INDUSTRY FIELD GUIDE
Appliance model and parts compatibility records for AI
The last characters of a model number can change which spare part is supported.
NAICS 811412 · Appliance Repair and Maintenance
The last characters of a model number can change which spare part is supported. ENERGY STAR’s public product finder illustrates how product records distinguish models. A repair shop can test model and part matching with original diagrams and a small authored compatibility table. ENERGY STAR product finder · FTC repair report
Invent two closely related model IDs. Provide one explicit compatibility row and a visually plausible part from a third model. Ask which replacement the supplied evidence supports and whether the complete suffix can be read from the image. For missing evidence, the answer key should ask for a clearer plate or authoritative part record.
Use only unplugged demonstration equipment or original drawings. Keep serials, customer addresses and third-party manuals out. Clear any photos and supplied source material separately.
Describe an appliance compatibility example
Original Fiund exercise
A model suffix can be the decisive compatibility field
An original parts table and drawings use invented appliance IDs. No appliance is opened, powered, repaired or returned to service during the exercise.
| Record | Source | What it records |
|---|---|---|
| AM1 | Authored compatibility table | Model M20-A supports part P1. Model M20-B supports P2. No cross-compatibility stated. |
| AM2 | Practice plate image | Readable prefix M20-, final suffix hidden by a paper tab. |
| AM3 | Loose-part image | Part P3 looks similar to P1 but its source card names unrelated model M30-C. |
Question for the model
Can the model select P1 or P2 from the obscured plate, and does P3's similar appearance supply compatibility evidence?
Show the reference answer and checks
AM1 requires the complete M20 suffix to distinguish P1 from P2. AM2 leaves that suffix unobservable, so neither selection is supported yet. AM3 identifies P3 with M30-C and provides no compatibility row for either M20 variant. Request a clear suffix or authoritative matching record rather than choosing by shared prefix or appearance. The table supports documentary matching, not an instruction to install a part.
- Dropping the final model suffix when matching parts.
- Treating a visually plausible part as compatible despite a different source-model record.
Fields to preserve
- Complete model identifier
- Preserves the variant-specific key.
- Part-to-model source row
- Shows the explicit compatibility evidence.
- Plate legibility
- Makes the missing suffix an uncertainty rather than a guessed value.
Test another case
Reveal suffix B while keeping P1 nearest the prop in the image. Require P2 from the table rather than a proximity-based choice.
Use original diagrams and unplugged approved props. Exclude serials, customer addresses, third-party manuals and protected photographs.
Discuss a contribution
Describe the sources you control, the task they could support and what has already been checked. Use the existing-data assessment for an archive or the collection brief for a new recording project. The contributor agreement defines Fiund’s licensing authority and compensation. A guide or fictional exercise does not establish an accepted collection or a sale.