Minor Project: Reverse Engineering

October 8, 2015

Reverse Engineering of a DVD Drive

Team 12: Christopher Wood, Harold Maduriera,

Innjae Namgung, and Mateus Castellar

Professor: Dr. Shahhosseini

AETM Department

MET 404

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana 47809

 Summary

This project was designed in order to have the students learn about reverse engineering

and to demonstrate that we can use all of the necessary and relevant steps. For this project we

were expected to find a DVD player, DVD drive, etc. (source was not specified) and conduct the

full process on our procured DVD drive. We obtained an old DVD-R PC Drive from the Indiana

State University Recycling Center. We started holding meetings in the library and by our second

meeting we had started deconstruction of the DVD drive. We took our time and photo-

documented the different parts and listed the function of each part to the best of our ability.

Once we had completely disassembled and reassembled the DVD drive using SOP methods, we

broke out the paper into sections for each of us to write. Parts 5-8 were written individually to

achieve balanced group participation and parts 1-4 and 9-12 were written together to ensure

proper cohesion.

At the end of the reverse engineering process, all group members came away with new

knowledge about the function of DVD drives and why each part exists. We also learned how

DVD players have advanced by comparing our sample to Harold’s current laptop. In conclusion,

we all have a better understanding of the steps and requirements for proper reverse engineering

and feel confident that we could apply these steps to other applications.
 Introduction

For this project, we reverse engineered an old PC DVD-R drive using proper SOP

methods. We were required to disassemble and reassemble to a working product. There were

limitations on disassembly. We did not have the ability to de-solder, so some components were

not broken down to the absolute smallest they could be. We did not have access to calipers or a

thread gauge, so screw size was not able to be determined. We also did not feel comfortable

taking apart the circuit boards. So, for this project, the parts containing solder joints and circuit

boards were treated as one assembled part. The members of this project are all undergraduate

students, working with a limited scope and understanding pertaining to reverse engineering. The

goal of this project is to expand that scope and to expand our knowledge on the topic.

Literature Search

For this section we were told to give a brief history on the DVD drive. The Digital Video

Disc (DVD) drive was born in controversy. Following the war between VHS and Betamax, the

disc war of the mid-nineties between Phillips / Sony and other multimedia companies had begun.

Phillips and Sony were developing the Multimedia Compact Disc (MMCD) and Toshiba, Time-

Warner, Matsushita Electric, Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, Pioneer, Thomson, and JVC were all

co-developing the Super Density Disc (SD). The President of IBM at the time saw that the two

ideas were headed to war and proactively sought to unite the two fronts into one stronger design.

With concessions from both sides, they united and produced the DVD specification Version 1.0

in 1996. DVD was designed in 3 different specifications: DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-RAM, a

read-only, re-writable, and read/write (only playable in ram drive). This developed from single

layer discs to double layer double sided discs and ultimately paved the way for Blu-Ray. The

DVD drive has since flourished at the main form of multimedia until just recently as sales are
 beginning to decline in favor of newer technologies such as flash storage and cloud storage.

Operation

The tray mechanism is composed by a belt pulley system and two gears which reduce the

motor rpm to open/close the tray at the correct speed, a rack and pinion mechanism makes the

tray open and close and a limit switch is used to stop the motor when the tray is completely

opened.

When the user press the button to open the disc tray the main board (13) sends a signal to

the DC motor (16), it starts spinning counterclockwise, in this motor shaft is attached a pulley

called driver pulley, by using an belt(19) it transfers the movement to the second pulley(18)

called driven pulley. The driven pulley also has a gear that transfers the movement to the next
gear (20) which turns another gear (17), at this stage, the motor rpm was reduced to an

appropriate speed to open the tray, and this last gear drives the tray (4) out of the housing by a

rack that exists in the tray, the last gear (17) and the tray are a rack and pinion system, where the

gear (17) is the pinion and the tray is the rack, this kind of system is used to convert rotational

motion into linear motion.

