3.7 Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase 3.7.1 Manufacturing Task: Mature Critical Manufacturing Processes 3.7.2 Inputs 3.7.3 Key Activities 3.7.4 Technical Reviews 3.7.4.1 Integrated Review (IBR) 3.7.4.2 Critical Design Review (CDR) 3.7.4.3 Test Readiness Review (TRR) 3.7.4.4 System Verification Review (SFR) 3.7.4.5 Functional Configuration Audit (FCA) 3.7.4.6 Production Readiness Review (PRR) 3.7.4.7 Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) 3.7.5 Outputs 3.7.6 Other Considerations 3.7.6.1 Define and Proof Manufacturing Processes and Equipment 3.7.6.2 Complete Manufacturing Plan 3.7.6.3 Execute Producibility Engineering and Production Planning 3.7.6.4 Evaluate Producibility of Design 3.7.6.5 Identify Required Manufacturing Resources 3.7.6.6 Develop Detailed Production Design 3.7.6.7 Develop Production Work Breakdown Structure 3.7.6.8 Develop Manufacturing Cost Estimates 3.7.6.9 Accomplish Production Readiness Reviews 3.7.6.10 Develop Contract Requirements for Production Phase
The purpose of EMD is to complete the development of a system or incremental capability. One of the key tasks is to mature critical manufacturing processes. Manufacturing Process Demonstration includes the development of affordable and executable manufacturing processes, the completion of system fabrication, the production of test articles so that you can demonstrate system integration, interoperability, supportability, safety and utility.
A primary focus is on risk reduction. EMD typically includes the demonstration of production prototype articles or engineering development models. These items are typically built in a pilot line environment. And when the industrial capabilities are in place and the prototype items achieve their requirements as validated through testing, then the program can exit EMD and enter Production and Deployment. Milestone phase objectives and manufacturing considerations are outlined in Figure 3.6.
Figure 3-6 Manufacturing Considerations for the EMD Phase
The following information sources provide important inputs to the EMD phase systems engineering process and should contain manufacturing considerations:
Key activities during the EMD phase include the following:
Top-Down Design:
Bottom-up Realization:
The IBR establishes a mutual understanding of the Performance Measurement Baseline (PMB) and provides for an agreement on a plan of action to evaluate risks inherent in the PMB and the management processes that operate during project execution.
The CDR is conducted to ensure that the system under review can proceed into system fabrication, demonstration, and test, and can meet the stated performance requirements within cost (program budget), schedule (program schedule), risk, and other system constraints. At this time Producibility Engineering activities should be complete.
The CDR assesses the system final design as captured in product specifications for each configuration item in the system (product baseline), and ensures that each product in the product baseline has been captured in the detailed design documentation.
The TRR is a multi-disciplined technical review designed to ensure that the subsystem or system under review is ready to proceed into formal test.
The SFR is conducted to ensure that the system under review can proceed into Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and Full Rate Production (FRP) within cost (program budget), schedule (program schedule), risk, and other system constraints.
The FCA is the formal examination of the tested characteristics of a configuration item (hardware and software) with the objective of verifying that actual performance complies with design and interface requirements in the functional baseline.
The PRR is an examination of a program to determine if the design is ready for production and the producer has accomplished adequate production planning without incurring unacceptable risks that will breach thresholds of schedule, performance, cost, or other established criteria.
The TRA scores the current readiness level of selected system elements, using defined Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), highlighting critical technologies and other potential technology risk areas requiring Program Manager (PM) attention.
The following information sources provide important outputs to the systems engineering process supporting the EMD phase that should contain manufacturing considerations:
Among the critical elements to be defined during EMD phase are the manufacturing processes which will be utilized to build the defense system. The sequence of manufacturing processes begins with the receipt of the raw material, where special handling and storage may be required. Additional processes requirements may include such items as cleaning, heat treatment, clean room controls, controlled testing and special handling (i.e., personal grounding requirements for electronic components). Identification of all processes must be a part of the design documentation. Where the selected processes contribute manufacturing risk to the program, the processes should be proofed during EMD. The purpose of proofing is to ensure that the process can repeatedly produce conforming hardware within the cost and time constraints of the production phase. It is important that the proofing be accomplished in an environment that simulates actual production conditions (typically a pilot line environment). These conditions include the physical facilities, personnel and manufacturing documentation. It may also be necessary for the contractor to establish training and certification programs for the shop personnel to ensure that the process capabilities can be attained on a recurring basis.
