Rapid change is a way of life in Chrysler. Facing increasing competition, we realize that the traditional practices are no longer sufficient. Accordingly, a new process using simultaneous engineering (SE) teams in conjunction with reliability tools has been used to design and develop a new family of Chrysler engines.
These SE teams include representatives from engine engineering, vehicle platform engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing, reliability & service engineering, finance and suppliers. The SE teams maximize the use of up-front engineering tools, such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Digital Model Assembly (DMA), Variation Simulation Analysis (VSA) and Rapid Prototyping with StereoLithography (SLA), Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM), etc. The new process combines these up-front engineering activities and the appropriate reliability testing as an integral part of the reliability growth process. It enhances the design decisions made with reliability. Reliability is therefore “designed-in” as intended, with both time and cost savings. The SE teams not only change the way we prove out our design, they change the reliability test strategy as well.
This paper presents a reliability approach which is a part of the engine design and development process. It begins with an introduction of the SE teams. Then it focuses on the key initiatives of the reliability process. Our experience and lessons learned will be shared. Although the first new engine developed by these teams is still a year from market introduction, we have learned many things. We expect that our experiences will be valuable for other product development teams.