To close the tray, the motor (16) spins clockwise

When the disc enters into the DVD drive, a gear (20) slides a lifting mechanism (21, 22)

which lifts the whole assembly, and press the DVD against a part that hold it centered (12).

Once the disc is inside the DVD drive, there is a mechanism to spin the disc and read its

data, this mechanism is mounted in a frame (5), the disc drive motor (1) spins the disc at the

correct RPM and the laser pickup assembly (11) which is responsible to read the data of the disc,

slides on two rails (23) that are fixed in the frame. A tracking motor (7) is mounted on a plastic

frame (6) in this motor shaft there is a gear (8) attached, which moves another gear that turns a

worm shaft (10) this drives the laser pickup back and forth. The worm shaft is attached to a
rotary encoder disc (9) this encoder is used to determine how much the shaft has turned, this way

the main board can control the laser pickup position and keep it in the right place to read the

data. This system that drives the laser pickup is called tracking drive.

To read the data, the laser inside the pickup emits beam pulses that are focused on the

disc reflective layer by a lens, this layer has some irregularities, so some beams are reflected and

some are scattered, those that are reflected goes directly to a photodiode positioned at the bottom

of the pickup, every time that a beam is reflected the photodiode receives a signal.

So, the data is read by comparing the beam pulses emitted from the laser and those reflected on

the photodiode. Below is the example of the reading process of one byte (00100011) which

represents the character [#] in the ASCII table.

 Scatter Scatter Reflect Scatter Scatter Scatter Reflect Reflect
ed ed ed ed ed ed ed ed
Laser 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
beam
pulses
Photodio 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
de

Force flow diagrams on next page

 Manufacturing Process

i. Apply the SOP (Subtract and Operate Procedure, Lefever and Wood, 1996) method when
doing the teardown of the DVD drive. Prepare a basic SOP device spreadsheet.
DVD PLAYER SOP
Part Name Subtract and operate effects.
Laser Eye Assembly
Laser Diode / Metal Frame / Orange The DVD player cannot read the disc.
Board
Laser Movement Contact (Copper) Open circuit.
Laser Movement Contact Housing Contact is loose.
(Black Plastic)
Laser Flatness Orientation Bolts The angle adjustment is loose.
(Black, longer, wax sealed)
Orange Board to Metal Laser Housing Orange board is loose
Connecting Bolt (Silver)
Orange Board Bolts (Black) Orange board not as secure.
Laser Movement Assembly
Laser Movement Base Plate We cannot attach the Laser Eye Assembly into the
guides.
Movement Guide Rails (Silver Metal The Laser Eye Assembly is loose.
Bars)
Movement Motor / Power Transfer The Movement Motor and the Power Transfer Rail
Rail Housing (White Plastic) unleash upwards.
Laser Movement Motor / Board / The computer can't configure the movement of the
Sensor (Connected via solder points) motor (we can solve this problem using a step
motor)
Housing Bolts (Brass) We can't attach the housing
Laser Movement Board Bolt The board is loose.
Laser Motor Gear (White Plastic) The power is not transferred.
Power Transfer Sensor Gear (Black The parameter of the motor position is loose.
Plastic)
Sensor Gear Retention Plate (Brass) The sensor gear is loose.
Guide Rail Housing / Clips (Metal) The Guide Rail is loose.
Guide Rail Housing Bolts Guide Rail Housing is loose.
Power Transfer Rail (Brass) The power is not transferred.
Power Rail Housing (Black Plastic) Power Rail is loose.
Power Rail Housing Bolt Power Rail Housing is loose.
Leveling Plates Parts out of alignment.
Leveling Plate Bolt Leveling Plate is loose.
Motor-side Guide Rail Housing (White The Motor, the Power Rail and the Guide Rail can't
Plastic) be attached.
Guide Rail Retention Plate (Metal) The Guide Rail isn't fixed.
Guide Rail Leveling Bolt The adjustment of Guide Rail is impaired.
 Guide Rail Control Spring
Guide Rail Retention Plate Bolt
Disc Spin Motor
Disc Spin Motor Retention Bolts
(Brass)
Disc Spin Motor Electrical Ground
Bolt (Brass)
Tray / Body Assembly
Upper Outer Housing (Black Plastic)
Laser Movement Assembly Lifting
Arm (Black Plastic)
Lifting Arm Orientation Plate
Lifting Arm Orientation Gear
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley
Tray Open / Close Control Gear
Tray Motor
Tray Motor Retention Bolts
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley Bolt
Tray Motor Pulley Belt
Disc Tray
Guide Rail wobbles.
The retention plate is loose.
The driven force is not delivered.
The motor vibrates.
Open circuit.
Structural loss, the subsystems won't work.
The Laser Movement Assembly is loose.
The Laser Movement Assembly may not go to the
right place.
The power is not transferred.
The power is not transferred.
The power is not transferred.
Only possible to open manually.
The motor vibrates when working.
The pulley is loose.
The energy is not transferred from the motor to the
gears.
We cannot insert the disc.

