SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND SOFTWARE FOR AUTOMATED DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING OF HVAC CONTROL PANELS

摘要

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.