Danfoss solenoid valves product program

DESCRIPTION

This project was the core of the Technology, Platforms and Architectures course, at MSc level. This course provided the tools and knowledge to correctly analyse a product assortment (platforms, architectures, configurators, knowledge-, data-, and product life management systems). Also, to identify goals for platform and architecture improvement. All the knowledge was tried to be applied in this real project.

OBJECTIVES

The project was divided into two differentiated parts, each one having its objectives. The first part objective was to analyze the current Danfoss product program for the solenoid valves and identify improvement areas and goals for the future. The second part aimed to propose a new product program based on the identified goals.

METHODOLOGY

PART 1: What can Danfoss product program be improved?

The first part of the project started with a deep investigation of Danfoss current product program for the solenoid valves (market, valve designs, production, sales, etc.). After having the right understanding, three posters were elaborated to provide an overview of what Danfoss was offering, to whom and how. One of the posters consisted on a Product Family Master Plan (PFMP), showing the link between customer needs and the engineering part of the solenoid valves. That poster is shown in Fig.1.

Another poster summarized the production processes and production flows of the solenoid valves. The last poster presented the solenoid valves market and the customer needs in different regions. This last poster is shown in Fig.2.

This first part of the project ended with a short report, which was pointing out the main insights of the posters. Even more important, improvement areas and goals for the second part were identified.

PART 2: How to improve Danfoss product program?

Based on the identified goals and areas of improvement, an idea catalogue containing a set of solutions was created. Using some new ideas, an improved platform concept was designed. Finally, this new platform concept together with the main benefits, risks and important changes for applying it was summarized using a poster. This poster is presented in Fig.3.

Fig.3: Sales poster for the new platform concept

CONCLUSIONS

This project was a great opportunity to put hands on a real and quite complex product program of a well-known company. Different tools were applied to identify potential improvements and reduce costs while trying to fulfil customer needs.

THE TEAM

This project was performed with a fellow student of the same master. Both of us were involved in all the parts.

Susana Osborne Valenzuela

PROJECT GRADE: 10/12 (7-point grading scale, ECTS mark=B)

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