۱٫ Introduction

۲٫ RE – equipment, software applications and technologies

۳٫ Study of an RE process example

۴٫ RE process selection

۵٫ Conclusion

References

The management of the Reverse Engineering (RE) process for polymeric parts is a relatively complicated one. Composition on this market segment is tough due to the fact that approximately 85% of the machinery and equipment industry has migrated from the steel parts industry to the plastics industry over the last 30 years. This is why not only old mechanical parts and assemblies are subject to the RE process, but also new parts / products that competition is trying to reproduce. Therefore, the goal is to achieve the RE process of superior quality at the lowest cost and in the shortest possible time (if possible in a fully automated system). The RE process management involves selecting the hardware, selecting the RE software, and adopting the proper technique for obtaining surfaces (or solids, as the case may be). All these steps depend on the quality of the product to be achieved and the speed at which the results are obtained. The paper presents a concrete case of RE, solved by a certain process, but also other possible variants, as well as their impact on the quality of the final product (precision / price / effort).

Introduction

For the plastics industry the mold is the most important tool in the manufacturing process. Molds are produced in two different circumstances: (i) when a new product is being put into production, and (ii) when replacing an old, used die. In this first case it is assumed that there is a well-documented technical documentation, with all the data necessary for the integration of a new product in the manufacturing, and the need for reverse engineering is reduced or even null (Marguta, 2015). . In the second case, where replacing a used old mold is required, the situation is more complex. On the whole, there may be all the necessary documentation, but small corrections of the active elements are required, or the technical documentation of the re-fabrication of the mold does not exist at all. In the latter cases, the need for reverse engineering is crucial for a company that wants to produce parts as quickly and efficiently as possible.