Feeling Lost? Get the Memoir!

Recently, an ex-colleague from ST Electronics called me out of the blue. He sounded troubled and not the usual, confident person I knew a decade ago. After talking with him for five minutes, I realized he's feeling lost and apprehensive at the prospect of retirement. He is the same age as me.

Such feeling does not happen to people facing retirement after years of working; it can also happen to young graduates who are just stepping out into the world. What should I do? Which company should I join? Where can I find my place in the industry? And many myriads of questions that overwhelm the mind, be it starting out afresh or changing runway mid-career, or entering into the final phase of a work life.

This is the reason I wrote a book about my own engineering journey that spanned three decades from the air force days to the home-grown defense industry, and into my passion and calling as an author. For the first time, readers of my PCB-RE books can now take a peek into the inner world of the writer and understand why he took the paths, whether through necessity or by appointment. Friends who knew me since the early school days had read it and found gems of inspiration, and a better appreciation for the person I am.

For anyone who has ever wondered how things work—or how a life is built—this memoir offers a rare glimpse into a world of precision, problem-solving, and the hidden connections that shape us all.

Get your copy today! 

The Engineering Sovereignty Ecosystem

These nine elements should not be viewed independently. They are not a checklist of features to be implemented one by one, but the components of an integrated ecosystem in which each element reinforces the others: 

• Leadership shapes culture
• Culture influences governance
• Governance strengthens AI deployment
• AI enriches digital twins
• Digital twins improve training
• Training develops Centers of Excellence
• Centers of Excellence populate knowledge repositories
• Knowledge repositories strengthen strategic partnerships
• Partnerships introduce new knowledge that further informs leadership

Engineering Sovereignty therefore functions as a continuously learning ecosystem rather than a collection of isolated initiatives. Each element depends on the others. Each strengthens the others. The organization becomes more capable not because of any single investment but because of the synergistic interaction of all its components.

 

The Engineer of Tomorrow

The engineer of the future will almost certainly possess tools unimaginable to previous generations. Artificial Intelligence will analyze complex systems in seconds. Digital twins will simulate entire platforms continuously, providing real-time insights into performance and potential failure modes. Augmented reality will overlay engineering knowledge directly onto physical equipment, guiding maintenance and repair with unprecedented precision. Autonomous inspection systems will monitor infrastructure around the clock, detecting anomalies before they become failures.

Yet these advances will not diminish the importance of engineers. Rather, they will elevate their responsibilities. Routine analysis may become increasingly automated, but the need for judgment, creativity, and ethical reasoning will grow. If AI can perform the calculations, engineers must provide the wisdom to interpret them. If digital twins can simulate every scenario, engineers must determine which scenarios matter most. If autonomous systems can monitor infrastructure, engineers must decide what to monitor and why. 

Tomorrow's engineer will therefore spend less time searching for information and more time asking meaningful questions. Less time performing routine calculations and more time exercising judgment. Less time documenting what has been done and more time envisioning what should be done. Understanding will become more important than calculation. Judgment more important than routine analysis. Wisdom more important than information. 

This is not a future in which engineers are replaced by machines. It is a future in which engineers are freed by machines to do what only humans can do: exercise judgment, take responsibility, and act as stewards of knowledge for future generations.

 

Digital Twins

Every reverse engineering project creates valuable engineering knowledge. Every failure analysis yields insights. Every technology refresh generates documentation. Engineering Sovereignty ensures that this knowledge remains accessible through digital representation. Digital twins extend far beyond three-dimensional models. They are comprehensive digital representations that integrate multiple layers of engineering understanding. 

A mature digital twin may include schematics that capture the electrical design of a system. PCB layouts that document the physical implementation. Firmware that defines the system's behavior. Simulation models that enable virtual testing and analysis. Manufacturing information that documents materials and processes. Test procedures that validate performance. Operational history that records how the system has performed over time. Failure analysis that documents what has gone wrong and why. Lifecycle documentation that captures the full history of the system from design to retirement. 

Each digital twin therefore becomes a living engineering reference that continuously supports maintenance, technology refresh, redesign, training, and future innovation. It is not a static archive but a dynamic repository that evolves with the system it represents. It preserves organizational understanding even as the people who created that nderstanding move on.

