Reverse Engineering: Mechanisms, Structures, Systems & Materials

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.