Proof of Principle: Why?

January 2019

What is Proof of Principle?

A Proof of Principle prototype, often referred to as Proof of Concept, is the process of identifying if a particular process or group of processes are robust enough for full-scale automation. Essentially, it answers the question: “Is what we are proposing feasible for the final solution?”

Why do we need Proof of Principle?

Although we have produced over 1000 bespoke automated solutions across a variety of industries, each customer’s product is still unique to us.  Our engineers can pull a vast range of knowledge from all of these projects; however, we need to ensure the product and process are proven and robust.

Additionally, automation complexity is growing, with the pressure of higher throughputs, higher efficiencies, and shorter lead times becoming ever more apparent.  By identifying the processes which are high risk, we can formulate a proof of principle phase which will identify the feasibility and performance of any given process.

The Benefits of Proof of Principle:

• Low Risk – The machine design commences with critical processes proven and documented in the functional design specification.
• On-time Delivery – Identifying and addressing the ‘unknowns’ in the project at this early stage means we can confidently calculate a lead time that we can deliver.
• Product Design – If the Proof of Principle work is unsuccessful, we need to identify other means and methods of undertaking the process. One key area here could be to work with you to design your product for automation and, therefore, simplify the process.

Proof of Principle Examples:

• Medical Device Tolerances – Some medical device assembly work to extremely tight repeatable tolerances. Therefore we need to ensure that we can achieve these assembly tolerances with a robust and proven method prior to machine design commencing.
• Product Marking and Traceability – Product traceability has never been so important, therefore getting the right solution is critical. We can run trials with different marking methods to ensure that the right method is selected.
• New Technologies – There are new technologies being released weekly, and we often include these in our solutions. To ensure we provide the best solution, we often have to try out technologies to ensure they provide the result you and we want to achieve.
• Unusual Products – Not all products are consistent or simple to handle. We need to work with you closely to obtain your product expertise and prove that our method works.

Partnering to Mitigate Risks

The Proof of Principle is just as important as the final machine. Get this right and mitigate risks and you have a good chance of a successful project. Both the supplier and the client need to fully engage to ensure the risks are highlighted and understood. Spending time, in the beginning, can save weeks and sometimes months. Sometimes, the Proof of Principle can fail, but failing smart and learning from this is what can make all the difference.

For more information on how we identify and progress a proof of principle phase, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team here at SP Technology.

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Read more about our automation here…

• Benefits of Automation
• The Benefits of Machine Vision Technology
• Robots & Cobots – What is the Difference?
• Robotic Automation
• What is a URS? Why is it Important?
• Cost of Industrial Automation
• Advantages & Disadvantages of Robotic Automation

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