Only by taking into account these five design principles, can we truly do a good job in non-standard design

Today we will talk about the design of non-standard products in the machinery industry. Five principles worthy of attention in the design process. These five principles are synergistic and coordinated with each other, and are the conditions and basis for each other. Only when these five design principles are taken into account , In order to truly complete the design of a non-standard product.

1. The principle of cost priority

The biggest feature of the design of non-standard products is small-scale production, single function and limited scope of adaptation. For such products, if we want to "make money" from the beginning, we need to strictly control costs. , Cost control can be considered from the following aspects:

(1) R&D costs

Try to choose Jingbingqiang as the project supervisor of non-standard product design in the future. The staffing of the project should be as few and precise as possible, and the comprehensive ability requirements of the project personnel should be as high as possible.

The project leader must not only have sufficient experience and ability in program design, but also have corresponding responsibilities and skills in team coordination. At the same time, he must also take into account the team's operational efficiency and keep the cost of research and development to the lowest limit.

(2) Purchase cost

The control of procurement costs also requires the strong cooperation of R&D engineers, to make the selected parts and components of the project as universal and standardized as possible, and to unify the suppliers of these parts as much as possible to form a long-term and mutually beneficial strategic partnership.

At the same time, negotiate the payment method for purchases, and use quarterly payment or annual payment as much as possible, in order to occupy only a small amount of activity funds.

(3) Outsourcing cost

In terms of structural design, it is necessary to make each functional component modular and universal. Its essence is still composed of different functional components. There are still many commonalities in the selection and use of good multifunctional components.

Of course, when outsourcing processing, try to make these functional components large-scale and batch processing, and form long-term strategic cooperative relations with manufacturing suppliers, through long-term and undisrupted cooperation, to promote the efficiency of outsourcing and reduce the cost of outsourcing processing. capital.

(4) Assembly cost

This also involves non-standard design of structural processing and the realization and installation of functional components. Try to make the structure simple, compact, singular, and standardized. Those that can be outsourced will not be compromising, and those that can be outsourced will not be self-made.

At the same time, before assembling, it is necessary to fully explain and explain with the assembly technicians, and form a standardized assembly process and process, so that the entire assembly process can be carried out without obstacles.

(5) Commissioning cost

The commissioning cost depends on the depth of project investigation and analysis before the non-standard design, and also depends on the skill and experience of the project plan designer, and at the same time depends more on the on-site adaptability and technical proficiency of the on-site commissioning engineer. For non-standard design projects, The most powerful people must be on the front line, they are the greatest guarantee for the success of the project.

(6) After-sales cost

In fact, the most feared of non-standard design is the infinite increase in after-sales cost. This is one of the reasons why non-standard design is expensive, and the most uncontrollable part of non-standard design. Whether a project makes money, to a large extent focuses on the after-sales. , The control of this cost is mainly in the design, and we will do a more thorough analysis in the follow-up.

2. The principle of quality assurance

The design of non-standard products and the source of quality assurance are two major aspects. As long as these two aspects are controlled, the quality of the product is basically guaranteed:

(1) The design ability of the engineer

For non-standard design, because it is a "one-off deal", there is no chance and budget for trial and error. "Everyone is happy" if they succeed, and "one loses to the end" if they fail. Therefore, the personal experience and Ability is often dependent and tested.

Especially the project design engineer, the principle of the right or wrong of the plan is the basis of whether the maintenance team is doing a "right thing", if there is a principle error in the plan, then all the efforts of the follow-up team are "the opposite of each other" Useless work has not only expanded the company's human, financial, and material resources, but more importantly, it has lost the opportunity and format to compete for the market.

At the same time, we also need to take into account the details of non-standard design. For a good and reliable design, the details are king. The inconsistency and usability of non-standard products must come from the details, and design engineers When I compete for a lot of abilities, I am reminded of the mastery and application of details.

(2) Quality of purchased parts

For a product manager, we can only believe that "cheap is not good, good goods are not cheap". Any reliable quality and fully functional parts will not be obtained at an unfair price. The trade-offs among them , For a product manager is a gamble, there are elements of experience, there are elements of destiny.

Many products use good accessories, and there are also mistakes. Some products use very common accessories, and there is a probability that they will run well in a few years, so this depends largely on the project manager's choice.

But according to my personal experience, for the design of non-standard products, I personally still recommend using better accessories as much as possible. Although there is some increase in the initial cost, there is a great chance that we will reduce the later after-sales cost. And it can ensure that our products have a good reputation in the market and customers. This is not only in the consideration of product costs, but also in the consideration of the company's product marketing and corporate image.

