Case Study Teardown, BOM, and Should-Cost Analysis
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1. Goal
Client requested a teardown, bill-of-material, and cost analysis of a video camera device (“camera”) to
- create a detailed BOM (including all electrical/electronic and mechanical components)
- develop a detailed should-cost analysis, and
- suggest improvements to the design.
This case study aims to showcase how we systematically went about performing the requested tasks and to provide the results of our teardown and analyses. This case study consists of major sections, including: 1) Device Overview (Pre-Disassembly), 2) Disassembly, 3) Suggested Design Improvements, 4) Silicon Decapsulation, and 5) Cost Summary of the camera, including all of its components.
Findings and analyses provide both detailed system and component level photographs along with their descriptions of technical features.
2. Background
This device of interest was a video surveillance and communication equipment capable of monitoring and capturing video and remote audio communication for the purpose of information gathering, managing, or controlling. In particular, the equipment is designed to provide a remote video and audio communication by means of a fixed and wired video capturing and audio communication devices capable of electronically transmitting information over the Internet. In some implementations, for example, the surveillance equipment is commonly applied for security, human intelligence gathering, remote control, and interception.
3. Team
For this project, GHB Intellect formed a team consisting of the following:
- a BOM engineer with substantial experience in product teardowns
- a highly experienced should-cost analysis expert
4. Approach
GHB Intellect executed a meticulously detailed teardown to develop a complete bill of material, including all components (electrical and mechanical) and materials. The BOM included component categories and subcategories, quantity, part numbers, descriptions, markings/appearance, package type, pin counts, pin pitch, diameter, length, width and height information, all tabulated in an extensive spreadsheet and organized by module and submodule.
For each major integrated circuit (IC), a separate BOM spreadsheet was generated.
Then, a cost model was developed based on manufacturing parameters that were either discovered or provided by the Client. These parameters included, for example, the country of manufacture/assembly and volume of production. Each component’s cost was meticulously researched and verified. Complete documentation, including datasheet references were provided.
This included special analysis of major ICs.
Next, manufacturing costs were also estimated by assessing auto insertion, hand insertion, and testing costs per module/assembly.
Based on this bottom-up approach a should-cost estimate for each module, assembly and then for the whole equipment was developed, and categorized in a number of ways.
A complete teardown report with step-by-step documentation was also generated. It included all component numbering and descriptions that were consistently matched with cost analysis spreadsheet. The report also included our experts’ commentary on major modules, components and material.
The report also included a set of potential issues/risks as discovered during the teardown process. Suggested mitigation approaches were also provided.
Teardown also included silicon decapsulation of the major ICs:
