一键式割草机制造商可享受多种优势
引入新模型可以为制造商提供机会。有机会进一步优化生产方法并向市场提供新的工程解决方案。这恰恰是美国一家领先的户外动力设备供应商抓住机会为其新的割草机提供支持的机会。在外部供应商合作伙伴Optimas Solutions的帮助下,制造商能够同时减少组件投资,同时仍能为该应用提供高度设计的解决方案。
作为草坪和花园领域的中流sector柱,这家制造商已提供市场领先的户外电动工具已有50多年的历史。多年来,企业一直在努力优化设计,以适应客户的需求。结果,当有机会从头开始重新设计紧固件时,企业用双手抓住了机会。
最终,制造商希望在其新型割草机型号上过渡到高强度/低合金(HLSA)钢部件。这将提供更好的机械性能。此外,该公司的目标是在新平台上使用较小直径的螺钉,而不是当前使用的5/16英寸直径的组件,这将简化物料清单(BoM),从而为供应链增加价值。螺钉的引入还将有助于提高割草机行驶时相关联的接头的可靠性,从而改善保修。
The manufacturer enlisted the help of fastener experts, Optimas, to aid in the design specification, a process that Mike Eusanio, Applications Engineer at Optimas, remembers well, “Developing a screw that provided an improved drive-to-strip ratio in the new, thinner steel materials that the customer had chosen was important. They also wanted to reduce the overall number of joints in the platform from the previous ride on mower designs. This would directly correlate to an increase in efficiency. By developing an ideal screw with an optimally designed mating nut, we could help the customer achieve these goals.”
在两个设计团队协同工作的情况下,进行了研究以定义最佳解决方案。通过密切的沟通和严格的测试,制造商选择了可提供最佳性能的M6螺钉。所有工作均按时完成,以适应新型剪草机的开发截止日期,并且新组件已成功纳入设计中。
Eusanio expanded on the testing procedures, “We utilized the existing facilities at our fastener manufacturing site in Wood Dale, Illinois. At this site, we offer our customers the use of our state-of-the-art testing labs, which we use to assess the suitability of the components we provide. We conducted extensive tests, simulating joints with steel plates and frame members provided by the manufacturer. Via this approach, we could be sure to give the customer every available result to inform a correct decision. With manufacturing capacity also on-site, we could produce the product quickly, despite the screw thread design being exclusive to this customer.”
引入新紧固件带来了更多优势。在更广泛的组件简化程序中,新的紧固件有望在将来的型号上减少30-40%的紧固件数量中发挥重要作用。这将有助于制造商减少总体零件投资,同时缩短制造时间。因此,新的紧固件立即增加了运营价值,制造商在适当的情况下在其产品范围内推出了实施方案。
通过在原型阶段引入新组件,在紧固件专家的帮助下,制造商可以获得明显的优势,这些优势远远超出了最终产品,从而有助于改善整个公司的紧固件应用。新模型可作为概念验证,确保可以进一步实施以增加价值,节省时间并最大程度地适合应用。这些是OEM制造商难以忽视的收益类型。