Table of Contents
Background
An off-highway equipment manufacturer contacted an established technical services firm with expertise in mechanical and electrical engineering solutions. The manufacturer had been facing significant warranty claims related to the electrical systems of one of their products, particularly in the wiring harness routing and connections, which led to frequent failures, operational downtime, and customer dissatisfaction.
Objective
The technical services firm’s primary objective was to identify the root causes of the electrical failures and propose product improvements and a design guideline to reduce warranty claims systematically.
Team Composition
The firm assembled a skilled team of electrical engineers, a warranty analyst responsible for analyzing warranty claims and identifying patterns, and a project engineer. This team focused on completing an initial assessment, redesign, prototype procurement, and product retrofit for the proposed improvements.
Assessment Phase
Upon arrival at the manufacturing site, the team thoroughly evaluated the current electrical routing designs. This involved:
- Reviewing design schematics and assembly processes.
- Analyzing failure data and warranty claims to identify patterns.
- Conducting interviews with production staff and field service technicians.
- Completing a virtual and physical routing assessment.
- Developing a prioritized punch list action plan.
- Redesign and prototyping of alternative routing strategies and connector selection.
Findings
The assessment revealed several key issues:
- Inconsistent wiring harness configurations across similar models led to increased complexity and higher failure rates.
- Vulnerable routing paths that exposed wiring to environmental factors and mechanical stress.
- Inadequate testing and routing assessment protocols that accounted for real-world usage conditions.
Proposed Solutions
The team developed a multi-faceted approach to address the findings.
Design Standardization
Simplify and standardize the wiring harness configurations across models to improve manufacturing consistency and ease of maintenance. Implement industry best practices in routing and retention, including connector type, orientation, and mounting.
Redesign Routing Paths
Reroute the electrical harnesses to avoid high-stress areas, reduce splices and breakouts, and improve shielding from environmental exposure.
Enhanced Design Requirements
Implement rigorous design guidelines to cover harness routing and retention, connector selection, and application. This effort also included recommendations in assembly instructions and connector assembly tools for pin crimping and insertion.
Implementation and Follow-Up
The manufacturer agreed to pilot these changes. The engineering firm provided detailed documentation and training to the manufacturing staff on the new processes. They also set up a follow-up schedule to review the effectiveness of the changes through customer feedback and new warranty claims data. This involved regular meetings and data analysis to ensure that the implemented changes were having the desired impact.
Conclusion
With the support of the technical services firm, which addressed the root causes of the electrical system failures and introduced robust design and testing improvements, the manufacturer significantly reduced warranty claims, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and brand reputation.