Reverse Engineering
Dayton T. Brown, Inc. (DTB) routinely provides reverse engineering and re-engineering
solutions to various U.S. Government Agencies. When critical spares are in short
supply DTB can reverse engineer contour and dimensional data and provide Level
3 detailed production drawings.
We also can provide pre-production units that can be prototype tested to verify
full conformance to the TDP via visual, dimensional and non-destructive inspections.
Using the same techniques DTB can re-engineer your units, bringing to the table
current technologies for materials, and specification upgrades, making your product
more reliable.
Depending on your needs, you can select from the following levels of Reverse Engineering
or Re-Engineering:
• Drawing and Technical documentation review
• Prototype development / evaluation
• Prototype Testing
• Reliability Prediction
• Life Cycle Analysis
• Qualification Testing
• Design Optimization and Recommendations
CAD - Computer Aided Design
DTB has the capability (skills and equipment) to measure parts and/or assemblies
and then reconstruct them as a 3-D model and into 2-D drawings for fabrication.
The engineering design dept plays a large role in the reverse engineering of military
aircraft and helicopter structural, mechanical and outside skin panel undocumented
parts (ie: aircraft fairings).
Part Profile Scanning
At Dayton T. Brown, Inc. we can scan your products critical profiles using the latest
measurement technology. Point clouds can be generated, imported and evalutated into
a CAD model for further development.
We can confirm compliance with your tolerances and display
the results with color coded printouts including: nominal part shape, tolerance
bands, actual shape and deviations. We can accommodate your CAD files to define
nominal part shape.
Data Package Development
With over 50 years of experience in engineering, design and fabrication. DTB can
reverse engineer your prototype and develop a complete data package with materials
and specifications that is ready for first article production or suitable for immediate
procurement.
Technical Data Package Development
DTB can produce deliverable end items in 3-D solids and/or production level drawing
packages. Drafting skills include the preparation of drawings for Technical Data
Packages (TDP) in accordance with MIL-DTL-31000, Engineering Drawing Practices in
accordance with ASME Y 14.100 and Dimensioning and Tolerancing in accordance with
ASME Y14.5M.
Materials, Processes, Joining Methods, Surface Finishes and Treatments
Reverse engineering programs are undertaken as a team effort in which the metallurgical
laboratory participates as one of the team members.
We analyze every metallurgical
characteristic (see Conformance Inspections) to determine alloy selection, manufacturing
processes such as forging, casting and thermo-mechanical sequences, joining methods,
surface finishes such as plating and coating, and surface treatments such as shot
peening.
We also specify the governing specifications and participate in developing
technical data packages and vendor qualification.
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Specification Substitution
DTB can evaluate your (current or) outdated material, testing and product specifications
to determine if they compatible current materials, manufacturing processes and specifications.
Our experienced staff of engineer and metallurgists will evaluate your requirements
and recommend alternative processes and specifications or develop new ones to meet
your needs.
Product Improvement
In today’s environment, the competition to get products to market, and keep them
there, is fierce. DTB can help you improve your products so that you can remain
ahead of your competition by applying new materials technologies and manufacturing
methods to your current product designs.
Our experience, technical expertise,
and innovation can help you improve product reliability by evaluating historical
product failures or though accelerated life testing performed onsite at DTB. Whatever
the source, DTB can use the results to recommend alternative materials and or design
and process improvements.
Dayton T. Brown routinely provides product improvement solutions to our customers
to help them achieve shorter time to market,
better product performance and higher quality.
Since we are in the every day business of providing innovative support and are constantly
exposed to a wide variety of products and their development, we can provide you
with test proven solutions to your product development problems and certification
requirements.
Depending on your needs, you can select from the following types of product evaluation
programs:
• Drawing and Technical documentation review
• Prototype development / evaluation
• Design Substantiation Testing
• Reliability Prediction
• Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)
• Life Cycle Analysis
• Qualification Testing
• Design Optimization and Recommendations
• Reliability / Production Lot Testing
Prototype Development and Testing
In addition to reverse engineering products from new or used samples, DTB has the
expertise and experience to help you get your prototype developed and tested. DTB
can draw on its vast network of approved suppliers to provide the high quality components
that your design requires and build your prototype to print.
DTB has the facilities
to perform prototype testing onsite or provide the engineering and technical support
for your tests at facilities designated by you.
Design for Manufacturing
An innovative product design is all but useless if it can be manufactured. At DTB,
we know that the manufacturability of a product must be considered early in the
design phase of a project.
DTB can draw on decades of design engineering and manufacturing
experience to design products that can be manufactured with the latest CNC and laser
machines and techniques, or we can tailor the design to take advantage of your specific
manufacturing equipment.
Vendor Qualification
DTB can help you down select from a group of potential vendors by conducting quality
assurance site surveys with particular attention to calibration, inspection, asset
tracking and quality control.
Preliminary manufacturing process sheets are reviewed,
approved, and later compare to the process sheets used to manufacture first article
First article inspections, proof load and fatigue testing and evaluations are typically
part of DTB’s vendor qualification process.
Sample Application - EA6B Tailpipe
DTB successfully reverse engineered the Bellows, Ejector and complete Tailpipe for
the U. S. Navy EA-6B aircraft to satisfy a NAVICP requirement to provide the Navy
with a new procurement of EA-6B Tailpipes and sub-assembly Bellows and Ejectors
to meet the Navy’s shortage of these critical flight safety components.
As part of the source qualification effort, DTB conducted on-site quality surveys
of potential subcontractors, down-selected and ultimately contracted one of the
subcontractors to develop prototype Bellows, Ejector and Tailpipe Assemblies.
Given an incomplete OEM technical data package and no unused sample units, DTB used
an articulating 3-axis portable Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) to reverse engineer
these components from several used and scrapped Bellows and TailpipeAssemblies.
The contour and dimensional data obtained from the samples was statistically weighted
on the basis of the overall condition of the bellows and developed into a 3-D CAD
model. Design improvements, by technology insertion, to address fleet readiness
and material availability were made by DTB’s engineering staff.
The contactor was required to submit manufacturing plans, tool designs, manufacturing
methods and processes, and material certifications for review and acceptance by
DTB. Weld samples also had to be submitted for evaluation and acceptance. Preproduction
units were manufactured, inspected and fit-checked prior to acceptance for production.
During production, DTB led an extensive collaborative effort to refine and redefine
the acceptance criteria regarding scratches, nicks, dents, dings, and gouges on
the bellows nodes of production bellows assemblies and allowable rework.
DTB’s expertise and attention to all aspects of the reverse engineering effort lead
to a successful production start up.