Reverse engineering: what it is and what it is used for

At our company we offer reverse engineering services. This technique has centuries od history. A curiosity, for examples is that there are Roman records showing the use of reverse engineering to develop a fleet capable of defeating the Carthaginian navy by reverse engineering a captured Carthaginian quinquereme.

But, what does this concept refer to? And what are its applications in modern industry?

What is reverse engineering

Reverse engineering is the process that helps identify the different parts, properties, materias, and mechanisms of a product starting from its final result. Essentially, through the use of technology and disassembly, it aims to understang the manufacturing process and the operation of the final product.

Thanks to this scientific discipline, manufacturers are capable to understand the design of a part and replicate and/or improve it. Colloquially, this term is known as “working backward”, from the final product to its initial designs.

Applications of this discipline

Reverse engineering is present in a wide variety of fields. It can be found in all applications where a productions process is carried out, and its use has several funcionalities.

The most important application focuses on identifying the manufacturing processes of a product and finding improvement points that can be exploited. As a result, a new item is created with similar functionality to the previous one, but more efficient or complete.

Additionally, this process allows for the recreation of old parts for which plans or designs may noy be preserved, reproduction of handmade processes, creation of digital files, or improvement of a part that consistently fails.

Reverse engineering is one of the disciplines of product engineering and is carried out by specialized professionals. This discipline is the best option to discover and improve the functioning of a product by tracking back its manufacturing process to its design origins.