Leveraging the Systems Engineering Life Cycle Process for Reverse Engineering

Abstract

AbstractSystems kept in service for extended periods may experience issues caused by changes to the original requirements. This can manifest as parts obsolescence issues caused by changes in mission scope, industry regulations, or technology used to support the system. This paper discusses best practices for using a systems engineering life cycle methodology to support reverse engineering processes in structural‐mechanical aerospace/defense products. The concepts herein compare systems engineering methodologies to determine the best approach to identify changes in system requirements in the modern environment. The availability of operational data to inform the process is explored through three case studies of legacy components with requirements changes. Systems engineers that reverse engineer by beginning with existing requirements will fail to resolve complications that contributed to the original issue. Reverse engineering of aging subsystems and components to resolve a parts obsolescence issue warrants a full systems engineering approach beginning with requirements review.