Disc Tray Space Filling Tabs (Due to Nothing.

method of Manufacturing)
Shock Absorption Bushing (Blue
Rubber)
Bushing Bolts (Brass)
Bushing Bolts (Small Silver, Long
Stem)
Bushing Washers (Small Silver)
DVD Main Control Board
Upper Outer Housing (Metal)
Lower Outer Housing (Metal)
Lower Outer Housing Bolts
Main Control Board Bolt
The vibration absorbance impaired.
Bushing may fall out.
Bushing may fall out.
Bushing may pinch.
The commands to operate cannot be given and the
data read cannot be compiled.
Exposes the DVD, unsettling the spin.
Exposes the system, which became vulnerable to
dust or impact.
The Outer Housing gets loose.
Board less secure in housing.

ii. How is the outer housing made? Describe the manufacturing process used to make it. What
material is used to make the outer housing?
The process to make the housing is known as bending. It is a type of sheet-forming process in
which the piece starts as a flat sheet of metal. Then a machine with the right force causes a
plastic deformation on the metal. After bending the piece, it will have a three dimensional shape.
The metal used in this housing is sheet steel.
iii. How is the tray made? Describe the manufacturing process used to make it. What material is
used to make the tray?
The tray is made in a plastic injection machine. This process works by injecting molten plastic
into a mold. When the plastic cools down it keep the shape of the mold. After the molding
process some cut may be needed. The plastic used is a thermo-plastic.

iv. What types of fastening systems are used?

Bolts, glue, pins, solder points and hooks.
v. What types of screws/bolts are used? List their name (size), and the numbers used.

SCREWS/BOLTS
Part Name Size and Number
Laser Eye Assembly
Laser Flatness Orientation Bolts (Black, Size Unknown, 2
longer, wax sealed)
Orange Board to Metal Laser Housing Size Unknown, 1
Connecting Bolt (Silver)
Orange Board Bolts (Black) Size Unknown, 2
Laser Movement Assembly
Housing Bolts (Brass) Size Unknown, 2
Laser Movement Board Bolt Size Unknown, 1
Guide Rail Housing Bolts Size Unknown, 2
Power Rail Housing Bolt Size Unknown, 1
Leveling Plate Bolt Size Unknown, 1
 Guide Rail Leveling Bolt Size Unknown, 1
Guide Rail Retention Plate Bolt Size Unknown, 1
Disc Spin Motor Retention Bolts (Brass) Size Unknown, 3
Disc Spin Motor Electrical Ground Bolt Size Unknown, 1
(Brass)
Tray / Body Assembly
Tray Motor Retention Bolts Size Unknown, 2
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley Bolt Size Unknown, 1
Bushing Bolts (Brass) Size Unknown, 2
Bushing Bolts (Small Silver, Long Stem) Size Unknown, 2
Lower Outer Housing Bolts Size Unknown, 4

*reason for unknown bolt sizes noted in Intro*

User Base

This internal DVD drive, product code DV-5700A, was manufactured by NEC

Corporation in May 2000. There are several types of DVD drive, such as DVD-ROM, DVD-R,

DVD-RW and DVD-RE. This product is DVD-ROM which stands for Read-Only Memory.

