Reverse Engineering
Reverse Engineering
Adding on to the Break it Apart project, the purposed was further develop our engineer sketching and investigation skills by breaking an object apart as a group and delving into the specialized functions of each of its parts. Then we were required to write a full lab report and presentation to explain our findings and our proposal to improve the object
After the project was complete, we were also tasked to research more about one of the cool technologies found in our power adapter.
Per the STEM Senior Engineering Website:
Reasons for reverse engineering
The reverse engineering process starts when a design team or management team identifies a need or concern that could be addressed through reverse engineering inquiry. Typically, designers use reverse engineering for one or more of the following reasons:
To research similar products in an effort to discover possible ways to make a more competitive product.
To test a product or design to determine what is failing or causing a failure.
As part of a company's continuous product improvement policy.
To provide documentation for product components when original drawings are no longer available or accurate
To educate design professionals on the topics of function, structure, manufacturing, and aesthetics.
For equipment repair, through the design of replacement parts, for products no longer in production.
To develop CAD and CNC electronic data (Digital Models) for computer-enhanced manufacturing processes.
Definitions:
From the San Marin STEM Engineering Website:
Functional analysis (what is the function of the different parts, how do they work together, what are the underlying scientific principles behind their functioning?) Simply put, how does the product work? Usually, functional analysis answers questions about a mechanical system or how an electronic circuit works. During analysis, an engineer will take measurements or perform tests on a product's components. Many tools have been developed to aid in measuring parts. Accurate measurements are important, and care must be taken to use each measuring tool correctly. Precise measurement and testing with quality instruments increase the reliability of the data collected during the reverse engineering process.
Structural analysis (How are the different parts connected together?) All structures, regardless of their purpose, must support internal and external loads and must hold parts in place. One of the first steps in structural analysis is to determine the purpose of each part and how it interacts with the other parts. The Structural analysis addresses all or some of these properties (interactions). Then Structural analysis involves principles of mechanics and material properties. In the reverse engineering process, it is important to research and identify the material strength of the structural component and decide if those properties match the structural purpose.
Material analysis (What materials are used, what are their properties?) The choice of material greatly affects a part's performance, and the material's properties must be correctly matched to the part's application. At a most basic level, we can identify a material by its common name. Materials are usually identified by type, such as wood, metal, plastic, ceramic, or composite. Designers need to understand material properties and how these properties contribute to performance and durability. It is also useful to know what kind of manufacturing processes are used to manipulate materials into desired forms. Analyzing materials requires understanding basic material properties because materials are also identified by scientific properties. When engineers analyze a product, they add careful notes in the engineer's notebook about the material characteristics of each part. As engineers examine the parts, they also look for signs of wear or other indicators of potential failure.
Manufacturing analysis (How was the product made?) Manufacturing is a broad term used to describe the application of tools and processes to the transformation of raw materials into finished goods. Designers always consider manufacturing processes during the design process. Professionals who help design the most efficient way to produce a new product are manufacturing engineers. Manufacturing engineers are either part of the design team or act as consultants during the design process. Many different systems to produce products are available. The reverse engineering process determines how the product was manufactured.
Reflection
Overall, this process was extremely successful in furthering our understanding of the simple power adapter. Through our research of the individual components, we were able to redesign the product to be universal and maximize its functionality.
However, as with every task, there were also some challenges to overcome. Due to the complexity of our object, it had a lot of smaller components that were hidden and difficult to break apart. We wanted to be able to get the full picture of our object to completely understand structural and functional interactions within the power adapter. To achieve this, we had to use a solder to carefully separate the various wires and coils. Another challenge was our time constraint. Since it took longer than anticipated to complete the teardown process, we had less than our ideal amount of time to complete the rest of the steps. It was alright because it required our team to work together and divide the tasks up so that everyone was held accountable for their contribution.
If required to do this project again, it would be imperative that we allow more time for the disassembly and research process to get a clear understanding of our object before writing up the report. This would also allow us to dedicate more time to the design process and make progress beyond just the initial idea. All in all, our group managed to accomplish everything we set out to do and we now have a deeper understanding of all the parts that make a power adapter work.
As a group we combined collaboration and communication to get this project done. We collaborated by dividing up the work evenly, organizing it using a Gantt chart. We all communicated well with each other, exchanging contact information to reach group members outside of school to inform them of what needed to be done. Our group worked effectively and efficiently together and produced an end result that we are all proud of.