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Let’s think about that the subsequent telephone name you obtain is from a buyer that desires to order 10x the variety of robots you’ve got in your present manufacturing capability, and wishes them ASAP.
Is that good or dangerous information?
A brand new income stream is a win, however should you’re not ready, the result’s rushed manufacturing, elevated threat of pricey high quality points, product failure within the discipline, and shedding your buyer’s confidence in your means to ship future orders.
Mitigating these dangers requires robotics OEMs, significantly these within the early phases of their progress, to deal with 5 key areas of the product growth lifecycle.
Precedence #1: Engineering Design
Bridging the hole between producing a working prototype and mass manufacturing begins originally, even earlier than constructing a prototype to point out to potential buyers and prospects.
The engineering design course of shouldn’t solely account for making certain the prototype works. It also needs to adhere to “Design for Manufacturability” and “Design for Value – Worth Engineering” approaches that can establish any potential roadblocks in the course of the transition of the design into manufacturing.
First, decide your home on the Know-how Readiness Stage (TRL) timeline, a technique NASA devised, to estimate the maturity of applied sciences in the course of the acquisition part of a program. Using TRLs allows constant, uniform discussions of technical maturity throughout various kinds of expertise to trace the place a brand new product sits on the spectrum between concepts, and mass manufacturing, and delivery.
Whereas a brand new product strikes from the early analysis and demonstration TRL phases to constructing prototypes, it’s possible you’ll flip to native sources for sub-assemblies, prototypes, and customized construct merchandise. However as you progress nearer to mass manufacturing, round TRL 5 or 6, partnering with a producing firm with the experience and international footprint to assist bigger scale manufacturing is a bonus.
Precedence #2: Part Sourcing
Provide chain constraints and materials shortages can severely delay supply of merchandise to prospects by a number of months. Robotics programs are made up of all kinds of very advanced parts similar to battery administration programs, precision mechanisms, optical programs, energy administration programs, custom-made energy and compute {hardware}. Securing the precise parts on the proper time has by no means been harder or costly, significantly when making an attempt to scale manufacturing.
That’s why robotics OEMs and their manufacturing and provide chain companions should assess provide chain dangers and take steps to mitigate future delivery delays and components shortages. Don’t wait till after a buyer locations a brand new order.
Precedence #3: Regionalization
When you’re contemplating value, high quality, compliance, obsolescence, and mass manufacturing when choosing components, figuring out in-region sources to scale back the chance of delivery delays that drag on for weeks or months is vital. It’s unimaginable to overstate how essential an element regionalization has change into to create a balanced and resilient provide chain and manufacturing community.
Securing the components you’ll have to make the transition from constructing prototypes to full commercialization is only the start. Managing staffing tools, high quality processes, testing, and validations, in addition to regulatory documentation necessities can change into overwhelming and result in pricey delays and high quality management points. As a result of change is inevitable, so too are the duties of updating invoice of supplies (BOMs), dealing with revision controls, sourcing alternate suppliers, and offering suggestions on the associated fee/schedule affect. Partnering with a professional manufacturing companions expert in these areas removes these burdens off the OEM’s shoulders.
Precedence #4: Testing and Validation Processes
Conducting intensive element and system lifecycle testing providers will instill the arrogance and reliability it’s essential green-light full-scale manufacturing. Automated testing processes built-in into manufacturing drive effectivity and high-quality output. It is a essential a part of the product growth lifecycle that can’t be marginalized to hurry up the manufacturing course of.
Precedence #5: Aftermarket Service and Help
Lastly, sustaining a buyer’s confidence (and securing future orders) requires OEMs to additionally present full product lifecycle assist providers, which incorporates making on-site installations, configurations, and repairs, in addition to conducting superior testing and delivering spare components. Partaking an skilled accomplice that already understands the product to offer these providers helps the OEM scale back the burden on their sources whereas sustaining their model worth.
When a robotics OEM is able to improve manufacturing volumes, embracing a “Design for Manufacturability” mindset that addresses engineering design, element sourcing, manufacturing processes, testing and validation processes, and after-market service and assist will scale back threat, decrease prices, and guarantee a brand new product’s long-term manufacturability and sustainability. Partaking early with an skilled international manufacturing providers supplier will carry added worth throughout the product growth lifecycle to assist optimize the design course of and ease the transition into manufacturing and full commercialization.
In regards to the Writer
Matthew Wicks is the Director of Robotics at Celestica, the place he’s liable for the corporate’s robotics portfolio spanning throughout a number of segments together with semiconductor, warehousing, medical and industrial.
Wicks was beforehand the Chair of the Board of Administrators for the Affiliation for Advancing Automation (A3), the place he supplied trade perception as steering to A3.
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