Reverse engineering: new opportunities for production

Depreciation of funds is one of the main problems of any production business. In Ukraine, at many enterprises it reaches 80%. But innovation comes to the rescue. Solutions such as reverse engineering and laser scanning help to improve equipment condition at the lowest cost.

Reverse engineering is a study of the finished object, its documentation and principles of work for further improvement or modernization. Using technology, you can change or create a device with similar functions, while avoiding direct copying. Simply put, the technology allows you to analyze information about the finished sample and understand how modernization is possible and appropriate. From the point of view of new technologies, the input data, materials, requirements of the buyer and / or manufacturer are evaluated.

For example, there is a car that was released 30 years ago. Instead of a complete reconstruction of the machine, you can do a partial: change the design of the body and replace individual components using new materials. It is important to make sure that the new part matches the old design. During the study of the object, engineers discover incomplete / inaccurate geometry data or their absence. Laser scanning will help to collect all the necessary information and restore the car.

Precise digitization can be applied in dozens of different cases. For example, the reconstruction of individual parts and the adaptation of components for agricultural technology, production equipment, which are no longer produced by manufacturers. Using this method, for example, you can analyze the degree of wear of machines or molds.

With the help of laser scanning, the details are digitized, and an ideal sample is made. But since errors arise during operation from friction and other mechanical processes, the digital model may differ from the real object. 3D scanning also works on this point: it captures the divergence, a digital sample is produced for comparison and fitting. The result is exactly the right, working part.

For example, the pump housing is located inside a complex structure. The weak point of the pump is its lower part: it bursts due to high pressure. However, the remaining parts of the pump are not damaged. The entrepreneur understands that a complete replacement of the pump or the purchase of a new one is needed. But such a purchase can be an expensive decision or the model is completely discontinued. A much cheaper solution is to digitize the lower part for its further manufacture. Thus, the plant has an exact model, and after reconstituting it on a 3D printer, it has the necessary spare part. In Ukraine, there are already companies that produce such services. For example, http://everscan.com, https://www.3ds.com.ua, http://www.3dscan.com.ua.

There is always room for improvement. Constant refinement, optimization of production processes is the basis of competitiveness. In the context of the financial crisis and the lack of funds for new production, partial modernization of key components is an economically viable approach.