Vehicle Component Tolerance Determination via Field Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining tolerances in vehicle components and assemblies are often based on assumptions, leading to inefficient production and increased costs due to overly narrow tolerances, and lack the necessary information for optimal decision-making regarding component variations.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that periodically monitor vehicle components during operation, gather condition data via wireless communication, and analyze it to determine actual tolerance values, utilizing additional sources of information to predict permissible variations, thereby optimizing tolerances between cost and susceptibility to wear or failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If narrow tolerances are specified for all component groups based on assumptions, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the tolerance parameters from fixed assumed values to dynamically determined values based on actual field data. By collecting condition data from monitored vehicles and analyzing actual component behavior, the system determines optimal tolerance values that reflect real-world performance rather than theoretical assumptions, thereby reducing unnecessary production complexity while maintaining required precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback loop where condition data from monitored vehicles is continuously collected, analyzed, and used to update tolerance specifications. This closed-loop system allows tolerance values to be refined based on actual field performance data, enabling optimization of both manufacturing precision and production efficiency through evidence-based parameter adjustment
2Manufacturing precision
If narrow tolerances are applied to all components, then manufacturing precision is improved, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different tolerance levels to different component groups based on their actual performance characteristics and criticality. Instead of uniformly applying narrow tolerances to all components, the system identifies which specific components require tight tolerances and which can tolerate broader variations, thereby reducing manufacturing costs for non-critical components while maintaining precision where necessary
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms tolerance specifications from static assumed values to dynamic values determined by actual field data analysis. This allows the system to identify and apply cost-effective tolerance levels for each component group based on real-world performance, eliminating the need to pay premium costs for unnecessarily tight tolerances on components where broader variations are acceptable
3Ease of operation
If tolerances are based on assumptions rather than actual data, then decision-making is simplified, but reliability of tolerance specifications deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where actual condition data from monitored vehicles continuously informs and refines tolerance specifications. This data-driven approach replaces assumption-based decision-making with evidence-based decisions, significantly improving the reliability of tolerance specifications while maintaining streamlined decision-making through automated data analysis and evaluation protocols
Data Source
AI summary
A system and to a method for determining tolerances of components or assemblies includes at least periodically monitoring the components or assemblies of motor vehicles (5.1-5.6) of the same type during a driving operation and, in the process, metrologically gathering condition data (10) characteristic for tolerances at the components or assemblies, transiting the condition data (10) via existing, wireless communication paths to a central computer (1) or a cloud (2), storing the condition data (10) in the central computer (1) or the cloud (2) with a specific identifier for the individual motor vehicle (5.1-5.6), analyzing the stored condition data in a data processing unit (3), computing actual values of the tolerances existing at the detected motor vehicles (5.1-5.6) from the stored condition data, and determining generally valid variables of the component or assembly sizing on the basis of the actual values for the particular vehicle type (5).