DVD-ROM drive can only read discs but not write on them. Considering the features of it, this

product was designed for DVD-Audio and DVD-Video consumers, but not for users who want to

modify or rewrite on them. Also, this product was designed for users using quite old Windows

operating systems such as Windows 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP and 2003, because of its old age.

As the result, average user is one who enjoys digital format DVD-Audio and Video but does not

need to rewrite something on discs, and has a really old desktop operated by Windows 2003 at

least.

According to Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, 21.592 million DVD drives

were shipped in the US in 2012, 22.660 million units in 2013, and 20.761 million units in 2014.

In addition, AHAM forecasts that 20.033 million DVD drives are shipped in 2015 and 18.748

million units in 2016.

 By analyzing the volume of DVD drive each year in the US and average user, the market

projection in future is likely to decrease by a lot. The number of DVD drive in the US is

decreasing. According to AHAM, it already declined by 8.4% for 2014 and it is expected to

decline by 3.5% for 2015 and by 6.4% for 2016. The major reasons are Blu-ray and Cloud drive

storage. First, Blu-ray is the newest type of optical media. DVDs can store up to only 8.5GB

while Blu-ray discs can store up to 50GB. Because of the high capacity, all media users prefer

Blu-ray drive rather than DVD drive, so many desktops on the market today already have Blu-

ray drives with it. Secondly, Cloud drive storages, such as iCloud, Google Drive and Dropbox,

are replacing optical drives. Cloud drive storages have a remarkable function which is that all

users can easily use the storage anywhere and anytime if they can access computer. Additionally

this NEC product is too old to work for new desktops so it has no longer good market projection.
Because of Blu-ray, Cloud drive storage and its old age, the future market projection of this

DVD drive is quite bad.

Cost Estimation

Tables start on following page

 BILL OF
MATERIALS
Part Unit of Procurement
BOM LEVEL Number Part Name Phase Description Measure Type
Out-of- Laser, the each MTS
Laser Diode / Production frame it is
attached to, and
1
1-001 Metal Frame / the circuit board
Orange Board all connected
parts
1-002 Laser In Black, Phillips each OTS
1 Orientation Production Head
Bolts
1-003 Laser Out-of- Copper each MTS
1 Movement Production
Contact
1-004 Laser Out-of- Black Plastic each MTS
Movement Production
1
Contact
Housing
1-005 Laser Flatness In Black, Longer, each OTS
1 Orientation Production Wax Sealed,
flat head
Bolts
1-010 Orange Board In Silver, Phillips each OTS
to Metal Production Head

