AGMA 10FTM09 PDF

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 have to be designed, built, and installed. And unfortunately, some pieces of equipment don'tmeasure up to the demands they are subjected to and need redesign or improvement. Inmany 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.