The fault does not compromise safety in any way. It doesn’t always reset, but it always performs its safety function. I can’t even blame the manufacturer for its business decision not to upgrade the firmware. The decision makes financial sense on their side. You can hear the BUT coming, can’t you? The reset fault was discovered and documented by the manufacturer fully 12 months before I purchased the hardware. The decision to not implement a fix of the firmware and instead concentrate on the new product line was made six months before I purchased the safety relay hardware.
Why then, did the manufacturer continue to sell (and still sell) a product with a known defect? A representative told me the module is used in the standard product lines of quite a number of OEMs, and that discontinuing the defective module would cause them a lot of grief. I wonder how many machines out there need a circuit breaker cycled from time to time to reset that funky module?
I suppose I could see this manufacturer continuing sales for that reason, but really, shouldn’t there be a decent warning? Either a notification when the order is placed (a red flag in the manufacturer’s order entry system to let the buyer know), or how about a warning label on the box, or an insert with the installation instructions? To the manufacturer’s credit, if you use the right search terms you can find the warning on its technical support site. But how many engineers have the time to search technical support Websites for potential defects of all the components in a design before you place the order? For complex devices like servo drives or VFDs, there could be hundreds of articles in the support database. To my mind, that’s not an option.
To the manufacturer’s very good credit, it offered to replace the entire safety relay bank (24 modules) with the new generation’s models. I am out the time to do the actual work and wiring, but ultimately the end user gets a terrific system with reliable safety components.
On the one hand, the manufacturer in question behaved in a somewhat irresponsible manner, and did not act with full integrity with the initial decision to not fix the problem. On the other hand, the manufacturer did step up, without being asked, to replace the entire safety relay bank. But that is not enough, in my view, to repair the damage to both its reputation and mine.
The decision to not make the fix made (short-term) financial sense, but in the long run, will it still be the right financial decision?
I would think the economics of this are very clear. Sending bad products out the door will cost more in the long run than fixes would cost. Given that, this story is probably one of line managers rather than executives. This decisions was probably made to meet a quota, and those directly involved were probably hoping those at the top wouldn't notice anything except that the quota was met.
In today's world of tweets and Facebook chatter, companies--be they consumer focused or industrial--can really pay the price for letting faulty products out the door. Rob is right--there's a huge price to pay for that, both financially and in taking a hit on your brand reputation. But I have to agree with the others that the bigger lesson for engineering is getting the product right the first time.
"Either a notification when the order is placed (a red flag in the manufacturer's order entry system to let the buyer know), or how about a warning label on the box, or an insert with the installation instructions?"
In semiconductor products (ICs, memory, ASICs, etc.), the customary practice is to indicate on the product's data sheet (online web page), and on all summary and selector guides, the phrase "Not recommended for new designs." That tells it all, without having to indicate that a part doesn't behave as expected. The savvy engineer either avoids the part or inquires about the fault.
Insert that phrase into your favorite search engine to see how widely it is used.
It's amazing that they let it get this far. Knowing that this is the attitude of that particular company, I wonder if the engineers will continue to specificy its products in the future. And if word starts getting out about that company's name....
Rob, I think you're right. There have been tons of studies done that demonstrate and verify this simple principle: people complain to each other about lousy products and bad service. Even more important, trying to reverse the effects of bad press, deserved or not, is not only nearly impossible but can backfire. It's mind-boggling that these messages don't seem to have been driven home for some companies.
On a purely economic view, I can't imagine the practice of letting faulty products out the door can do anything by hurt the company's bottom line. There's the potential of costs in returns and repair, but the biggest cost may be in goodwill. As you can see from Made by Monkeys postings as well as the discussion boards, a customer who gets a bad product will talk to a lot of customers and potential customers. That's gotta cost.
Certification and re-certification are issues for both safety products and military products. Getting things certified for use by the military is also a gigantic pain and re-certification even more so, and all of it, of course, costly. Yet suppliers to the military know this, and if that's what it takes, that's what they do. Why should consumers have it so much worse than soldiers, and be subjected to manufacturers who can't be bothered with a certification process?
I will gladly pay somewhat more for better quality. But I find it increasingly difficult to find those better quality products.
This article demonstrates the importance of getting it right the first time. TJ is absolutely right that the company's handling of this issue was inadequate. But if the company hadn't let a defective product out the door in the first place, they wouldn't even be in the awkward situation of having to respond to a problem like this. Nobody's perfect, but attention to detail upfront can prevent a lot of heartbreak down the road.
This story brings out a point that most folks are not aware of, which is the paperwork and testing that are needed for a product to be a "certified safety product". It was undoubtedly the paperwork and recertification required with any change that made them refuse to correct the problem.
Now we see ads describing how wonderful it will be when the safety system is a integral part of the control system. BUT, consider what happens if the system gets into the field and a problem anywhere is discovered. Fixes would be less likely because any change woulr require a re-certification, which costs money. Keeping the safety system separate may be less convenient, but it is the best way to avoid that sort of problems.
TJ, thanks for writing this article. As a consumer, I can't count the number of junky products I've bought unknowingly--way more in recent years it seems--with no recourse because their defects didn't cause safety or health problems. In many cases, thought, it was a similar situation. Your key phrase, I think, is "Why then, did the manufacturer continue to sell (and still sell) a product with a known defect?" And also, the fact that there was no warning. Of course, a warning would dissuade a lot of people from buying it. Your other key phrase is "But how many engineers have the time to search technical support Websites for potential defects of all the components in a design before you place the order?" Exactly. That's what quality practices were supposed to be about.
An analysis of what’s needed to implement Design for Disassembly and Design for Recycling results in eight strategies engineers can use to design an intentional end-of-life stage into their products.
Government regulations, coupled with growing consumer sensitivity about data and identity theft, require that data storage organizations demonstrate proper protection and due diligence in protecting sensitive information stored inside datacenter enclosures.
When a crane doesn't have a monitoring system, crane owners schedule service every six months and simply scrap the parts they replace, even if a part has had little use and doesn't need replacing. This can cost thousands.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
9 
