Abstract:

Reverse engineering is a prevalent strategy employed in industry to develop incremental innovation processes. The advent of digital scanning technologies, along with Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE), Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), and Additive Manufacturing (AM), has elevated these technologies to the forefront of digital manufacturing strategies within the paradigm of Industry 4.0.

Dimensional and geometric tolerances (DG&T) represent a set of information of great importance for product design and manufacturing. However, the teaching, conceptualization, and application of these principles can present challenges due to the complexity and breadth of the subject matter, which is often characterized by a significant amount of technical data and standards. Consequently, it is often difficult to adequately demonstrate the impact of this information solely through CAD representations.

In a group of Mechanical Engineering students at the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, a proposal was made to utilize the reverse engineering workflow to facilitate the conceptualization of DG&T. This proposal involved a routine that includes the digital scanning of components of a mechanical assembly that are not included in manufacturing drawings. Subsequently, a three-dimensional model of the components is generated, and the configuration of the assembly is analyzed to determine the necessary set of tolerances for its proper manufacturing and to ensure the functionality of the assembly. Then, the modeled components are manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques and compared with the original assembly to ascertain dimensional and functional variations between the components. This comparison guides the decision-making process, depending on the magnitude of the differences found.

Subsequently, students involved in the project addressed issues related to assignment and tolerance analysis in diverse scenarios, ranging from straightforward to complex problems. Remarkably, the majority of these problems were resolved with notable proficiency. The integration of diverse technological approaches enabled a holistic approach to the design of mechanical components and assemblies, encompassing considerations of functionality and manufacturability.

The employment of specialized materials in the conceptualization of such specific subjects is minimal, and its advancement ought to be encouraged to enhance the acquisition of skills requisite in the industry.

Keywords:

Engineering education, reverse engineering, dimensional and geometrical tolerances.