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Before we can talk about reverse engineering as an application, it is important to understand how and why it has emerged as a critical metrology tool for manufacturers, and how it fits in the rapidly evolving digital workflow. Just a few years ago, the term ‘reverse engineering’ was associated more with industrial espionage, stealing designs, or product features from competitors. What has changed? 

Effective communication only happens when the intended message is expressed successfully by one person and received and understood by another. If executed correctly, it cuts down the unintended consequences that arise as a result of miscommunication. 

With the advancements of many manufacturing processes, computed tomography (CT) and digital radiography (DR) are continuing to expand into new sectors of nearly all industries. Historically, these nondestructive testing (NDT) methods were primarily used for inspection of critical components, however, we are seeing an increasing number of companies extensively applying these technologies beyond just inspection work.

The imaging/inspection method has greatly evolved since its inception and it is now used in many industries for diverse types of product. 

Force measurement devices like load cells, torque transducers and data acquisition devices are used across industries to design and test hardware. 

Ultrasonic technology has been used for testing ERW welded pipe at various points in the manufacturing process for many years. 

Several critical components need to come together to form a machine vision system. This includes the sensor (typically within a camera) that captures a picture for inspection, the processing hardware (a PC or vision appliance) and software algorithms to render and communicate the results. In addition, lighting, staging, and lenses are required to set up a machine vision system.

Even in a normal year, achieving high levels of quality is no small feat; it's a daily challenge that requires buy-in from everyone. This year, as COVID-19 wreaked havoc on supply chains, worker safety and consumer demand, maintaining high levels of quality became a nearly superhuman feat.

An SPC (Statistical Process Control) Software customer recently inquired if I could discern any issues in a process, as their customer had identified problems with three recent shipments. They provided data for the customer’s current year shipments for a variety of KPI (key process indicators) in an Excel file. 

Peel testing in force measurement can be rather open-ended in terms of how the standard operating procedures (SOP) can be written.