Many new industries are employing 3D scanning not only to create 3D models of parts or products for reverse engineering but also to explore the composition and rapid production of ready-to-use parts via 3D printing.

In today’s highly specialized world of engineering it takes a village to develop and produce a component part, let alone a complete product. 

When most people hear the term ‘reverse engineering’ they immediately associate it with knocking off someone else’s product design.

Reverse engineering (RE) is the process of converting an actual object into a virtual 3-D model.

Like many other areas of manufacturing, it is easy to be dazzled by the “latest and greatest” technology and so overlook simpler, cheaper options that might be more suitable for a particular need.

Many ideas can spring to mind when one hears the term reverse engineering.

Today’s quality, design and manufacturing engineers often require two gears to get their jobs done: forward and reverse. Yes, sometimes you need to back up in order to move forward.

This month’s Quality delves into the idea of things coming back around, but it is by no means innocuous. Reshoring, or insourcing, is a hot topic of conversation amongst companies that continue to strive to bring themselves closer to their customers.