VAVE optimization in the automotive industry
What is VAVE, and how can it be used?
VAVE, short for Value Analysis and Value Engineering, is a systematic approach used to optimize costs, improve product performance, and add value throughout development and production. In the automotive industry, with its focus on efficiency and quantity, VAVE project implementation is the order of the day.
Through value engineering and value analysis, manufacturers like igus® identify opportunities to innovate and remain competitive. Read on to learn more about VAVE, and how igus can support manufacturers looking to improve their own technology and processes.
Commonly used abbreviations, spellings and terms for VAVE
- VAVE
- VA/VE
- Value analysis/value engineering
- Value engineering
- Value-added value engineering
- Value analysis and VAVE engineering
- Value management
What is value engineering?
Value engineering is a systematic approach to optimizing a product or process through review and analysis that minimizes costs and improves functionality.
Value engineering takes place during the design and development of new products or processes to ensure that they enter the market in the best possible state. It’s most often broken up into six distinct steps:
- Information Gathering: The team familiarizes itself with all aspects of the project, including structure, design, and scope.
- Function Analysis: The primary step of value analysis. Here, the team will define and identify the primary and secondary functions of the project and determine the value of each.
- Idea Generation: New ideas to improve the project are generated through brainstorming. All functions are treated equally in this stage to place the primary focus on devising alternatives.
- Evaluation: Ideas generated in the previous step are evaluated and prioritized. Discussions assessing risk/reward of each idea are held.
- Product Development: Once a plan is put in place, the design team works on implementing new features and changes to planned features.
- Presentation: The outcomes of the value analysis process are presented to stakeholders so they can understand the changes being made.
What is value analysis?
Value analysis can be defined as “an examination of every feature of a product to ensure that its cost is no greater than is necessary to carry out its functions”. This ultimately means value analysis is performed with the goal of minimizing costs and maximizing profits, while retaining core functionality — the same goal as value engineering.
The key difference between value engineering and value analysis is that value analysis is performed with existing products to further optimize them, rather than during the design and development of new products.
For the purposes of this article, value analysis and value engineering will be referred to singularly as VAVE moving forward.
A brief history of VAVE
VAVE has a long history and is associated with powerful insights. In 1947, General Motors engineer Larry Miles developed VAVE as a way to combat material and labor shortages stemming from World War II.
This new approach to redesigning products was so successful, Miles went on to refine it into a process he termed value analysis. The process was continually evolved and refined over the following decades, eventually becoming what is now known as value analysis and value engineering, or VAVE.
Benefits of igus products in VAVE
The two core goals of VAVE are to reduce costs and add or improve functionality to the project. igus products are designed to accomplish these exact goals, offering both reduced costs up-front and over the service life of the component, as well as various technological benefits not offered by conventional automotive components.
Reduced costs
Due to their material composition, iglide® bearings cost up to 40% less than conventional bearing solutions. They can be used as a drop-in replacement for metal, ceramic, or composite bearings in many cases, offering an easy way to minimize costs.
Components from igus are completely self-lubricating and dry-running, eliminating the need for external lubricants like grease. This saves money both in the cost of the grease itself, and the labor needed to regrease components.
Finally, the extensive service life and easy installation offered with igus components make sure that less time is spent installing and replacing components, adding value continuously over the life of the system.
Improved functionality
The tribologically engineered components igus offers come with a variety of benefits not able to be achieved with conventional components. These include:
- Noise reduction
- Weight reduction
- Wear resistance
- Corrosion resistance
- Chemical resistance
- Vibration damping
Conventional components will offer few, if any, of these benefits, leading to both an inferior design and inferior user experience. Utilizing igus components will lead to a more robust and technically advanced design, achieving one of the main goals of VAVE optimization.
Initial prototypes for your application – including those based on VAVE
It is not always easy to replace a product’s components. That is why we offer numerous options for receiving test runs and prototypes quickly and cost-effectively.
- Bar stock in the form of round bars or plates for individual machined components
- FDM, SLS, and DLP printing materials and printed components
- Fastline: customized injection-molded plain bearings and thrust washers made with short lead times and fully automated processes, with PPAP level 3 certification
- Customized products with tools manufactured in our own shop with low costs. Wide material selection that improves the technology for your application
Video: iglide® Fastline breakdown for igus® bearings
Conclusion
The products offered by igus are perfect for organizations using VAVE to improve their own designs. The cost-effectiveness and technological advantages of tribologically engineered plastics set them apart from conventional solutions, and provide the exact benefits VAVE is used to achieve.
Frequently Asked Questions
VAVE stands for Value Analysis/Value Engineering. Both methods aim to improve the value of products or processes by enhancing functionality and reducing costs, but their application stage is different:
- Value Analysis (VA): Focuses on evaluating and improving existing products or processes.
- Value Engineering (VE): Applied during the initial design phase to ensure maximum value is achieved before production.
Value is typically calculated as the ratio of function to cost:
Enhancing value means either increasing a product's functions without increasing costs, or reducing costs without compromising functionality.
- Reduce unnecessary costs
- Maintain or improve product quality or performance
- Encourage creativity and better solutions
- Eliminate waste from design and production
- Respond to competitive and market pressures
The classic VAVE process is structured and commonly includes:
- Information Gathering: Understanding the project scope and requirements.
- Function Analysis: Identifying primary and secondary functions of the product or process.
- Idea Generation: Brainstorming creative alternatives.
- Evaluation: Assessing ideas for feasibility, risks, and benefits.
- Development: Refining the best solutions in detail.
- Implementation: Presenting and executing recommended improvements.
- During design: To avoid introducing unnecessary costs and ensure product value from the start.
- In production: To identify and remove waste, respond to cost pressures, or solve performance issues.
- When redesigning or updating products: To re-examine functions versus costs and maintain competitiveness.
- Confusing cost-cutting with value improvement: VAVE aims to remove unnecessary costs while safeguarding critical functions, not just slash budgets.
- Fear of quality loss: A proper VAVE process maintains or enhances functionality and quality.
- Limited to manufacturing: While popular in this sector, VAVE principles apply in service industries and project management as well.