1
Laser
Housing
Connecting
Bolt
1 1-011 Orange Board In Black, Phillips each OTS
Bolts Production Head
2-001 Laser Out-of- Metal each MTS
2 Movement Production
Base Plate
2 2-002 Movement Out-of- Silver Metal each MTS
Guide Rails Production Bars
2-003 Movement Out-of- White Plastic each MTS
Motor / Production
2
Power
Transfer Rail
Housing
 2-004 Laser Out-of- 3 Parts each MTS
Movement Production Connected Via
2 Soldered Wires
Motor / Board
/ Sensor
2 2-005 In Brass, Phillips each OTS
Housing Bolts Production Head
2-006 Laser In Silver, Phillips each OTS
2 Movement Production Head
Board Bolt
2 2-007 Laser Motor Out-of- White Plastic each MTS
Gear Production
2-008 Power Out-of- Black Plastic each MTS
2 Transfer Production
Sensor Gear
2-009 Sensor Gear Out-of- Brass, Phillips each MTS
2 Retention Production Head
Plate
2-010 Guide Rail In Metal each OTS
2 Housing / Production
Clips
2 2-011 Guide Rail In Silver, Phillips each OTS
Housing Bolts Production Head
2 2-012 Power Out-of- Brass, Phillips each MTS
Transfer Rail Production Head
2 2-013 Power Rail Out-of- Black Plastic each MTS
Housing Production
2 2-014 Power Rail Out-of- Silver, Phillips each MTS
Housing Bolt Production Head
2 2-015 Leveling Out-of- Metal each MTS
Plates Production
2 2-016 Leveling In Silver, Phillips each OTS
Plate Bolt Production Head
2-017 Motor-side Out-of- White Plastic each MTS
2 Guide Rail Production
Housing
2-018 Guide Rail Out-of- Metal each MTS
2 Retention Production
Plate
2 2-019 Guide Rail In Silver, Phillips each OTS
Leveling Bolt Production Head
2-020 Guide Rail In Silver, Coiled, each OTS
2 Control Production Small, Aprox.
2mm in length
Spring
2-021 Guide Rail In Silver, Phillips each OTS
2 Retention Production Head
Plate Bolt
2 2-022 Disc Spin In cylindrical each OTS
Motor Production
2-023 Disc Spin In Brass, Phillips each OTS
Motor Production Head
2
Retention
Bolts
2-024 Disc Spin In Brass, Phillips each OTS
Motor Production Head
2
Electrical
Ground Bolt
3 3-001 Upper Outer Out-of- Black Plastic each MTS
Housing Production
3-002 Laser Out-of- Black Plastic each MTS
Movement Production
3
Assembly
Lifting Arm
3-003 Lifting Arm Out-of- Metal each MTS
3 Orientation Production
Plate
3-004 Lifting Arm In White Plastic each OTS
3 Orientation Production
Gear
3-005 Lifting Arm In White Plastic each OTS
3 Orientation Production
Pulley
3-006 Tray Open / Out-of- White Plastic each MTS
3 Close Control Production
Gear
3-007 In Cylindrical, each OTS
3 Tray Motor Production Main drive for
tray movement
3-008 Tray Motor In Silver, Phillips each OTS
3 Retention Production Head
Bolts
3-009 Lifting Arm Out-of- Silver, Phillips each MTS
3 Orientation Production Head
Pulley Bolt
3 3-010 Tray Motor Out-of- Small, Rubber, each MTS
Pulley Belt Production Round Profile
3 3-011 Out-of- Beige Plastic each MTS
Disc Tray Production
3-012 Disc Tray Out-of- Beige Plastic each MTS
3 Space Filling Production
Tabs
 3-013 Shock Out-of- Blue rubber, each MTS
3 Absorption Production soft compound
Bushing
3 3-014 In Brass, Phillips each OTS
Bushing Bolts Production Head
3 3-015 In Small, Silver, each OTS
Bushing Bolts Production Long Stem
3 3-016 Bushing In Small Silver each OTS
Washers Production
3-017 Out-of- Main Green each MTS
3 DVD Main Production Large Control
Control Board Board for all
functions
3 3-018 Upper Outer Out-of- Metal each MTS
Housing Production
3 3-019 Lower Outer Out-of- Metal each MTS
Housing Production
3 3-020 Lower Outer In Silver, Phillips each OTS
Housing Bolts Production Head
3 3-021 Main Control In Silver, Phillips each OTS
Board Bolt Production Head

