Pilot series

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With pilot series are products called, which are made in the introductory phase of mass production to final testing purposes. It is therefore part of the elaboration phase of product development .

As part of the product development process , a product must be extensively tested before it is ready for series production and can be sold. Even before the pilot series is (mostly) a pilot series . ( pilot run ) to check the general buildability of a product. The pilot series is used for the last check in order to be able to identify and eliminate any product defects that may still exist due to the production method. Zero series and pilot series are both also referred to as pre- series.

The production method of the pilot series corresponds exactly to that which will later also be used for the products intended for sale. However, the products from the pilot series usually do not go on sale. However, should a product from a pilot series go on the free market, some product groups can achieve an extremely high collector's price.

Pilot series are produced for almost all products, from simple cups to cameras and automobiles . The pilot series concludes the pre-series production phase and leads to series production. It is therefore also of central importance in the context of production planning and control . In the automotive industry there are now standardized processes for the start of series production that are coordinated by manufacturers and suppliers within the framework of the VDA .

It should be noted, however, that the terms are not subject to any standard or similar. The terms can be used in different ways, e.g. B. Zero series is the first major series. The designation pilot series then refers to e.g. B. to an increased test or test coverage, the manufactured goods normally reach the market.

literature

  • Wilmjakob Herlyn: PPS in the automotive industry. Production program planning and control of vehicles and assemblies . Hanser, Munich 2012, ISBN 978-3-446-41370-2 .

Individual evidence

  1. Herlyn: PPS in the automotive industry. 2012, p. 204 ff.

Web links