Reverse Engineering
Prestigious companies in the oil and gas, chemical, petro-chemical, pharmaceutical, power generation, nuclear and fast moving consumable goods industries choose Torkingtons for reverse engineered precision machined components and equipment.
Torkingtons - the preferred alternative to the OEM
Why do blue-chip companies choose Torkingtons over the OEM?
With an unrivalled reputation for delivering improved quality, faster deliveries and competitive prices, many blue-chip companies choose Torkingtons as their preferred alternative to the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).
Dedicated, highly-experienced time-served engineers, a comprehensive apprentice training program, on-going investment in the latest CNC and CAD/CAM technology, and exacting standards and procedures, enables Torkingtons to deliver the complete, high-end reverse engineering service.
- Free site visit and full evaluation
- Measuring and tolerancing
- Materials selection / PMI (Positive Material Identification) testing
- The latest CNC, CAD/CAM and carbide technology
- Time-served engineers and apprenticeship training
- Quality inspection and control
- Material validation / qualification / traceability
Free site visit and full evaluation
Whilst many OEM’s are unable or unwilling to attend your site when you have concerns with their parts, the Torkington's reverse engineering process usually starts with one of our experienced engineers attending your site to discuss and evaluate your specific requirements.
The benefit of a visit to your site by one of our engineers is that an examination of where the part fits, what fits on it, and how it is being used can be undertaken. Obtaining an understanding of the application and the environment the part is working in, often results in our engineers identifying reasons for part failure or poor performance.
Improvement suggestions, for example in materials selection and tolerancing, can then be discussed with your engineers or manufacturing staff that if approved, could significantly improve the service life or performance of the replacement part.
Measuring and tolerancing
Measuring and tolerancing samples correctly are crucial aspects of the reverse engineering process. This is why Torkingtons ensure all our engineers, both those who attend site and those machine shop-based, possess expert knowledge in reverse engineering best practices and techniques.
Generally an unused sample is requested for measuring and tolerancing purposes. In the vast majority of cases where an unused sample is unavailable, our engineers are able to obtain all measurements from worn or failed sample parts. Samples can be measured on site if the part cannot be spared.
Our CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) is used to measure sample parts extremely accurately. For OEM parts that have failed prematurely, CMM measurements can be provided in report format to assist you in a FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis).
As you would expect from an ISO accredited and FPAL approved precision engineering company, all measuring equipment used on customers' sites or in our machine shop is of the highest quality and is routinely calibrated.
Materials selection / PMI (Positive Material Identification) testing
Whilst like-for-like material selection should always remain the corner stone of reverse engineering best practice, in certain instances after careful consideration and permission from your engineers, material upgrade for reverse engineered replacement parts is an option that can significantly increase service life of parts that have failed or worn prematurely.
The OEMs’ “one-size-fits-all” policy to material selection does not usually consider your specific application requirements. OEM parts and equipment are typically “off-the-shelf”, meaning you the end-user has no influence over material selection.
Torkington’s engineers provide material selection upgrade support where appropriate, that can result in reverse engineered Torkington replacement parts exhibiting improved performance characteristics when compared to OEM parts.
- improved torsion resistance
- improved corrosion resistance
- improved wear properties
- improved heat conductivity
- improved heat insulation
Torkingtons is able to offer full PMI testing in all types of metallic materials. This service can be extremely useful if you are conducting a FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis) on a part that has failed prematurely or in an unexpected manner.
The latest CNC, CAD/CAM and carbide technology
OEM parts and equipment are often machined on out-dated, inaccurate conventional machine tools which result in dimensional inaccuracies and poor surface finishes. The “touch and feel” required of engineers using conventional machine tools compounds these problems with the result often being reduced part service life.
You can benefit from our on-going investment in the very latest CNC machine tools and carbide cutting technology. CNC means engineers’ “touch-and-feel” is eliminated, and with fully interfaced CAD/CAM support, our reverse engineered CNC precision machined replacement parts deliver the high dimensional accuracy and superb surface finishes required for excellent part service life.
If a Torkington replacement part is re-ordered anytime in the future, the CNC program is simply retrieved from our file server via DNC (Direct Numerical Control) software, and re-used to produce a dimensionally identical part. Even one-offs are assured of this dimensional repeatability as they are routinely machined on CNC.
This high degree of dimensional repeatability means the effectiveness of your preventative maintenance schemes is improved as CNC replacement part service lives are more consistant than equivalent parts machined conventionally.
Peace of mind is guaranteed as full network back-ups are undertaken on a daily basis, with daily, weekly and monthly back-up tapes being stored in a fire safe. For complete security the preceding working day’s tape is removed from site.
Time-served engineers and apprenticeship training
Supplying prestigious companies in leading-edge sectors with high-end reverse engineering services demands that our team consists of the very best time-served, HNC and graduate educated engineers, all committed to delivering you the very highest standards of quality, engineering knowledge, customer service and business ethics.
Torkingtons are proud to be one of the increasingly few engineering employers who provide a fully comprehensive modern apprenticeship training program. We are passionately committed to the engineering training and personal development of the best youth talent.
Supported by one of the nations leading training providers, the Torkington's apprentice training program, now in it's second decade, is designed to address head-on the current nationwide engineering skills-gap, and is strategic in maintaining our high-end reverse engineering skills base within the company.
Quality inspection and control
All work has a quality inspection plan that requires every order, regardless of size, complexity or monetary value, be final inspected by our quality inspector. Inspection plans include first off, work-in-progress and sampling inspection depending on the nature of the order.
Our total commitment to quality means reverse engineered Torkington replacement parts and equipment are always of equivalent or superior quality to the OEM.
Improved quality delivers cost saving benefits to your business as service life of wear parts is extended resulting in increased plant up-time and reduced maintenance costs.
Material validation / qualification / traceability
Manufacturing reverse engineered Torkington replacement "product contact" parts for the oil and gas, petro-chemical, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, demonstrates our ability to work with certified materials. We understand the critical importance of maintaining full materials traceability at all times.
We are specialists in the precision machining of exotic nickel and heat resistant alloys, and as such regularly provide our customers with full materials certification on delivery. All materials certification is archived and can be e-mailed to you if required.
Torkingtons replacement parts can be engraved with our unique CAD drawing reference and job numbers for traceability. These engraved reference numbers can proove helpful to your engineering and manufacturing staff when parts require re-ordering.
Contact us
For more information on our reverse engineering services, please complete our information request form, or to send an enquiry, please complete our quotation request form. Alternatively, please call us on 0161-872 8931.