Tables continued on following page

 DVD PARTS AND BATCH COST ASSESSMENT
(Not including labor)
Cost Estimate /
Cost Estimate / Each / if purchased
Part Name Quantity Each in a Batch of 10,000
Laser Diode / Metal Frame / Orange 1 $2.00 $0.80
Board
Laser Orientation Bolts (Black) 2 $0.02 $0.01
Laser Movement Contact (Copper) 1 $0.04 $0.02
Laser Movement Contact Housing 1 $0.05 $0.03
(Black Plastic)
Laser Flatness Orientation Bolts 2 $0.02 $0.01
Orange Board to Metal Laser 1 $0.02 $0.01
Housing Bolt (Silver)
Orange Board Bolts (Black) 2 $0.02 $0.01
Laser Movement Base Plate 1 $0.12 $0.10
Movement Guide Rails (Silver Metal 2 $0.07 $0.05
Bars)
Movement Motor / Power Transfer 1 $0.10 $0.08
Rail Housing
Laser Movement Motor / Board / 1 $2.50 $1.75
Sensor
Housing Bolts (Brass) 2 $0.02 $0.01
Laser Movement Board Bolt 1 $0.02 $0.01
Laser Motor Gear (White Plastic) 1 $0.10 $0.04
Power Transfer Sensor Gear (Black 1 $0.20 $0.10
Plastic)
Sensor Gear Retention Plate (Brass) 1 $0.10 $0.08
Guide Rail Housing / Clips (Metal) 2 $0.03 $0.02
Guide Rail Housing Bolts 2 $0.02 $0.01
Power Transfer Rail (Brass) 1 $0.25 $0.20
Power Rail Housing (Black Plastic) 1 $0.05 $0.03
Power Rail Housing Bolt 1 $0.02 $0.01
Leveling Plates 2 $0.08 $0.02
Leveling Plate Bolt 1 $0.02 $0.01
Motor-side Guide Rail Housing 1 $0.10 $0.05
(White Plastic)
Guide Rail Retention Plate (Metal) 1 $0.05 $0.03
Guide Rail Leveling Bolt 1 $0.02 $0.01
Guide Rail Control Spring 1 $0.04 $0.02
Guide Rail Retention Plate Bolt 1 $0.02 $0.01
Disc Spin Motor 1 $2.00 $1.25
 Disc Spin Motor Retention Bolts 3 $0.02 $0.01
(Brass)
Disc Spin Motor Electrical Ground 1 $0.02 $0.01
Bolt (Brass)
Upper Outer Housing (Black Plastic) 1 $1.00 $0.75
Laser Movement Assembly Lifting 1 $0.30 $0.20
Arm
Lifting Arm Orientation Plate 1 $0.20 $0.15
Lifting Arm Orientation Gear 1 $0.10 $0.04
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley 1 $0.15 $0.05
Tray Open / Close Control Gear 1 $0.10 $0.06
Tray Motor 1 $1.00 $0.50
Tray Motor Retention Bolts 2 $0.02 $0.01
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley Bolt 1 $0.02 $0.01
Tray Motor Pulley Belt 1 $0.05 $0.03
Disc Tray 1 $0.50 $0.30
Disc Tray Space Filling Tabs 4 $0.02 $0.01
Shock Absorption Bushing (Blue 4 $0.20 $0.12
Rubber)
Bushing Bolts (Brass) 2 $0.02 $0.01
Bushing Bolts (Small Silver, Long 2 $0.02 $0.01
Stem)
Bushing Washers (Small Silver) 2 $0.02 $0.01
DVD Main Control Board 1 $8.00 $2.00
Upper Outer Housing (Metal) 1 $1.00 $0.50
Lower Outer Housing (Metal) 1 $1.00 $0.50
Lower Outer Housing Bolts 4 $0.02 $0.01
Main Control Board Bolt 1 $0.02 $0.01
TOTALS 75 $21.90 $10.07
Total to buy just one DVD Player: $21.90 / each
Total to buy just one DVD Player in a Batch of 10,000: $10.07 / each
Total Cost to buy a batch of 10,000 (minus labor): $100,700.00

