NSF Award
1014059
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop an innovative method to increase manufacturing efficiency and cut production costs. Low-cost and small electronic components can bring large and expensive systems to a crashing halt when they fail without warning or notice. Manufacturing plants are an important user of electronic devices, requiring assurance of critical system functionality and key electronic devices. Current mitigation techniques rely on early replacement of critical devices, a limited and expensive methodology that drastically increases costs and downtime. Building upon years of magnetic interference (EMI) analysis, this project will develop a system to predict electronic problems, providing the opportunity for scheduled maintenance and equipment repair before failure. This system leverages the emitted electromagnetic spectra of electrical components to identify deterioration and degraded functionality as the device ages. Testing has identified fault indicators in a select number of electronic devices. This Phase I project will focus upon finding the spectral characteristics that indicate impending failures of multiple targets suitable for a manufacturing environment. Upon completion, the project will have a signature list of failure prediction indicators to create an automated Manufacturing Electronic Health Monitoring (MEHM) system.<br/><br/>The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is direct maintenance and quality improvements for manufacturing systems, saving resources and improving profits. Building upon years of EMI analysis, this project will develop a Manufacturing Electronic Health Monitoring (MEHM) system to predict electronic problems before failure to the benefit of numerous customers. An early warning system for component failure will provide maintenance personnel the ability to both replace identified electronics within scheduled downtime prior to system failure and forgo maintenance on healthy sub-systems. American manufacturing companies have always innovated, maximizing capabilities, efficiency, safety, and performance. The MEHM system is the next step in achieving a realizable advantage to any manufacturing company. As any manufacturer employing electronics can use this system, the market potential is vast.
