As Americas manufacturing base has contracted the need for reverse engineering has grown. Well
established suppliers have disappeared, often leaving customers with no source of spare parts or technical
support. Over time certain pieces of equipment require changes to output speeds or power levels and new
parts haveto bedesigned, built, and installed. And unfortunately, somepieces ofequipmentdon’tmeasure up
to the demands theyare subjected to and need redesign orimprovement. In many ways, reverse engineering
is just as demanding a discipline as original product development with many of the same challenges but plus
the additional restrictions of fitting inside of an existing envelope.
The typical reverse engineering project begins with very limited information on the existing piece of
equipment. This paper will describe a methodology for the reliable measurement, evaluation, re-design, and
manufacture of replacement parts for gearboxes and industrial machinery. A step-by-step example will be
provided.