Reverse Engineering

Question 1

What is reverse engineering?

Answer 1

The process of reproducing a physical object with the aid of drawings, documentation, computer model data or a physical object

Question 2

In the context of AM, what is reverse engineering typically aided by?

Answer 2

A form of scanning technique to acquire the 3D geometry of a part

Question 3

What are some areas of reverse engineering?

Answer 3

Software
Mechanics
Electronics
Materials 
Biology

Question 4

What is a risk associated with reverse engineering?

Answer 4

Beware of patent infringement if too closely copied

Question 5

Why use reverse engineering?

Answer 5

Legacy - where data doesn’t exist or has expired
Products that are no longer produced
Analysing competitor products
Hand crafted - cannot be produced manually via CAD
Modifications - where a product is modified in production without anyone recording the changes
Natural - where natural products are in question such as human bones/body parts etc…
Inspection - where RE is the most effective route to determining potential failures and understanding improvements

Question 6

What are the process stages for reverse engineering via AM?

Answer 6

1. Original component
2. Data captured
3. Data processed
4. CAD/required data
5. STL file
6. Set up build
7. manufacture component
8. Post process and inspect

Question 7

What is the generic reverse engineering process for geometry?

Answer 7

1. Data capture, measuring and drawing, scanning (contact/non-contact)
2. Data processing, manual modelling via CAD, point cloud processing, recombination of layer
3. Output, surface model, 3D CAD model

Question 8

What are some methods of preventing reverse engineering?

Answer 8

• knowledge, limiting knowledge of tech within a company
• Secrets, keeping product details a secret to only key employees, prevents potential information leaks
• Redundant artefacts, by adding redundant code into software programmes, manufacturers are able to spot RE of products much faster
• Complexity, maintaining a high level of complexity so it is difficult to copy
• Quality, counterfeits remain a lesser value to the original product
• IP, only valid to protect certain elements of an idea and can be easily bypassed

Question 9

What is an example of a key RE case study?

Answer 9

Richard III skeleton

Replica made of his skeleton using 3D scanning and SLS to produce a replica