Reverse Engineering

Reverse Engineering is an opposite process of product development. In reverse engineering, a designer starts with a physical product to define the design and manufacturing process associated with it. It is a process to examine an existing product to determine detailed information and specifications in order to learn how it was made and how it functions. Reverse engineering is not limited to the mechanical industry, it is also used in other fields like electronics, software or chemical industries. For mechanical assemblies, the process involves disassembly and the analyzing, measuring and documenting the parts.

The first step is typically obtaining the 3-dimensional attributes by measuring. This may involve the use of 3D scanners and coordinate measurement machines. Three-dimensional scanners allow for data measurement of highly complex geometries. The accuracy of the data provided by the scanners will impact the quality and deviation of the Reverse Engineered model when compared to the original. 3D measurement machines provide point cloud data, and the designer converts this into the actual model in suitable CAD software. During this process, designers collect as much as possible information about the design ideas that were used to produce a particular product.

Many companies go for reverse engineering for following reasons:

  • To understand the competitor’s product in order to develop better product
  • To investigate the errors or bad features of the product.
  • To recreate the product for which original manufacture is no longer available.
  • Existing product for which CAD data is not available or needs to update


 We support our customers from disassembling and assessing their product from precise design, documentation to optimum manufacturing processes.