Project references - x4projects.com

Development of a hydrogen DI rail (direct injection)

Development of a functional prototype for a direct injection (DI) hydrogen fuel rail for a heavy-duty internal combustion engine.

Identification of the key requirements derived from the specific application as well as from regulatory constraints
Definition of a suitable layout and overall design within the available installation space
Definition of a design concept based on a target volume
Design and preparation of manufacturing documentation for the fuel rail, injector lines, and feed line
Participation in D-FMEA and P-FMEA activities to validate and safeguard both the design and the manufacturing process
Design and preparation of manufacturing documentation for test setups (validation), tools, and fixtures
Continuous coordination with the OEM, prototype manufacturing, suppliers, and other project stakeholders
Project documentation aligned with IATF requirements up to initial functional prototypes

Development PFI-Rail (Port Fuel Injection)

Development of a functional prototype (up to B-sample maturity) for a hydrogen fuel rail for a heavy-duty internal combustion engine. The fuel injection system was based on Port Fuel Injection (PFI).

Identification of the key requirements derived from the specific application as well as from regulatory constraints
Definition of:
- a suitable layout and overall design within the available installation space
- manufacturing processes for individual components and the assembled fuel rail, taking into account specific requirements resulting from the use in a hydrogen application
- achievable tolerances for connection interfaces and for the overall assembly
- feasible residual contamination (cleanliness) requirements
Definition of a design concept based on injector interfaces (“injector receptacles”)
Design and preparation of manufacturing documentation for different volume variants and injector configurations
Execution of brazing trials to determine the required process parameters
Participation in D-FMEA and P-FMEA activities to validate and safeguard both design and manufacturing process
Design and preparation of manufacturing documentation for test setups (validation), tools, and fixtures
Continuous coordination with the OEM, prototype manufacturing, suppliers, and other project stakeholders
Project documentation in accordance with IATF requirements up to B-sample maturity

Requirements management tool

Development of an online-based tool for managing and tracking requirements in engineering projects. The system offers the option of registering as a user and creating projects. Other users can be invited to your own project and assigned different roles.

The requirements managed with the tool are generally assigned to categories. There are templates for different types of projects that can also be used as a checklist.

Depending on the user role, new requirements can be created or existing ones changed; it is also possible to comment on requirements.

The management of requirements is list-based and has a hierarchical structure. This means that a requirement can be derived from a higher-level requirement. The system can visualize these dependencies as a diagram.

Each requirement can be assigned various attributes that can be used to classify and evaluate the requirements.

It is possible to revert to an older version of the project requirements at any time; the tool offers a 1:1 comparison of two different versions with the respective changes identified.

Product Manufacturing Information – PMI

Conversion of customer data from the classic 3D model structure and 2D production drawing to a 3D model with production-relevant information (known as BMI – Building Information Modeling in construction or PMI – Product Manufacturing Information in mechanical engineering). Existing CAD models were transferred to the new data structures. To do this, it was initially necessary to determine which information (e.g. GD&T and surface quality) should be included in the 3D models. A guideline was drawn up according to which the information was implemented.

During the course of the project, it became apparent that editing 3D models with many processed surfaces or many functional surfaces could be considerably more complex, as the additional information had to be entered on each of these surfaces. This effort only pays off if the time required to program the processing machines can be reduced by using this data.

Project management guideline and workshops

Creation of a project management guideline (manual) for the processing of orders in the field of development and design in mechanical engineering. The manual served to convey basic information on different project management methods as well as a selection of methods tailored to the company for implementation in the individual orders. Components included communication in the project, contract management, data storage and claim management. Recurring training courses based on the project management manual were carried out over a long period of time. Both training courses and the project management manual were aimed at both project managers and project employees.

Container adjusting mechanism

The customer had a modular system for containers that could be connected to each other (coupled) and used in various environments.

These containers were usually brought to their destination by truck and then aligned with one another using a lifting system integrated in the vehicle so that the connection points could be positioned relative to one another and the coupling could be carried out. This coupling could be made for several containers arranged next to each other.

For a special application, the load capacity of the existing system was increased while the weight was reduced at the same time, and a positioning system was designed that made it possible to lift and align containers manually, i.e. without an external energy source. This means that instead of a transport vehicle fully equipped with a lifting system, the container could now simply be placed at its approximate position and the positioning could be carried out independently of the vehicle.

External Engineering Interface Coordination

For a customer in the automotive sector, an external team of designers (located in India) was set up to relieve the design department. This involved

Clarifying the technical interfaces for data export and import from Teamcenter/Siemens NX
Developing the workflows and forms for assigning work packages
The external designers were also provided with organizational and technical support, as well as
Quality control of the work results and
Project controlling based on the individual work packages.

The project team was international and the technical and organizational coordination took place in English.

Product Owner Engineering, Hydrogen applications

Building, supporting and developing a customer-side agile team (Scrum) in the role of Product Owner Engineering. The project content handled was predominantly in the area of hydrogen applications (gaseous, pressure up to approx. 1,000 bar).

In addition to the Product Owner Engineering, the team was made up of the following team members: Scrum Master, Developer (development engineers), validation engineers and, for individual order processing, also production (prototyping for A samples and B samples), measurement technology and quality management.

The project was carried out within the framework of an IATF-compliant product development plan for the individual components or systems. Project contents were e.g. b.

Development of tube dimensions and interfaces (swageheads and spigot nuts) for hydrogen applications
Engineering design of hydrogen distribution systems (e.g. for a hydrogen filling station, various multi-element gas containers (MEGC), tank systems for vehicles) for stationary and mobile applications
Technical and organizational support for the industrialization of a hydrogen rail (port fuel injection and direct injection) for a mobile application
Definition of the scope of work for individual projects; Maintaining the product backlog and product development plans in the individual sample phases
Supporting sales in assessing incoming inquiries regarding requirements and expected development efforts