Stable interfaces
The parts of a product other things depend on stay fixed across configurations.
AApproach
Design it once, then configure it for each customer
Falken treats a physical product the way good software treats a system. We define what it must do, turn those requirements into controlled parameters, and build each configuration from a documented revision.
The process
Three steps
- 01 / Define
Understand the work
We start with the workflow, the constraints, the quantities, the interfaces the product has to meet, and the environment it will live in.
- 02 / Configure
Turn requirements into parameters
Each requirement maps to a parameter with a defined range. Design rules keep every configuration valid, and each one is saved as a revision instead of a one-off CAD edit.
- 03 / Build
Build the approved revision
We make it with controlled additive processes and no dedicated tooling. The approved configuration can be reproduced from the same controlled revision.
Controlled variation
Configuration without the chaos
Customization usually means one-off design work. The goal here is different: variation where customers differ, and control everywhere else.
Controlled variables
Only the parameters that should change for a customer can change.
Known limits
Every parameter has an allowed range, and design rules keep each configuration inside it.
Reusable design rules
Rules are written once and applied to every configuration, so the next one starts ahead.
Revision history
Each configuration carries an ID and a revision. Changes are deliberate and on record.
Repeatable manufacturing
The same parameter set produces the same controlled design, and reorders follow the approved revision.
Principles
Rules we follow
Let things vary where customers differ
Change only what each customer actually needs changed.
Keep things the same where it counts
How a product opens, how it's labeled, and how it's handled should stay familiar.
Design for the real process
How a part will be made is part of its design from the start.
Plan for repairs
If a part will wear, the design should say how it gets replaced.
Avoid forced lock-in
Customers should be able to take on more of the work over time, under rights set out in a written agreement.
Design it to be easy to clean
Rounded corners, reachable surfaces, and few crevices get decided early.
Keep only the complexity that helps
Every feature has to earn its place.
Track hardware versions like software
IDs, version numbers, and change records apply to physical products too.