Introduction

ForceN is surpassing human manipulation through scalable force-torque sensing hardware, improving robotics controls and precision, and enabling the next generation of robotic sensing technology. 

ForceN is a Tier 1 manufacture of high-reliability, high-precision systems to surgical, space and humanoid robotics; they leverage proprietary digitally-manufactured transducers that can be wrapped around any surgical or robotic component to create a 'digital sense of touch'. ForceN's technology enables robotics and artificial intelligence companies to tackle complex robotic interaction and manipulation problems.

As a supplier for the medical and space industries, traceability across their assembly process is critical. Digital work instructions minimize assembly issues and further improve traceability throughout the entire manufacturing process.

Their products require extensive calibration and functional testing across numerous sub-assemblies to ensure performance of the final product. Correlating data across the assembly is especially challenging as tests are logged against individual components, thus an extensive traceability solution was required.

Impact to the Business

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“With testing and automation tools being so simple in Serial, we have been able to update our work instructions to conduct 100% inspection on all parts, materials and processes to provide us strong confidence in the expected performance and reliability of our systems in-situ; whether it is in a surgical theater performing life-saving surgery, in space performing complex spacecraft manipulation, or allowing logistic companies to optimize and automate their warehouse environment. This can only be achieved through simple, yet sophisticated manufacturing tools - we see Serial being a major pillar in our quality stack, providing invaluable manufacturing process data and traceability to ForceN that is easily found by our suppliers and customers. 

Ultimately, our customers rely on ForceN’s  world-class quality; while we rely on Serial to ensure easy access to data that backs up our claims.”

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Roberto Sanchez, VP Product

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Automated testing database

New product introduction is always a challenge. New designs, materials and assembly techniques often lead to all kinds of problems. The greatest tool for engineers is the access to high-quality data to sift through the noise and find correlation between failures. Serial is the modern traceability tool built for complex assemblies.

ForceN tracks hundreds of functional test metrics from tests across their PCBAs, films and final assemblies. They integrated the Serial Python library in a few weeks and now have real time access to their test logs completely remotely from their testers. 

During one of their builds they noticed an increased failure rate for one of their functional tests. They were able to root cause the variance to all be from a specific tester. Upon visual inspection they noticed a fixture defect that was influencing the test. The immediate visibility into the test results and quick ability to root cause the problem saved days compared to manual failure analysis.

“Forcen’s main challenge was where to store serialized data and how to make use of it, by making observations, recognizing patterns and taking action as quickly as possible with minimal interruption to production. Due to the amount of data we collect for each sensor, existing solutions require significant change to our processes to conform to them, taking us a step back into the past with more manual processes compared to our strive for sensor manufacturing automation. 

Serial was able to provide a solution with a Python API that easily integrated into our automated framework saving Forcen the time of developing a custom system for these needs and instead focus on what matters most to us which is making great, reliable sensors and having the data to back it up!”

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‍Bavly Fahmy, Systems Manager

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Digital work instructions

ForceN manufactures their products in batches with slight variants for different applications. While the majority of the manufacturing process is the same, there are subtle differences in work instructions for different part numbers. Rather than maintaining documents for each specific part number, ForceN can abstract to the component level and maintain a single document for all the variants of a given part. They can achieve this by using Serial’s dynamic work instruction feature to adjust specs or even add/remove steps for a given part number.

"The Serial production app deploys the work instructions to any browser on their assembly line. Enabled operators to login and begin logging work. Data entry fields are added alongside the work instructions to capture manual entry data or the visual inspection results.

In the manufacturing environment, a significant issue arises when operators either skip or fail to comprehend printed work instructions due to language barriers. This problem can have serious implications for the quality of the end product. Serial offers a solution in the form of digital work instructions. These instructions are editable, version-controlled, and enable data collection throughout the manufacturing process. Additionally, the incorporation of pictures and videos allows operators to better understand the steps involved.

Digital work instructions also contribute to a more controlled manufacturing process. Operators are unable to bypass process steps without inputting the necessary data, ensuring compliance with each step. Traceability is another crucial aspect facilitated by digital instructions. By scanning QR codes and recording component serial numbers in the work order, transparency in the manufacturing process is significantly enhanced, and information accessibility is improved.

The traceability function also enables the generation of yield data, which is vital for understanding process efficiency. This data provides critical insights into the manufacturing process, aiding in optimizing efficiency and quality."

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Emre Dogan, Manufacturing Manager

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Bottom line 

Serial has provided a system of record for ForceN’s manufacturing practices and invaluable amounts of data that can be used to better manage the production and reliability of sensor systems during manufacturing, as well as post-shipment root-cause-analysis in case of field failures. 

Advanced traceability provides organization-wide visibility and transparency on production issues and manufacturing performance. 

• To the engineering teams, Serial allows them to understand and mitigate future assembly issues through better data-driven design optimizations. 
• To the manufacturing teams, Serial allows for easy to follow work instructions coupled with real-time manufacturing data in order to quickly find issues and recommend manufacturing changes to increase yields.
• For the Product and Applications teams, Serial allows for transparency in production and scaling of systems that can be clearly communicated to customers, allowing both organizations to have an honest understanding of production and manufacturing issues.