Electrical Feedthrough Traceability Using Embedded Information Stores
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manufacturing processes for electrical feedthroughs in ignition units for airbag and seatbelt tensioners require extensive quality assurance efforts due to the high risk of defects, leading to inefficient production and difficulty in tracing and correcting issues within large batches.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that incorporate an information store, such as a barcode or RFID chip, to track manufacturing parameters and unique identifiers for each component, enabling traceability and quality control throughout the manufacturing and further processing stages, including a hermetically sealed electrical feedthrough with a functional element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If extensive quality assurance inspections are performed on large batches of feedthroughs, then defect detection capability is improved, but manufacturing time and production efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by integrating an information store into the feedthrough component during the manufacturing process itself, rather than performing inspections after production. This allows quality data to be captured and stored in advance, eliminating the need for time-consuming post-manufacturing inspections and enabling immediate traceability of manufacturing parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating an information replica of the physical feedthrough component. The information store contains a copy of all manufacturing parameters, process data, and quality metrics, allowing verification and traceability without requiring physical inspection of the actual component, thus significantly reducing inspection time.
2Loss of time
If random inspection is performed on large batches of feedthroughs, then inspection time is reduced, but inspection accuracy and defect detection capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By storing quality data during the manufacturing process itself, the system eliminates the need for subsequent random sampling inspections. All feedthroughs in a batch are automatically verified since their manufacturing parameters are already recorded and stored, providing 100% inspection coverage without additional time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The information store provides immediate feedback on manufacturing quality by recording and preserving all process parameters. This enables real-time quality control and automatic verification of each feedthrough's manufacturing data, ensuring high inspection accuracy without requiring manual measurement or sampling.
3Reliability
If detailed receiving inspection is performed at the ignition unit manufacturer, then quality assurance is improved, but effort and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The information store acts as a portable copy of the feedthrough's manufacturing history and quality data. When the feedthrough arrives at the ignition unit manufacturer, the embedded information store provides immediate access to all manufacturing parameters and quality metrics, eliminating the need for complex receiving inspections and reducing both effort and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The feedthrough component performs self-service quality documentation by containing its own manufacturing data and quality information within the integrated information store. This eliminates the need for the ignition unit manufacturer to conduct separate, complex verification procedures, as the component already carries its own quality certificate.
4Ease of manufacture
If traceability information is not integrated into components, then manufacturing process simplicity is maintained, but defect tracing and correction capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the information store directly into the feedthrough component structure, combining the physical component with its digital twin containing manufacturing data. This integration maintains manufacturing simplicity by using standard embedding techniques while simultaneously providing complete traceability capability, as the information is now inherently linked to each component.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a plurality of components, each of the plurality of components including at least one electrical feedthrough, in which a functional element is fastened in a feedthrough opening in a base body by way of an electrically insulating material, an information being acquired in association with each of the plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of: providing, in one of a plurality of manufacturing steps of the method, each of the plurality of components or one of a plurality of pre-stages of each of the plurality of components with an information store, at least one of (i) the information being stored in the information store, and (ii) an identifier is stored in the information store and the information is stored in a database in association with the identifier.