Tables continued on following page

 DVD PARTS LABOR COST ASSESSMENT

Part Name Quantity Labor Estimate /

Each
Laser Diode / Metal Frame / Orange Board 1 $0.50
Laser Orientation Bolts (Black) 2 $0.005
Laser Movement Contact (Copper) 1 $0.01
Laser Movement Contact Housing (Black Plastic) 1 $0.02
Laser Flatness Orientation Bolts 2 $0.005
Orange Board to Metal Laser Housing Bolt 1 $0.005
Orange Board Bolts (Black) 2 $0.005
Laser Movement Base Plate 1 $0.05
Movement Guide Rails (Silver Metal Bars) 2 $0.04
Movement Motor / Power Transfer Rail Housing 1 $0.01
Laser Movement Motor / Board / Sensor 1 $0.50
Housing Bolts (Brass) 2 $0.005
Laser Movement Board Bolt 1 $0.005
Laser Motor Gear (White Plastic) 1 $0.01
Power Transfer Sensor Gear (Black Plastic) 1 $0.01
Sensor Gear Retention Plate (Brass) 1 $0.01
Guide Rail Housing / Clips (Metal) 2 $0.01
Guide Rail Housing Bolts 2 $0.005
Power Transfer Rail (Brass) 1 $0.10
Power Rail Housing (Black Plastic) 1 $0.01
Power Rail Housing Bolt 1 $0.005
Leveling Plates 2 $0.01
Leveling Plate Bolt 1 $0.005
Motor-side Guide Rail Housing (White Plastic) 1 $0.01
Guide Rail Retention Plate (Metal) 1 $0.01
Guide Rail Leveling Bolt 1 $0.005
Guide Rail Control Spring 1 $0.005
Guide Rail Retention Plate Bolt 1 $0.005
Disc Spin Motor 1 $0.75
Disc Spin Motor Retention Bolts (Brass) 3 $0.005
Disc Spin Motor Electrical Ground Bolt (Brass) 1 $0.005
Upper Outer Housing (Black Plastic) 1 $0.25
Laser Movement Assembly Lifting Arm 1 $0.01
Lifting Arm Orientation Plate 1 $0.05
Lifting Arm Orientation Gear 1 $0.02
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley 1 $0.02
Tray Open / Close Control Gear 1 $0.04
Tray Motor 1 $0.50
 Tray Motor Retention Bolts 2 $0.005
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley Bolt 1 $0.005
Tray Motor Pulley Belt 1 $0.005
Disc Tray 1 $0.05
Disc Tray Space Filling Tabs 4 $0.001
Shock Absorption Bushing (Blue Rubber) 4 $0.10
Bushing Bolts (Brass) 2 $0.005
Bushing Bolts (Small Silver, Long Stem) 2 $0.005
Bushing Washers (Small Silver) 2 $0.005
DVD Main Control Board 1 $1.00
Upper Outer Housing (Metal) 1 $0.25
Lower Outer Housing (Metal) 1 $0.25
Lower Outer Housing Bolts 4 $0.005
Main Control Board Bolt 1 $0.005
TOTALS 75 $2.778
Total labor cost to make just one DVD Player: $2.778 / each
Total labor cost for a batch of 10,000: $27,780.00

Tables continued on following page

 TOTAL COST ASSESSMENT REVIEW
(Labor and Cost Estimate)

Labor Estimate / Each

Part Name
Materials Cost Each $21.90
Material Cost Each / Batch of 10,000 $10.07
Labor Cost Each (regardless of # produced) $2.778

Total labor cost to make just one DVD Player: $12.85 / each
Total labor cost for a batch of 10,000: $128,480.00

Review:
Does total cost assessment make sense?
Based on what the retail price of a PC DVD-R Drive costs (usually $20-30 dollars), our
assessment makes sense. At $12.85/each, charging $20-30 gives adequate return on
investment.
How did you come up with your price estimates?
We used Alibaba.com. Alibaba is a website where you can search for these individual
components and find the cost to purchase in batches. We used the high point in the price
range for the each price and the lower point in the price range for the large batch price.

Recommendations

We were asked to provide at least three recommendations for improvement and

explanations as to why we think that would be a good idea.

