Reverse Engineering Design
Aftermarket parts are typically made when Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts are no longer in production and available. These types of replacement parts often play a critical role in a sub-assembly or system level functions.
While the designs can be slightly different than the OEM versions, the functionality should be the same. When OEM parts are no longer available, a common practice is to reverse engineer the existing design to create a replica. This can be done using several methods. The first is utilizing 3D Scanning. For complex shapes, a 3D scanner can create a detailed digital model. This method captures the geometry of the part with high precision. Another method is to use a precise measuring tools such as calipers, micrometers, and gauges to measure the dimensions of the part.
For this particular project, the replacement part was reverse engineered to develop a digital model using CAD modeling. This process will allow for a physical model to be built using 3D Printing/Additive Manufacturing for testing and design validation. Material selection for this part was another critical aspect. The material needed to hold up to UV light, chemicals, and other environmental factors that would affect its functionality. The material selected for the reproduction of this part would outperform the original OEM material due to material advancements since the original part was manufactured. After this process was completed, a manufacturing plan was created and parts were injection molded.
By following these steps, 3D Innovations can effectively reverse engineer a part to understand its design and functionality, create accurate digital models, and reproduce the part as needed using the appropriate manufacturing process.
You can read about another Replacement Of Obsolete Parts Case Study to see how another customer was able to replace obsolete parts.
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