At the end of the EMD, all of the information necessary to plan the detailed manufacturing operations for the system should be available. This information should be described in a manufacturing plan covering the issues of manufacturing organization, make or buy planning, subcontract management, resources and manufacturing capability, and the detailed fabrication and assembly planning. The plan should also describe the types of Government Furnished Property (GFP) required and the specific need dates for it. The contractor management control systems, including those for configuration management, the control of subcontractors and manufacturing performance evaluation should be described in sufficient detail for the program management office to determine their expected utility. The plan developed should also include consideration of the potential requirements for industrial preparedness planning, including surge capability during the production phase and the post production phase requirements for support to employment of the system in combat situations. The development of this formal manufacturing plan contributes value to the program from two standpoints. The primary benefit accrues from the fact that the contractor has to crystallize the manufacturing planning to a point where it can be described in the detail required. The secondary benefit is the usability the plan provides to the program management office personnel. It serves as a basis for a structured review of the contractor approach, the expected cost of the production phase effort, and a fuller assessment of manufacturing risk. Where such a plan is not developed during the EMD Phase there is often unnecessarily high cost and schedule turbulence at the front end of the production phase.
Producibility, as noted above, is a measure of the relative ease of producing a product or system. Alternate manufacturing methods, materials, resources, and processes must be a consideration of the detailed design if the economics of manufacturing and assembly are to be considered. Producibility studies and analysis of the alternatives are conducted by the contractor with consideration of the impact on cost, schedule and technical performance. Early production planning based on design and schedule requirements is essential if production delivery schedules are to be fulfilled. Production planning must include identification of potential problems with an assessment of the capability required to produce the item and industry's current capability to manufacture the system as designed. Potential production problems that require further resolution by study or development must be identified and action for resolution initiated. The producibility engineering and planning effort also results in the definition and design of the special tooling and test equipment required to execute the production phase effort, as well as the preparation and release of the manufacturing data required for the start of manufacture.
There are a number of factors to be considered in ensuring the producibility of a design:
There should be evidence that the contractor has accomplished producibility analyses of various options for the manufacturing task. The EMD phase results in the system design for entering production. As the design evolves during EMD, its producibility should be subjected to regular review (probably as part of the normal design review process).
One of the most important elements of any production design is the definition of the manufacturing resources. No matter how good a design may be, it is useless if system or product cannot be built. It is therefore essential that availability of manufacturing resources be a consideration during the design review process. Manufacturing engineers should be a part of each design team to assure adequate consideration of availability of required manufacturing resources.
Manufacturing resources should not be limited to manufacturing methods, but should include materials, capital, manufacturing technology, facilities, qualified labor, and the management structure to effectively integrate them. The successful competitor, of the production phase will depend upon the efficient application of the full spectrum of these resources to the task of fabricating and delivering the defense system design.
Prior to release of drawings to manufacturing the detailed design drawings, bills of material and product and process specifications must be completed. Further, it is essential that design reviews be conducted to assure that the contractor is complying with the design requirements and meeting the cost/design goals. The final design definition is the result of the performance requirements, the outcomes of the testing accomplished, producibility studies and other design influences. The production phase effort requires that the design be specified to a very low level of detail so that the required processes and resources can be identified and obtained.
The planning, execution and control of the production phase activities require that the work be divided into manageable tasks that are compatible with the existing manufacturing and performance measurement systems. Often, the work breakdown structure (WBS) used during the development phases will not be appropriate for the production phase. Consequently, the contractor should, as a basis for production planning, identify the WBS which is to be used. While this was may differ from the EMD structure, the two should be such that production phase costs can be related to the development WBS. This is critical for those programs which have utilized a design-to-unit production cost management approach during development.
As the definition of the system design and the manufacturing approach are completed during the EMD phase, the information necessary for more precise estimates of production phase manufacturing cost becomes available. During the EMD phase the initial manufacturing cost estimate should be updated on a regular basis to reflect the increasing degree of detail available. These estimates should be based upon application of detailed manufacturing standards to the operations to be performed and adjusted, as necessary, by realization factors and/or learning curves to develop the time phased manufacturing cost. If the contractor(s) does not have a system for development and application of labor standards, strong consideration should be given to including a contract requirement ( e.g., MIL-STD-1567A, Work Measurement) in the EMD phase contract. If there is to be an Industrial Modernization Incentives program accomplished, the manufacturing cost estimate should be structured to reflect the expected benefits of this program.
The objective of a PRR is to verify that the production design planning and associated preparations for a system have progressed to the point where a production commitment can be made without incurring unacceptable risks of breaching thresholds of schedule, performance, cost, or other established criteria. PRRs should be conducted by the program manager, as a time-phased effort that will span EMD and encompass the developer/producer and major subsystem suppliers. The PRR examines the developer's design from the standpoint of completeness and producibility. It examines the producer's production planning documentation, existing and planned facilities, tooling and test equipment, manufacturing methods and controls, material and manpower resources, production engineering, quality control and assurance provisions, production management organization, and controls over major subcontractors. The result of the PRR supports the program manager's affirmative decision at the production decision point, that the system is ready for efficient and economical rate production.
Specific requirements must be identified for inclusion in the statement of work for the production phase. The particular requirements reflect the areas that have been determined to be of importance, given the acquisition strategy of the program. Typical areas to be considered for inclusion are:
Production phase incentives may be included to motivate contractors to improve performance and control costs. The benefits attainable through use of multiyear contracting should also be explored.
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