1.) DC Motor / Encoder Wheel are obsolete. We recommend upgrading to a step motor.

a. Eliminates unnecessary gearing

b. Eliminates worm shaft

c. Eliminates multiple housings

d. Eliminates outdated secondary circuit board

 2.) Product is very heavy and over-built. We recommend using newer technology to reduce

weight and size.

a. Using newer technology, drive can be made significantly lighter

b. Parts can be combined and optimized

c. Current power chain is very long and can be drastically shortened with newer tech

(reducing weight by part elimination)

3.) Lens assembly could be designed better. We recommend attaching lens assembly to the

slide tray.

a. Removes need to elevate disc

b. Makes product significantly lighter and thinner

4.) Upper disc holder is unnecessary. We recommend clipping the disc directly to the disc

spin motor.

a. Upper disc holder and housing can be removed (weight savings)

b. All lifting components can be removed (significant weight savings)

c. Motor can be fixed in place (reduces chance of motor failure)

Conclusion

In conclusion, all group members learned about the extensive and necessary steps to

conduct proper reverse engineering. We also learned about the SOP method, how to properly

make a bill of materials, and many other useful lessons during this project. All group members

came away with much more knowledge on DVD technology and how much work goes into

properly making an electronic device.

 References

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. (2015). Retrieved September 25, 2015, from

http://www.appliancedesign.com/ext/resources/files/ShipmentsForecasts/2015/AD01

15Shipments.pdf

Black, J., & Kohser, R. (2008). DeGarmo's materials and processes in manufacturing (10th ed.).

Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.illustrationsource.com/huge.101.506900.JPG

(n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2015.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-si4gqU4bgTU/T53uxUhyl2I/AAAAAAAAANI/JdjQXuFI4t

Q/s1600/ASCII.png (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2015.

The New Encyclopedia Britannica. (2005). Chicago, IL: Encyclopedia Britannica.

 Appendix 1 – DVD Player Parts List

DVD PLAYER PARTS LIST

Part Name Quantity
Laser Eye Assembly
Laser Diode / Metal Frame / Orange Board 1
Laser Orientation Bolts (Black) 2
Laser Movement Contact (Copper) 1
Laser Movement Contact Housing (Black Plastic) 1
Laser Flatness Orientation Bolts (Black, longer, wax sealed) 2
Orange Board to Metal Laser Housing Connecting Bolt (Silver) 1
Orange Board Bolts (Black) 2
Laser Movement Assembly
Laser Movement Base Plate 1
Movement Guide Rails (Silver Metal Bars) 2
Movement Motor / Power Transfer Rail Housing (White Plastic) 1
Laser Movement Motor / Board / Sensor (Connected via solder points) 1
Housing Bolts (Brass) 2
Laser Movement Board Bolt 1
Laser Motor Gear (White Plastic) 1
Power Transfer Sensor Gear (Black Plastic) 1
Sensor Gear Retention Plate (Brass) 1
Guide Rail Housing / Clips (Metal) 2
Guide Rail Housing Bolts 2
Power Transfer Rail (Brass) 1
Power Rail Housing (Black Plastic) 1
Power Rail Housing Bolt 1
Leveling Plates 2
Leveling Plate Bolt 1
Motor-side Guide Rail Housing (White Plastic) 1
Guide Rail Retention Plate (Metal) 1
Guide Rail Leveling Bolt 1
Guide Rail Control Spring 1
Guide Rail Retention Plate Bolt 1
Disc Spin Motor 1
Disc Spin Motor Retention Bolts (Brass) 3
Disc Spin Motor Electrical Ground Bolt (Brass) 1
Tray / Body Assembly
Upper Outer Housing (Black Plastic) 1
Laser Movement Assembly Lifting Arm (Black Plastic) 1
Lifting Arm Orientation Plate 1
Lifting Arm Orientation Gear 1
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley 1
Tray Open / Close Control Gear 1
Tray Motor 1
Tray Motor Retention Bolts 2
Lifting Arm Orientation Pulley Bolt 1
Tray Motor Pulley Belt 1
Disc Tray 1
Disc Tray Space Filling Tabs (Due to method of Manufacturing) 4
Shock Absorption Bushing (Blue Rubber) 4
Bushing Bolts (Brass) 2
Bushing Bolts (Small Silver, Long Stem) 2
Bushing Washers (Small Silver) 2
DVD Main Control Board 1
Upper Outer Housing (Metal) 1
Lower Outer Housing (Metal) 1
Lower Outer Housing Bolts 4
Main Control Board Bolt 1