A large plane can be the sum of a million parts, but it only takes one broken piece to ground an aircraft.

But what if that part is no longer being made? It's an increasingly common problem with aging aircraft of all sizes, said Shivakumar Raman, OU engineering professor.

Raman and OU colleague Binil Starly launched SEAM Aero last year to reverse-engineer airplane components. The company uses a laser scanning arm to create three-dimensional computer designs of aircraft parts that can then be made by manufacturers, Starly said.

The business is starting to take off, already securing five contracts for military and commercial aircraft.

Raman conceived the company, along with a university-based research and development center, after working with Tinker Air Force Base on several engineering projects. About 30 people are employed, mostly part time, as a result of the ventures.

''We thought this could be a market for generating jobs," Raman said. "And what's missing today are these new technologies."

Startup funding came from a $3 million Economic Development Generating Excellence grant. Raman expects the company to be worth $25 million in a few years, although finding operating funding remains a struggle.

''All the technology we are using is cutting edge, and people have not been jumping," he said. "We are introducing new technology to a new market."

Commercial airlines and military aircraft are growing older as owners try to maximize their investment. A billion-dollar aircraft isn't tossed aside like a broken washing machine, Raman said.

''Some of the airplanes have been around 50 years," he said. "Some will continue to be used for another 25 years."

To reverse engineer a part, SEAM must make sure designs for the part aren't already available.

''It's a very thin line," Raman said. "You can't cross the line of piracy."