Development of a design assessment tool for hydro pneumatic truck suspensions subjected to Pressure Equipment Directive regulations using a DMADV methodology

Abstract

Despite the extensive literature and research that exists on the methodologies of Set-Based Design and Set-Based Concurrent Engineering, there are less published practical examples and application of tools that promote the use of this philosophies for new product development in the industry, with most of these applications being based in the implementation of engineering, regulatory and manufacturing feasibility checklists where the engineer needs to provide attestation that his/her proposed design complies with the requirements inside design reviews. After two years of pandemic the industry never predicted all supply chain constrains that the world is facing today, not only for semi-conductors but also for steel and other rough materials. Companies are actively looking for versatility and flexibility of products, however, if change is not properly managed it could turn into a contributor factor for new failure modes, quality and regulatory non-conformities. This, in addition to global product development teams actively collaborating with cross functional teams and manufacturing sites around the globe for solving assurance of supply issues and conceiving new optimal designs for end customers unveils opportunities for implementing tools that enable SBCE/SBD that reduces the need of interaction between cross functional teams, automates and optimizes design decision making process and reduces product development times. Companies around the globe have actively looked for ways of improving profitability and deliver value added to end customers, this through continuous improvement of not just manufacturing processes, eliminating waste and shortening lead times but also by improving product development processes for optimizing cost and maximizing quality. After Toyota’s break through on lean manufacturing and six sigma methodology deployment for problem solving and process improvement, where providing flexibility to the production line parallel to a “pull” rather than a “push” production philosophy institution was identified by several researchers as the first Toyota paradox, authors started to put particular attention to a different facet of Toyota, one that was not widely disclosed and what they named the second Toyota paradox. Opposite to the traditional linear and iterative product development cycles, Toyota proposed a set-base philosophy for developing new products which at first glance did not seem a leaner process when comparing to US and other Japanese traditional automotive manufacturers. This project will crumble the implementation of a set-based design assessment tool utilizing enabler tools like GIFS methodology for problem solving and causal mapping within the frame of a “design for six sigma” approach. This assessment tool will serve as an aid for the suspension design engineers at the mining industry to take better informed and optimized decisions in early stages of the development process, when designing products meant to be marketed within the European Union, and as such, subjected to Pressure Equipment Directive regulation. This tool will map the design space where new products need to stay within for avoiding additional certifications or warning the design and manufacturing engineers that new certification scope will be needed in those cases that it cannot be avoided.