 

Transformation is Cultural

Many transformation programs focus primarily upon processes and technology. They redesign workflows, implement new software, and invest in equipment. These changes are visible and measurable. They can be planned, budgeted, and executed. Yet Engineering Sovereignty argues that lasting transformation occurs first within culture. 

Culture determines whether documentation is regarded as valuable or as bureaucratic overhead. Whether mentoring is encouraged or viewed as a distraction. Whether questions are welcomed or suppressed. Whether failures become opportunities for learning or occasions for blame. Whether engineers willingly share knowledge rather than protect it as personal capital. 

Without cultural transformation, technological transformation rarely endures. An organization may implement a knowledge management system, but if its culture does not value documentation, the system will remain unused. It may invest in digital twins, but if engineers do not trust the models, they will revert to intuition. It may establish mentoring programs, but if senior engineers are not rewarded for teaching, participation will be minimal.

Culture is not an abstract concept. It is the accumulated habits, values, and assumptions that shape how work gets done. Changing culture is difficult and slow—far more difficult than implementing new technology. Yet it is essential. Engineering Sovereignty cannot be achieved through processes alone. It requires a cultural commitment to learning, preservation, and stewardship that pervades the entire organization.

 

Engineering Knowledge

Not all knowledge possesses the same character. Engineering Sovereignty recognizes four complementary forms, each with its own value and its own vulnerabilities. 

EXPLICIT KNOWLEDGE 

Documented. Structured. Searchable. Examples include schematics, drawings, procedures, manufacturing files, and technical standards. Explicit knowledge is the easiest to preserve—it can be written down, stored, and retrieved. Yet explicit knowledge alone is often insufficient. Documentation captures what was known at a particular moment, but it may not capture why decisions were made or what alternatives were considered.

TACIT KNOWLEDGE 

Personal experience accumulated through practice. Pattern recognition. Engineering intuition. Diagnostic judgment. Tacit knowledge is what enables an experienced engineer to diagnose a fault that eludes less experienced colleagues—not because they have more information, but because they have developed the ability to recognize patterns and interpret subtle clues. 

Tacit knowledge is often the first capability organizations lose when experienced engineers retire. It cannot be easily documented. It resides in the minds and hands of practitioners. Preserving tacit knowledge requires mentoring, apprenticeship, and the deliberate transfer of experience from one generation to the next. 

EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 

Knowledge incorporated into products themselves. Circuit layouts. Firmware architecture. Mechanical tolerances. Manufacturing techniques. The product becomes a silent teacher for those capable of interpreting it. Embedded knowledge is often invisible until it is needed—and then it may be the only surviving record of how something was designed or built. Recovering embedded knowledge is the essence of reverse engineering. The artifact itself contains clues about its design, its materials, and its manufacturing processes. Learning to read those clues is a core capability of sovereign engineering organizations. 

COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE 

Knowledge that exists within the interactions of engineering teams. Design reviews. Communities of practice. Lessons learned. Collaborative problem solving. Collective knowledge frequently exceeds the sum of individual expertise. It emerges from dialogue, debate, and shared experience. Collective knowledge is particularly vulnerable because it depends on relationships and interactions. When teams are disbanded, when experienced engineers leave, or when collaboration is replaced by isolation, collective knowledge dissipates. Building and maintaining communities of practice is therefore essential to preserving this form of knowledge. 

Engineering Sovereignty seeks to cultivate all four simultaneously. An organization that relies solely on explicit knowledge will find its documentation incomplete. An organization that values only tacit knowledge will lose capability when individuals retire. A balanced approach recognizes the unique value and vulnerability of each form. 

 

Why Engineering Sovereignty?

The term "Engineering Sovereignty" may sound ambitious, perhaps even grandiose. But it is a phrase born of necessity, reflecting a reality already being grappled with by governments, defense organizations, and industry leaders. Sovereignty has historically been a political and territorial concept. Today, however, its meaning is extending into the technological domain. 

An organization that cannot understand the technologies it depends on cannot truly control its own future. An organization that cannot regenerate its own engineering knowledge becomes a hostage to external suppliers, its fate determined by forces outside its walls. An organization that cannot sustain its critical technologies will see its operational readiness erode, no matter how advanced those technologies once were. 

