Systems, methods, and software for automated design and manufacturing of hvac control panels

Abstract

The present inventors devised, among other things, systems, methods, and software that radically simplify and reduce the time necessary to specify, design, manufacture, and document control panels and wiring harnesses for semi-custom and custom equipment, such as HVAC equipment. One exemplary system includes a computerized product configuration module that defines product family parameters from user input and outputs a product family data structure, for example, a coded character string, to a technical design module. The technical design module, which incorporates engineering design rules for control panels and wiring modules, automatically processes the coded character string, outputting detailed engineering drawings, component listings, and even assembly instructions to robotic manufacturing equipment. The exemplary system dramatic reduces the product specification and engineering time required for any custom control panel and makes it possible for OEMs to efficiently offering more options and shorter turn-around times to its customers.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving into a computer processor a set of two or more product options; and   automatically generating in a memory coupled to the computer processor a coded product data structure based on the received set of two or more product options, the coded product data structure including data relating to electrical and mechanical parameters of a product.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product, the product options, and the coded product data structure relate to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) product. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product and product options are associated with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically generating in memory the coded product data structure comprises using one or more of the received set of product options to identify information in a translation data structure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the translation data structure identifies at least one predetermined value or a formula for determining a value. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising automatically generating one or more of an electrical schematic and a mechanical schematic based on the coded product data structure. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein one or more of the electrical schematic and the mechanical schematic define at least a portion of a product control panel. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein one of more of the electrical schematic and the mechanical schematic define at least a portion of a harness for coupling the product control panel to the product. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein automatically generating one or more of the electrical schematic and the mechanical schematic comprises:
 automatically defining a parts list of two or more parts based on the coded product data structure;   automatically retrieving, based on at least one of the parts in the parts list, a macro for an electronic computer aided design system; and   automatically generating one or more of the electrical schematic and the mechanical schematic based on the retrieved macro.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein automatically retrieving the macro comprises:
 retrieving the macro from a macro database, wherein each macro in the macro database is logically associated with a generic macro placeholder; and   accessing a set of macro attributes based on a model number associated with at least one of the parts.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , comprising:
 generating assembly instructions using engineering design rules and the coded product data structure;   generating and ordering parts using the coded product data structure and an enterprise resource planning system; and   communicating the assembly instructions to robotic manufacturing equipment.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 receiving in the computer processor the assembly instructions; and   manufacturing the product using the robotic manufacturing equipment.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising:
 receiving into the computer processor instructions for the product control panel; and   testing the product control panel using the instructions.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising validating data in the coded product data structure to verify that the two or more options are compatible as a function of a set of option rules. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising generating a product price quote using the coded product data structure. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrical and mechanical parameters comprise one or more of a model number, voltage-phase-frequency data, a disconnect, a fan type and quantity, a condenser type, a damper, gas heat data, an electric tempering coil, electric heat data, heat recovery data, enthalpy wheel phase data, a compressor crankcase, a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlet, and head pressure control data. 
     
     
         17 . A computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a computer processor execute a process comprising:
 receiving a set of two or more product options; and   automatically generating a coded product data structure based on the received set of two or more product options, the coded product data structure including data relating to electrical and mechanical parameters of a product.   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the product, the product options, and the coded product data structure relate to a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) product; and
 wherein the product and product options are associated with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM).   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , comprising automatically generating one or more of an electrical schematic and a mechanical schematic based on the coded product data structure; wherein one or more of the electrical schematic and the mechanical schematic define at least a portion of a product control panel. 
     
     
         20 . A system comprising:
 a computer processor configured for receiving a set of two or more product options; and   a computer processor configured for automatically generating a coded product data structure based on the received set of two or more product options, the coded product data structure including data relating to electrical and mechanical parameters of a product