Reverse engineering : mechanisms, structures, systems, and materials / Robert W. Messler, Jr.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

A. Preface -- B. Dedication -- C. About the author -- D. Preface -- 1. Introduction -- Human beings are a naturally curious species -- Taking things apart to learn -- Learning from experience -- The fundamental approaches of engineering -- The critical role of dissection -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 2. The status and role of reverse engineering -- The status of reverse engineering in references -- Reverse engineering defined -- Motivations for reverse engineering -- Engineering design and the engineering design process -- Types of design -- Uses for and benefits and risks of reverse engineering -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 3. History of reverse engineering -- The likely emergence of reverse engineering -- Reverse engineering in the middle ages -- Reverse engineering during the industrial revolution -- Reverse engineering during world war ii -- Reverse engineering in the cold war and beyond -- Summary -- Cited references -- Recommended readings -- Thought questions and problems -- 4. The teardown process -- The purpose of teardown -- Observation -- Measurement -- Experimentation -- Other specific forms of teardown -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 5. Methods of product teardown -- The product teardown process revisited -- The general procedure for the teardown process -- Teardown analysis or value analysis teardown -- The subtract-and-operate procedure -- Force flow diagrams (or energy flow field design) -- Functional models -- Illustrative example of a product teardown -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 6. Failure analysis and forensic engineering -- Introduction to failure analysis -- Sources of failures in mechanical systems -- Mechanisms of failure in materials -- The general procedure for conducting a failure analysis -- Two exemplary failure analysis cases -- Forensic engineering -- An exemplary forensic engineering case -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 7. Deducing or inferring role, purpose, and functionality during reverse engineering -- The procedure for reverse engineering -- Knowing versus identifying versus deducing versus inferring -- The value of experience -- Using available evidence, clues, and cues -- Using geometry -- Using flows of force, energy, and/or fluids -- Using functional units or subsystems from a functional model -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 8. The antikythera mechanism -- The discovery -- The recovery -- The suspected device -- Operation of the mechanism -- Reverse-engineering investigations and reconstructed models -- Proposed planet indicator schemes -- Similar devices, possible predecessors, and the possible creator -- Speculation on role, purpose, and functionality -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 9. Identifying materials-of-construction -- The role of materials in engineering -- The structure-property-processing-performance interrelationship -- Material properties and performance -- A primer on materials -- A primer on material properties -- Relationships for material properties in material selection charts -- Identifying materials by observation only -- Laboratory identification methods -- Summary -- Cited references -- Recommended readings -- Thought questions and problems -- 10. Inferring methods-of-manufacture or construction -- Interaction among function, material, shape, and process -- The role of manufacturing or construction -- The taxonomy of manufacturing processes -- Process attributes -- Inferring method-of-manufacture or construction from observations -- A word on heat treatment -- Summary -- Cited references -- Recommended reading -- Thought questions and problems -- 11. Construction of khufu's pyramid: humankind's greatest engineering creation -- Herodotus reveals the pyramids to the world -- The great pyramid of khufu -- Theories on the purpose of the pyramids -- Theories on the location of the great pyramid -- Theories on the construction of the great pyramid -- Deducing the likely reality of construction by reverse engineering -- Summary -- Cited references -- Recommended readings -- Thought questions and problems -- 12. Assessing design suitability -- Different designs, different role, purpose, and functionality -- Form, fit, and function -- Using observable evidence and clues to assess form, fit, and function -- Summary -- Thought questions and problems -- 13. Bringing it all together with illustrative examples -- Proverbs make the point; pictures fix the lesson -- Conair electric hair blow-dryer -- An automatic electric coffeemaker -- Toro electric leaf blower -- Skiltm handheld electric circular saw -- Lessons learned -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 14. Value and production engineering -- Manufacturability -- Design for manufacturability -- Value engineering -- Production engineering -- Summary -- Cited references -- Recommended readings -- Thought questions and problems -- 15. Reverse engineering materials and substances -- Flattery or forgery -- Motivations for reverse engineering materials and substances -- Finding substitute and replacement substances and materials -- Creating generic materials (generics) -- Synthesizing natural materials and substances: biomimicry -- Imitating natural materials -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 16. Reverse engineering broken, worn, or obsolete parts for remanufacture -- Necessity is the mother of invention -- The motivation for reverse engineering for remanufacture -- Reverse engineering broken parts for remanufacture -- Reverse engineering deformed or worn parts for remanufacture -- Reverse engineering obsolete parts for remanufacture -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 17. The law and the ethics of reverse engineering -- Without morals and ethics, law means nothing -- Legal versus ethical -- The legality of reverse engineering -- The ethics of reverse engineering -- Summary -- Cited references -- Thought questions and problems -- 18. The end of a book, the beginning of a new story: closing thoughts -- The first design -- Imperfect humans need reverse engineering -- Order from chaos, light from darkness, knowledge from knowledge -- Learning from the old to create anew: four opportunities -- Final words -- Cited references -- Recommended readings -- Thought questions and problems -- A. List of all material classes and major subtypes, and major members of each -- B. Comprehensive list of specific manufacturing methods by process class -- Casting -- Molding -- Deformation processing -- Powder processing -- Machining -- Finishing - Joining.

"A comprehensive, fresh, and deservedly heightened look at reverse engineering as a legitimate approach to the learning and understanding to be gained from a design - a textbook for engineering students (taking required Intro to Engineering & Design and required Senior Design courses - especially for the subset of courses focused on Creative Design and Reverse Engineering) as they learn design and an on-the-job manual for practicing engineers engaged in design"-- Provided by publisher.