For example, if you choose a linear guide, you can choose not to choose Japanese THK, but at least you have to use a Taiwanese bank. As for some domestic brands, you still try to put aside it. You can't afford some mistakes.

3. Process control principle

Process control is mainly reflected in two departments. Of course, these two departments also have a very large relationship with cost, but they still rely more on the designer's design ability:

(1) Control of machining process

As a non-standard product, certain external processing parts are a must. How to ensure the reliability and low cost of the processing technology from the design is a responsibility that a design engineer cannot avoid. The same functional component can achieve the same function. Require.

Others only need 1,000 yuan in capital and a 15-day cycle, but you need 1,500 yuan in capital and a 20-day cycle. This is the defect and deficiency of your design capabilities. At the same time, we must also fully consider the supporting industrial chain surrounding the company. The topic.

For example, the equipment condition, technical level, and worker level of the outsourcing processing factory, only when these factors are taken into account in our product design, can we truly control the machining process.

(2) Control of assembly process

The control of the assembly process is the same as the control of the mechanical processing process. Most of it comes from the ability of the design engineer. Of course, we must also combine the processing quality, the supporting measures of the assembly site, the equipment of tooling and inspection tools, the process flow and the process schedule. The fairness of the distribution and so on.

These factors that need to be considered are all within the responsibility of a non-standard product project manager, and are the project planning principles that require adequate preparation and pre-planning.

If you have a mentality of where you go, it’s almost impossible to design a non-standard product, because the cycle and price of the product do not give you enough room and space to correct your mistakes and mistakes. Chance.

4. Periodic accounting principles

The design of non-standard products and cycle accounting are very important. In fact, for many engineers, as long as they are not too complicated, everyone has the ability to take orders, but it must be done in a relatively short period of time. , Outsourcing, outsourcing, assembly and debugging and other links can be reasonably arranged and completed, which is still a test of the ability of the project engineer.

This is not only the design ability, but also the ability to deploy various resources on the opponent, the ability to master the upstream and downstream industrial chain of the product, and the ability to control all aspects of the project are all long and short tests.

One of the characteristics of non-standard design is that it has a short cycle, high success rate requirements, complicated upstream and downstream supply chains, strong product pertinence, and there is no good reference object and sufficient design experience. Almost every non-standard design is correct. The life and death trials and baptisms of the team staff are also rebirths from the ashes.

At the same time, many aspects of the cycle budget are uncontrollable. For example, upstream and downstream suppliers, non-standard designs are mostly produced in single pieces or small batches. It is difficult to have the coordination of upstream and downstream suppliers. There are enough reasons to mobilize their enthusiasm and desire to cooperate.

More often, they don't care if there is a small order that is "not painful or not itchy". Therefore, they must pay special attention to the provision and control of the supply chain.

For those links that can be controlled, we must try our best to get as much time as possible, and leave this time for those uncontrollable links, in order to have a good dynamic balance for the entire project. This is for everyone who is engaged in the design of non-standard products. Things that need to be kept in mind.

5. After-sales evaluation principles

In the previous cost control department, we also mentioned the greater impact of after-sales cost. In fact, this after-sales cost has a great relationship with the nature of non-standard product design. A mature product, from R&D to trial production, from trial production to trial production, From trial to perfection, from perfection to product finalization, this is a gradual process.

However, due to the uniqueness of the product market, long and short standard products have eliminated multiple steps such as "trial production, trial, and improvement". Basically, the route from R&D to assembly, from assembly to use, is determined to a large extent. The immaturity and lack of inconsistency of the product, even the most powerful design engineer, will make a mistake occasionally.

Therefore, we cannot be too demanding on a R&D engineer. We can only use some mechanisms, experience and design capabilities to ensure that the product is as mature and practical as possible. Even if we cannot achieve 100%, we must The pivotal function and structure are handled well, so that this product has more plasticity.

This is also conducive to our follow-up perfection and improvement. Don't make mistakes and defects in product design principles, otherwise you will only lose money.

At the same time, we must maintain good communication with the end user of the product, keep the communication smooth and timely at all times, use courteous service and a good position to make up for some small mistakes in the product design, and in the follow-up after-sales In the process, we use practical steps and efficient solutions to quell customers’ dissatisfaction and complaints.

Only by doing this can we truly mature ourselves from the advancement of the project and also make the company prosper from the sales of products.

In short, as a non-standard product design engineer, your path is more than technology. You have a long way to go. Come on!