Engineering Sovereignty, therefore, is not a synonym for reverse engineering. It is not simply a guide to remanufacturing, a blueprint for digital twins, or a manual for using AI. It is a far more profound and holistic concept. It is the disciplined, systematic cultivation of enduring engineering capability—the art and science of ensuring that an organization can think for itself, solve its own problems, and safeguard its own technological future.

 

Engineering Sovereignty

Three months ago, I had a meeting with two Singapore army representatives over coffee, discussing PCB-RE in the context of engineering expediency and operational capabilities. There was even the idea of a presentation to their top management, though it did not materialize in the end.

However, a seed has been sown since that meeting, and I have been quietly working on the framework of a discipline—Engineering Sovereignty. I wouldn't be surprise if many in the industry are not aware of this term. Most companies are more concerned about solving their immediate engineering problems than retaining valuable knowledge that is locked in the minds of their best engineers.

I'm not saying they lack sound practices in their organizational processes; but documenting technical designs of their products alone do not ensure that the know-how and experiences of their brilliant engineers, accummulated and built-up over the span of their career, are accurately and reliably passed on to the next generation. Personal legacy and skills can only be transmitted via mentoring and meticulous apprenticeship.

The Charter Seal above gives a concise definition on this concept of Engineering Sovereignty, and it is not only applicable to the military but commercial organizations as well. The first volume on this subject is near completion. I have kept it under wraps until now, while working in tandem with my Solutions on Obsolescence books, which were recently released. Although they belong to different series, they are related in regard to the challenges faced by many organizations today.

More will be revealed once the first draft of Volume 1 is ready. Until then, you may want to secure copies of the Solutions to Obsolescene books (click the book covers to go to the Amazon bookstore to order). 

Top Post

It may come as a surprise to my readers that the most popular post on this blog is not about PCB reverse engineering, but a suite of old EDA software that is now available for free, from a community of die-hard fans who are still using it.

That's right. It's the DOS-based OrCAD design tools (SDT, VST, PCB, PLD, and MOD). I believe many of us have used it at one time or another in a past era, when MS-DOS was still the only dorminant operating system available on the PC-AT running off an 80286/80386. With the advent of Windows, these DOS applications were relegated to the PC museum. Fortunately, DOS emulators like DOSBox and VirtualBox continue to give these valuable resources a new lease of life.

Those interested in OrCAD can click on this link to read and learn how to get a free copy. 

Release Announcement

I'm happy to announce the release of The Answer Book, a companion tutorial to the textbook, Solutions to Obsolescence: Remanufacturing, Retrofitting & Refurbishing. It is printed in full premium colors on better quality papers so the price will be slightly higher, but still affordable. I have paired these two books as a collection. You can read the book series description by clicking on this link.

To order these books, just click on their respective book covers displayed on the right column of this blog post, which will bring you to the Amazon website. As of now, Amazon still maintains the price of the textbook at the promotion price, but I'm not sure how long that offer will last. So grab a copy while you can.

 

About Me and My Works

I'm almost done with the Answer Book, a companion tutorial to the Solutions to Obsolescence book. I've included an About the Author write-up, which is really a description of my journey and what motivates me:

Hopefully, readers who are considering to take up the obsolescence challenge, or are already involved in such endeavors, will find the two-set volume useful. The Answer Book will likely be released by next week, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Take care and stay safe, my friends.

Ps: The promotional price for Solutions to Obsolescence is ending soon. Please order your copy if you haven't done so. No request will be entertained after that.

Book Review Out of the Blue...

These days it's hard to find readers who appreciate my books enough to leave a nice review on Amazon. So I was presently delighted that someone left a glowing review for PCB Diagnostics which I've written about three years ago:

Excellent overview, really the only book of its kind. Getting back into advanced PCB diagnostics/repair having not worked in the industry for over 20 years, this book was a phenomenal refresher, so much so, I have several more of Mr. Ng's books awaiting to be read. 

