Proposta de método para construção de rotas de validação da tecnologia a partir da fase conceitual do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos

Abstract

The development of products and technologies (DP&T) is a process that involves several activities and a technical team, usually interdisciplinary, requiring considerable execution time and significant investments for the project to be effective. There are several methods, tools and procedures that intertwine throughout the development cycle. Currently, some DP&T methodologies are well established and are widely used by companies and technology centers. Additionally, in recent years, the scale to identify the technology readiness level (TRL) has been consolidated and many companies are using the metric to communicate and monitor developments. Along with the TRL, comes the technology readiness assessment process (TRA), which some bodies and institutions have made available, however, there is still no method to propose the construction of a structured planning of tests and evaluations that supports the advancement of technology. developmental maturity in a systematic manner. The present work aims to present a proposal for the construction of validation routes for products and/or technologies when they are still in an initial phase of development, in this case, in the conceptual design. The proposed method uses traditional and widely used tools such as the FMEA / FMECA, associated both with TRL and IRL assessments of the concept, as well as with a process of identifying the maturity level of the institution for executing the development. The method supports the early identification of potentially critical subsystems and subassemblies, which may require greater testing and/or validation effort throughout the design and development process. The proposition of this method takes place in the context of a technological center that, despite already employing a robust and consolidated methodology, still identifies a large variability in the construction process of validation routes for its developments. In this situation, the proposed method assumes systematic characteristics that make it possible to reduce the subjectivity of the process and increase the final quality of the products developed, through the identification of critical points in subsystems and subassemblies in the initial stages of development. Finally, the proposed method was evaluated and tested by a multidisciplinary team of technicians who have carried out projects for various industrial segments. The tests took place both in previous projects and in projects that were in progress. Thus allowing to test, evaluate and verify the quality of the contribution brought by the use of the new method for the construction of validation routes for technologies under development.