Unlike the traditional engineering process of designing a part, product, or component from the ground up, many times in life we need to start with an existing item and work backward to solve a problem. It’s a process known as reverse engineering, and it begins by obtaining accurate data about the object.

Industrial Inspection & Analysis (IIA) has been an early adopter of laser and CT scanning and re-creation of geometry for the manufacturing industry, from medical devices and heavy equipment to firearms, tooling, and plastic companies.

Reverse engineering is used by both corporations and individuals for a variety of reasons. Some common scenarios seen at IIA are highlighted below.

Scenario No. 1: No design files exist

Reverse engineering is commonly used to accurately reproduce older parts (such as legacy components), where the original drawing no longer exists or can’t be accessed. Among the most interesting uses of this technology is preserving historical objects.

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