A Reversible Engineering Process

To study engineering can be difficult, especially transforming theoretical knowledge into practice. To address this issue, Otto and Wood have developed a reverse engineering and redesign methodology, suggesting that it can be used as a tool in the process of learning mechanical engineering and design. The aim with this report is to evaluate this statement, emphasizing on the reverse engineering process and evaluating its usefulness as an educational tool. In order to fully understand the process, two cordless screwdrivers will be reverse engineered, functioning as an example throughout the report. A theoretical background of the process will be introduced, including descriptions concerning the different steps and their encompassed tools, tests and methods. Trough the implementation, the screwdrivers are disassembled, analysed and experienced, resulting in a clear product specification with information of components and product functions. One example is the assembly plan, were the product structure is presented as two subassemblies with “layer on layer” assembly. Another result of the implementation is that the reverse engineering process was experienced in reality, exposing the required modifications necessary in order to function as an educational tool. The main issue for the process is its focus on customer needs instead of product focus. Therefore, it is suggested that a new reverse engineering process based on the existing one should be developed, focusing more on the product and less on the customer to better suit an educational purpose