Life Cycle Data Management for Six Sigma Product Quality

Background:
 
CAD technology is now capable of creating solid models with granularity and associated intelligence down to the feature level. Corresponding Object-oriented Product Data Management (PDM) systems integrated with CAD systems have been generically designed to add value to the traditional CAD geometry.
 
The key business processes of…

• Characteristic Accountability (linking engineering characteristics to manufacturing processes)
• Methods (deciding how a component will be produced)
• Planning (documenting the manufacturing approach)
  
  … have historically not been associatively linked to the engineering characteristics or to each other. The linkages today are largely manual.

Problem:
 
Current life cycle data management processes dictate manual handoffs, delegations, and follow-through, which is a compromise in terms of productivity entitlement and lead to quality oversights. Industry is struggling to demonstrate a successful marriage of CAD engineering definition with the complete manufacturing process data in a PDM environment.
 
Proposed Solution / Approach:
 
Conduct a pilot project in a component manufacturing shop targeting an F414 fan blade. Demonstrate an environment in which maximum associativity, control, error proofing and productivity is achieved through encapsulating the complete manufacturing processes into the current commercially available state-of-the-art tools.
 
Deliverables:

• Effectivity of changes through the product life cycle.
• Visibility of changes thru the product life cycle.
• 100% Characteristic Accountability through the manufacturing life cycle.
• Measurable cycle reduction for new part introduction.
• Re-usable process map of change management for manufacturing lifecycle

Benefits / Impact:
 
Businesses:

• Aerospace/Automotive
• CAD/CAM PDM
• Various Software providers

Technical:

• Increasing requirements placed on manufacturers for new part introduction cycle reductions.
• Supporting spare parts replacement for aging aircraft fleets.
• Integrated characteristic accountability process through the product life cycle.

Duration:
The project duration is estimated to be two years.

Program Manager: Tony Haynes, (734) 995-4930, tonyh@ncms.org