I see another review complaining the book is full of expensive equipment, it does cover various things like A.T.E. and such systems, but also teaches the basics of diagnostics. I would say anyone coming to this book without sound electronics knowledge in the engineering realm will find themselves out of place with the material, but more so out of place if trying to do any such work. This book isn't for the part and board swappers looking for easy tricks that will fix PCBs, that is for youtube. If you really want to get into the field you need to hit the books and bench, use this as a guide for futher education.

If you, my reader and follower of this blog, have received the benefits of my hard-earned engineering insights and experience, would be kind to leave a good review on Amazon, it would definitely help in the ratings and sales to enable and motivate me to write more in the future. 

My wife, who supported me all these years in this gruelling work, always look forward to reading them, and find consolation that our efforts do make a difference and impact in other people's lives.

So have a heart and do your part. Hear from you soon! 

Repair, New, or Refurbished?

Question: 

Your plant has a 15-year-old conveyor motor that fails every 4 months. Each repair costs $300. A new motor costs $2,500. A refurbished motor (from a specialist) costs $1,200 with a 1-year warranty. Which path do you choose? What data would change your answer? 

Answer: 

Given: 15 years old, fails every 4 months → 3 failures/year × $300 = 900/year. New = $2,500; Refurbished = $1,200 with 1-year warranty. 

Simple payback (repair vs. refurbished): 

Current annual repair cost = $900.  
Refurbished cost $1,200.  
Payback = 1.33 years.  

After 1 year, warranty covers failures. From year 2 onward, assume refurbished failure rate is similar to current (3 failures/year) → another $900/year. Still cheaper than $2,500 for new. 

Decision: Choose refurbished motor based on current data. 

What data would change answer? 

▪ If the conveyor is a production bottleneck where downtime cost is >$500/hour → new motor (higher reliability) may be justified. 

▪ If the refurbisher's warranty excludes labor, adding $150/failure for installation → refurbished TCO rises. 

▪ If the motor is obsolete and refurbisher uses scavenged parts with unknown remaining life → avoid. 

▪ If new motor efficiency is 10% better, then electricity savings alone could favor new motor over 5+ years.

 

When to Choose Which?

Sample tutorial question and answer:

Question: 

Under what conditions would you recommend refurbishing over remanufacturing for a fleet of industrial power tools? 

Answer: 

Refurbishing is recommended over remanufacturing when: 

• The core structure and motor remain within original tolerances, but only wear items (brushes, switches, grips, bearings) need replacement. 

• Downtime is critical—refurbishing is faster because it avoids full disassembly to the last screw. 

• The tools are not yet discontinued by the OEM, so replacement parts are still standard. 

• The goal is cost containment with moderate extension of useful life (1-2 additional cycles), rather than bringing the tool to "like-new" performance. 

• The fleet is large and identical, allowing batch processing of common wear parts without requiring full rebuild of every subassembly.

 

STO Answer Book

Here's the book blurb I've crafted for the upcoming Answer Book, which is really a companion tutorial to Solutions to Obsolescence (STO):

The Answer Book is the companion every reader of Solutions to Obsolescence needs. It takes the 15 chapters of the main textbook and turns each set of discussion questions into a working session. You’ll find not just answers, but the reasoning pathways—the trade‑offs, the numbers, the risk calculations, and the contract clauses that separate a confident retrofit specialist from a hesitant one.

From TCO showdowns (new vs. refurbished lighting ballasts) to ethical dilemmas (third‑party remanufactured medical devices) to nitty‑gritty engineering (inertia ratios, thermal spray coatings, and VFD inrush currents), this book walks you through the decisions that obsolescence experts face daily.

Whether you’re a plant engineer, a remanufacturing line manager, a procurement professional, or a student of circular economy, the Answer Book will cement the concepts—and give you the scripts, formulas, and checklists to apply them immediately.

• TCO calculations for real-world decisions
• Root cause analysis for warranty returns
• Scripts for plant manager conversations

No fluff. No evasion. Just solutions. 

A Companion Book in the Works...

Readers who have recently purchase the book Solutions to Obsolescence would no doubt have noticed the discussion questions posed at the end of every chapter. Questions are a means to help readers understand and solidify what they have read. 

This is also a departure from my usual style of writing, since remanufacturing was new to me when I started out to learn the subject through researching and writing. It has tremendously enabled me to not just know how the three R's are interrelated to solving obsolescence, but also appreciate the dynamics between them in ways I did not preceive before.

