Publications Details
A process for the agile product realization of electromechanical devices (A-primed)
This paper describes a product realization process developed at Sandia National Laboratories by the A-PRIMED project that integrates many of the key components of ``agile manufacturing`` (Nagel & Dove, 1992) into a complete, step-by-step, design-to-production process. For two separate product realization efforts, each geared to a different set of requirements, A-PRIMED demonstrated product realization of a custom device in less than a month. A-PRIMED used a discriminator (a precision electro mechanical device) as the demonstration device, but the process is readily adaptable to other electro mechanical products. The process begins with a qualified design parameter space (Diegert et al, 1995). From that point, the product realization process encompasses all facets of requirements development, analysis and testing, design, manufacturing, robot assembly and quality assurance, as well as product data management and concurrent engineering. In developing the product realization process, A-PRIMED employed an iterative approach whereby after each build, the process was reviewed and refinements were made on the basis of lessons learned. This paper describes the integration of project functions and product realization technologies to develop a product realization process that on repeated iterations, was proven successful.