Assembly Cost Estimation System for Component Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face challenges in determining whether to purchase pre-assembled assemblies or components for assembly, as existing systems lack accurate estimation of assembly costs.
Innovation Solution
An estimation system and program that calculates assembly costs by acquiring component and specification information, using a combination of first and second rules for each component and specification category, allowing for precise cost estimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a pre-assembled assembly is purchased, then assembly quality and time savings are improved, but purchase cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to self-estimate assembly costs by automatically calculating labor costs based on component data and assembly specifications, allowing informed decisions between purchasing pre-assembled units or assembling components themselves
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback on assembly cost estimates to users, enabling them to compare the cost of purchasing pre-assembled assemblies versus assembling components themselves, thus informing their purchasing decisions
2Measurement precision
If assembly cost estimation is implemented, then purchasing decision accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The estimation system leverages existing component data and assembly specification data that are already maintained for other purposes (such as assembly instructions and bills of materials), making the estimation function universal and avoiding the need for separate data collection systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary estimation module that connects existing component databases with purchasing decision-making, providing accurate cost estimates without requiring direct integration into complex purchasing systems
Data Source
AI summary
An estimation system 100 that estimates an assembly cost of an assembly includes: an acquisition unit 13A that acquires component specifying information for specifying components constituting the assembly from a component candidate group, and specification information for specifying a specification of the assembly constituted by the components specified by the component specifying information; and a calculation unit 13B that calculates, by using a predetermined calculation rule, the assembly cost in a case of assembling the assembly according to the specification specified by the specification information from each of components specified by the component specifying information, wherein the calculation rule includes a first rule set for each of components of the component candidate group and a second rule set for at least one of the components of the component candidate group with respect to the specification information, and the second rule is set for each of specification categories classified into a plurality of specification categories according to the specification information.