The hidden Benefits of Reverse Engineering

Have you ever been in a situation when you are looking for a part and it is either hard to find or discontinued? Or maybe the manufacturer went out of business and the part is not manufactured anymore? Reverse engineering is a great option.

What is reverse engineering?

Reverse engineering has been used since World War 2 and the Cold War. As a matter of fact, it was often used by the military in order to copy another nation’s technology, devices, information, or parts of which have been obtained by troops in the fields or intelligence operations.

By definition, reverse engineering is a process that examines an existing product to determine detailed information and specifications in order to learn how it was made and how it works. This means that when a part is discontinued, with the process of reverse engineering, we can analyze the old part that is not working anymore and “recreate it.” 
Reverse engineering is often used for Fire Trucks and Heavy Equipment Parts. Over the years, a lot of Fire Truck manufacturers have consolidated or gone out-of-business. This has left some fire departments, which often work to preserve older trucks, up in the air when they are looking for parts. The reverse engineering process allows them to maintain their equipment without the headache of trying to track down that hard-to-find component.

What are the benefits?

One of the biggest benefits of reverse engineering is that the part can be improved. When a discontinued part is being examined, the engineer can identify some original manufacturer flaws, update technologies and materials (new motor technology, etc.), and improve upon them with the custom part that is being rebuilt. 

Another huge benefit is that a custom part that is created by reverse engineering should be the same or better quality and can be less expensive than the OEM. By the way, if you think the OEM means better quality we recommend you read our OEM vs. Aftermarket Parts: Pros and Cons blog.

Reverse engineering your hard-to-find products is a time saver. When it comes to getting your truck back on the road or production running again, that time savings is priceless.

If you are looking for a hard-to-find or discontinued part, our team of engineers accept the challenge and will help you recreate or re-manufacture a high-quality replacement. Contact us today at 937-346-0800 to get started or learn more about our process.