Again, besides a visual aid like the book cover above, I will need a book blurb to help me focus on my writing. I anticipate that this will be a smaller workbook than the textbook, but it will no less be as informative and practical with many full-colored illustrations. I hope to finish and publish it in 3-4 weeks' time, if schedule allow.

So stay tune for more updates...

 

Release Announcement!

If you have been following the progress of my latest book writing attempt, you will be delighted to know that it has just been released and is available for order on Amazon KDP.

The book is currently available as paperback in full-color edition. It will also be available as hard cover in full-color, but because Amazon's hard cover does not support 8" x 10" format, I will need to adjust the manuscript to fit the nearest available size. This will take some time so if you can't wait, then order the paperback.

Printing in full-color is much more costly (3-4 times that of black on white), so I cannot sell at the normal low price like I did for the other engineering books. But I have kept the price as afforable as I can—for now as goodwill and promotion period, with a minimum royalty margin. So get this book as soon as you can. Click on the book cover to go to the Amazon order page.

The hard cover edition should be available in 3-4 weeks time but it will be more costly as I intend to use premium colors for this book format (first time trying). Still, I hope to keep the price below $100 (USD, of course).

That's all for the update, for now...

Ps: There will not be a Kindle ebook edition (at least not in the near foreseeable future).

The Final Lap...

I'm into the final lap of writing my seventh engineering book—the three R's of Solutions to Obsolescence. These include Appendices (Comparison Matrices, Glossary of Terms, and Strategy Selection Card), Acknowledgements, and a comprehensive Index for better reference.

I intend to just release a full-color, hard cover edition. It will not be as "affordable" as the other engineering books but I will keep the price below $100, if possible. Color printed books are not cheap to begin with, and for Amazon KDP it can come up to 3-4 times that of plain black and white print edition.

But I assure you, my readers, that it will be worth every cent to get a copy of this book when it is ready. The amount of work put in to ensure quality content and images are definitely not mesasured in dollars and cents.

I look forward to your support, through purchase and by word-of-mouth recommendations. It's been a grilling yet rewarding journey for the past couple of months. I believe there will be more engineering books to follow, if things work out for my collaborations with ASTER and the Singapore Army.

So stay tune for new updates.

Certifications as a Growth Accelerator

For remanufacturers seeking B2B customers (fleets, industrial plants, government), certifications are often mandatory, not optional. Certification, however, is a journey, not a one-time event. Start with ISO 9001, then add specialized certifications as your market demands. 

OEMs are increasingly entering remanufacturing—not as a threat to independents, but as a parallel channel. Here are two strategic advice for independents:  

▪ Specialize in products OEMs ignore (low-volume, obsolete, industrial).  

▪ Build capabilities OEMs lack (reverse engineering, restoration of non-supported components).

 

Scaling Remanufacturing

A remanufacturer can succeed as a small shop: one technician, a parts washer, a test stand, and a loyal local customer base. Many do. 

But remanufacturing's full potential—the ability to compete with new products at scale, to offer national warranties, to supply OEMs themselves—requires scaling. 

Scaling remanufacturing is not simply doing more of the same. It requires: 

▪ Facility design for workflow efficiency 
▪ Automation where labor costs dominate 
▪ Quality systems that survive volume growth 
▪ Certifications that signal credibility 
▪ Market acceptance strategies that overcome the "used product" stigma

Unlike manufacturing (raw materials in, finished goods out), remanufacturing has a variable flow. Cores arrive with unknown quality. Some move quickly; others require rework or wait for parts. It is therefore imperative to have a facility that is designed for remanufacturing workflow. (see figure above)

 

Reverse Engineering and Additive Manufacturing

When parts cannot be sourced or restored, the remanufacturer must create them. This is accomplished via reverse engineering and additive manufacturing. The processes can be quite involved, requiring multi-disciplined skills and specific equipment. It is not a one-man effort but a team of competent engineers and technicians who know their trade and tools. 

