Engineering Design Graphics: Sketching, Modeling, and Visualization, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 9

REVERSE ENGINEERING TOOLS

INTRODUCTION

Reverse engineering is a systematic approach used to analyze the design of existing devices or systems, often with the aim of duplicating or enhancing the device. Reverse engineering¹ techniques are commonly used in industry, either to benchmark a competitor's product or as a first step in a product's redesign.

World-class companies employ reverse engineering in order to gain competitive advantage. In particular, reverse engineering is used (1) to understand a product's design, (2) to promote product improvement, and (3) for competitive benchmarking. Reverse engineering techniques offer a systematic approach to fully understanding and representing a product's design—either one's own or that of a competitor. It also provides a means to explore new avenues for the continuous improvement, evolution, and redesign of a product or product family. Finally, reverse engineering is a benchmarking technique that makes possible a comprehensive understanding of competitor products. This knowledge can be leveraged to identify best-in-class approaches to common problems, which are then used to develop better products.

The term reverse engineering also refers to the use of 3D scanning technologies in order to create a digital model from a physical object. Once the digital model exists, rapid prototyping is used to reverse the process by generating ...