Design for serviceability expert system

This paper describes a methodology and tool which assist deployment of serviceability in the early stages of life-cycle design. Unlike design for assembly, producability, etc., design for serviceability (DFS) commonly occurs in the later stages of the design process. By this time, any design changes required to enhance serviceability are either costly or infeasible. We have developed a graphics-based computer tool to be used early in the design phase that employs the concept of service mode analysis (SMA), coupled with a service-based design description, to assess the impact of component relationships on life-cycle service costs. We also employ design compatibility analysis (DCA) to assess qualitative aspects of the design for serviceability concerns and provide the user with comments and suggestions for design improvements. Significant reductions in life-cycle costs and significant improvements in customer satisfaction can be achieved by including DFS in the design trade-off analysis process.