Reverse Engineering Example – Obsolete Bracket:

Part: Mounting bracket for alternator on 1990s diesel engine
Availability: OEM discontinued, no aftermarket 
Sample: Worn bracket from donor core
Measurement method: 3D scanner + CMM verification 
Material: Cast aluminum (identified via spectrometer) 
Manufacturing method: CNC machined from billet (no casting tooling cost)
Cost per part (10 units): $45 each (vs. OEM new was $18—but unavailable) 
Outcome: Bracket reproduced. Remanufacturing continues.

Of course, reverse engineering occupies a legal gray area. Remanufacturers must navigate intellectual property (IP) law carefully.

The Parts Availability Crisis

The core promise of remanufacturing is to extend product life indefinitely.  

But there is a catch— 

▪ What happens when the original manufacturer no longer makes the parts you need?  
▪ What happens when the product is 30 years old and the OEM has discontinued support?  
▪ What happens when the company itself is out of business? 

Without parts, remanufacturing stalls. A perfectly restorable core—sound housing, restorable shaft, reusable frame—becomes scrap because a $5 seal or a $50 bearing is no longer available. 

We need to address the parts supply challenge that defines the difference between remanufacturers who survive and those who fade away. This covers: 

▪ Sourcing existing parts (OEM, aftermarket, donor cores) 
▪ Reverse engineering obsolete components 
▪ Additive manufacturing (3D printing) for remanufacturing 
▪ Restoring parts that cannot be sourced (remanufacturing components themselves) 
▪ Legal and intellectual property considerations

 

Inspection and Sorting

This is the most critical quality control stage in the remanufacturing workflow. Every component is inspected—no sampling, no assumptions.

Sorting Decision Tree 

For each component after inspection, we need to ask: 

Is it within OEM new specification? 

• Yes → Clean, protect, move to reassembly 
• No  → Is it restorable (machining, coating, grinding)? 

        • Yes → Route to restoration (Stage 5) 
        • No  → Is a new replacement available?  

                • Yes → Source new part 
                • No  → Scrap component (mark as unusable) 

The inspection stage drives the entire remanufacturing process. Every component is sorted into one of four paths: reuse, restore, replace, or scrap.

 

Remanufacturing Workflow

Remanufacturing is the most process-intensive of the three strategies covered in this book. Unlike refurbishing (partial disassembly) or retrofitting (add-on modifications), remanufacturing requires complete disassembly, 100% inspection, systematic restoration, and full performance testing. 

The workflow presented here is generic—applicable to automotive engines, industrial gearboxes, heavy equipment components, and beyond. Specific industries will have variations, but the core logic is universal. 

The Seven Stages of Remanufacturing: 

1. Core Acquisition and Intake – Sourcing and grading used products 

2. Complete Disassembly – Down to the last component 

3. Cleaning – Multiple methods, multiple passes 

4. Inspection and Sorting – 100% dimensional and nondestructive testing 

5. Restoration and Replacement – Machining, coating, new parts 

6. Reassembly – To OEM specifications, with new wear items 

7. Testing and Certification – Full performance validation

The Mindset of Remanufacturing

Remanufacturing is not just a set of processes. It is a mindset. Five principles distinguish true remanufacturing from lesser imitations. 

Principle 1: Assume Nothing 

The repair technician assumes a component is good until proven otherwise. The remanufacturer assumes a component is bad until proven good.

Principle 2: Wear Items Are Always Replaced 

Certain components have finite lifespans: bearings, seals, gaskets, brushes, filters, belts. Even if they appear functional, they have consumed part of their design life.

Principle 3: Restore, Don't Just Replace (When Economical) 

Some components (housings, shafts, blocks) are expensive to replace but can be restored to original tolerances through machining, grinding, thermal spray coating, or other processes.

Principle 4: Test to New-Product Standards 

A remanufactured product must perform identically to a new product under the same test conditions.

Principle 5: Warranty Parity 

A remanufactured product without a new-product warranty is not truly remanufactured. It is something less—rebuilt, reconditioned, or refurbished—regardless of what the marketing says.

Remanufacturing is not equally applicable to all products. It thrives where: 

• The core has high intrinsic value (e.g., cast iron block, precision-ground shaft) 
• Wear items are modular and replaceable 
• The product is designed for disassembly (or can be disassembled with reasonable effort) 
• New replacement cost is high 
• Customers value reliability and warranty