Electronic Product Redesign for Component Availability Shifts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic products are vulnerable to supply chain disruptions due to the unavailability of specific components, requiring time-consuming redesigns and leading to production halts, especially when components with different internal interfaces are substituted.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that evaluates component availability, identifies potential vulnerabilities, and generates alternative designs using replacement components with different internal interfaces, allowing for automated adaptation and storage of necessary components to ensure continuous production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a specific electronic component is used in the design, then the product functionality is optimized, but the manufacturing reliability deteriorates when the component becomes unavailable in the supply chain
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively identifying components with poor availability ratings before they become unavailable. Alternative designs are generated and stored in advance, so when a component becomes unavailable, the system can immediately switch to a pre-prepared alternative without time-consuming redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes design parameters by substituting electronic components with alternatives that have different internal interfaces. When a component is replaced, the system automatically adapts related components and interfaces, transforming the design to maintain functionality while using available components.
2Reliability
If an electronic component is replaced with an alternative, then the supply chain vulnerability is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to interface adaptations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically adapting the design when components are replaced. The automated adaptation process modifies carrier components, peripheral components, and internal interfaces without requiring manual redesign, thereby managing complexity through automation rather than increasing it.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates universal alternative designs that can serve multiple purposes. Alternative electronic components are selected to provide the same functionality as the original component, and the adaptation process ensures that the alternative design can fulfill all original requirements while being compatible with available supply chain components.
3Productivity
If comprehensive alternative designs are prepared for all components, then the productivity is maintained during supply chain disruptions, but the loss of time during the design phase increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by not preparing alternative designs for all components, but only for those with poor availability ratings. This selective approach reduces the time investment during the design phase while still maintaining productivity during supply chain disruptions for the most vulnerable components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copying by creating alternative design versions that replicate the functionality of the original design. These alternative designs are stored and can be quickly activated when needed, avoiding the need to create designs from scratch during supply chain disruptions.
4Adaptability or versatility
If manual redesign is performed when a component becomes unavailable, then the design can be adapted to use alternative components, but the loss of time for production resumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary adaptation work by generating alternative designs in advance. When a component becomes unavailable, the pre-generated alternative design is already prepared and stored, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual redesign and enabling immediate production resumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system substitutes manual redesign processes with automated computer-implemented methods. The automated system performs component substitution, interface adaptation, and design validation, replacing the slow manual process with faster computational operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for ensuring the manufacturability of an electronic product, wherein the electronic product is described by requirements information that describes requirements for at least one external interface and/or at least one functionality to be provided, comprising the following steps: - providing basic design information that describes a first design of the electronic product with several first electronic components interacting with each other via first internal interfaces, which fulfills the requirements of the requirements information, - evaluating the future availability of at least some of the first electronic components depending on at least one availability information to determine respective availability ratings for the evaluated first electronic components,- Selection of at least one first electronic component with the lowest availability rating, - for each selected first electronic component, determination of at least one alternative design information describing a second design of the electronic product with several second electronic components interacting with each other via second internal interfaces, by replacing at least the selected first electronic component with a replacement component having a second internal interface different from the first internal interface of the selected first electronic component, and then adapting the remaining design to the modified electronic component in compliance with the requirements according to the requirements information, and - storing the at least one alternative design information in a storage medium (3, 12).