
 www.cadworks.us
 www.absolutegeometries.com
 http://3dscanningtechnologies.com
 www.david-laserscanner.com
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Appendix:
 35 Reverse Engineering

Konica Minolta VIVID 9i

The Konica Minolta VIVID 9i in the most advanced scanner in the VIVID line of
3D laser scanners. The VIVID 9i is truly a jack of all trades, able to scan objects
ranging from very small to very large - all with incredible accuracy and precision.

The tripod-mounted, all-purpose VIVID 9i offers portability, adaptability, and

quality scanning for a wide variety of applications.

Why the 9i?

The VIVID 9i, combined with the PSC-1 Photogrammetry system,

results in a highly accurate scanning system capable of precisely
capturing surface data of what would have been impossible with many
other scanners. The VIVID 9i offers the versatility and accuracy you
need to get the job done.

Benefits
Key Features
 Ideal for inspection.
 Accuracy of 50 microns (0.002
 Great for scanning small parts.
inches).
 Use for texture mapping /
 Turntable accessory.
visualization.
 Captures color detail.
 Removes tolerance stack.
 Photogrammetry PSC-1 system.
 Use for wide range of object size
 Three interchangeable lenses.

The VIVID 910 is the perfect solution for non-intensive engineering projects
such as:

 Faces, bodies, life, etc.

 Architecture.
 Sculptures.
 Artwork.
 36 Reverse Engineering

With the introduction of the EXA scan laser

scanner from Handy scan 3D; the handheld 3D
laser scanner market gets a new option with
increased resolution and accuracy. This turns
the Handy scan 3D product line into a viable
option for scanning highly detailed surfaces and small objects in many fields such as
aerospace, automotive, consumer products and more.

The EXA scan 3D laser scanner is equipped with a third high definition camera which greatly
increases the scanning resolution as well as the data acquisition accuracy.

Why the Handy scan 3D EXA scan?

The Handy scan 3D EXA scan boasts a number of unique features that help differentiate itself
from other scanning systems. Being an upgrade to the Handy scan 3D REV scan, the EXA
scan laser scanner has many of the same features and benefits. The EXA scan also boasts a
new automatic multi-resolution function enabling it to automatically set the optimum
resolution based on the type of surface it is scanning.

Key Features

 3 Cameras.
 Automatic multi-resolution function.
 Self positioning (does not require an arm).
 User friendly and ergonomic design.
 Plug-and-play.
 Portable scanner system.
 Versatile use.

Benefits

 2x the resolution of the REV scan.

 20% increase in accuracy from the REV scan.
 Easily accesses hard-to-scan areas.
 Easy to learn - virtually no learning curve.
 Quickly sets up for scanning.
 Highly mobile.
 Use for wide range of object size.

You will see the most benefit with the EXA scan if your projects involve:

 Low to medium curvature parts.

 Free form shapes.
 Reverse engineering/modeling.
 Objects ranging in size from a breadbox to a typical car.
 37 Reverse Engineering

Handheld scanners have long required

external tracking devices such as robotic arms to
track their position. This makes even handheld
scanners difficult to work with at times due to the
cumbersome nature of these devices.

The versatile REV scan from Handy scan 3D is the first truly portable handheld laser scanner,
requiring nothing more than a user and laptop to operate. Call us today to find out how the
REV scan can help you discover the possibilities that 3D laser scanning has to offer.

Why the Handy scan 3D REV scan?

The Handy scan 3D REV scan boasts a number of unique features that help differentiate itself
from other scanning systems. Being the first self-positioning handheld scanner in the market,
the Handy scan 3D's REV scan offers quality scanning for many different applications.

Key Features

 Self positioning (does not require an arm).

 User friendly and ergonomic design.
 Plug-and-play.
 Portable scanner system.
 Versatile use.

Benefits

 Easily accesses hard-to-scan areas.

 Easy to learn - virtually no learning curve.
 Quickly sets up for scanning.
 Highly mobile.
 Use for wide range of object size.

You will see the most benefit with the REV scan if your projects involve:

 Large or low curvature parts.

 Less emphasis on scan resolution.
 Free form shapes.
 Reverse engineering.
 Objects ranging in size from a breadbox to a typical car.
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39 Reverse Engineering