Engineering Design

Process

The complete Domain

What is design?
Solutions

● High-tech, while others are not

● Expensive, while others are not
● Efficient, while others are not
● Manual, while others are not
● Developed by people with limited theoretical
knowledge but high practical experience
● Satisfies solutions according to a specific criteria.
Types of Design

● Adaptive, (Elevator, ● The designer needs to understand

the problem well
Washing Machine) ● The designer has complete control
● Developmental, (CRT to over the solution to the problem
LCD TV) ● Different concepts are considered in
● New design, (first car, first series, and insight is learned from
failed attempts
phone, first airplane) ● Immersion and long working hours
● Modular design, needed
● Platform design, ● Iterative process until a working
solution is found
Design Stages

Product Solution
Requirements concept concept Embodiment Detail design

Need analysis Establishing the function Concept generation Embodiment design Detailed design,
Market analysis Drawing specifications Concept evolution Design for manufacture analysis and simulation
Requirements
Concept prototype Proving the design
establishment
Target specifications Evaluation and Proof of product
selection prototyping
Understanding the Requirements
How to gather information

● Interviews
● Questionnaire
● Focus groups
● Product-in-use
Gathering of Information

Market Analysis
● Trends, Competition, Volume, Profit, Opportunities, Consumer needs, Consumer feelings
about the product
● Most liked/disliked/wanted features
● Standards to adhere to
● Market trend (growing, saturated, or in need of a new product)
● Technological advantages and alternatives
Gathering of Information

Defining the problem

Answer the following questions
● New product or a product improvement?
● Who are the customers (consider everyone, not just the end user [manufacturing,
selling, servicing, maintenance])?
● Why do they need the product?
● What are the main needs of the customer?
● What are development costs? Time? Manufacturing? Production investment?
Gathering of Information

Organising information
● Products
○ Names, Patents, Pricing, Parts breakdown, Features, Development time
● Companies
○ Major players, finances
● Industry
○ Trends, Labour costs, Market size
● Market Information
○ Market reports, Market share of major companies, Target markets of major
companies, Demographics
● Consumer Trends
Gathering of Information

Matrix Analysis
Needs and Requirements

Customer Need Customer Requirement

The wishes that the customer wants The designers’ detailed breakdown of the
fulfilled by a solution to their problems. functions and features of the product
based on the customers’ statements.
Types of customers requirements

● Functional performance ● Life cycle concerns

○ Flow of energy, information, ○ Distribution, Maintainability,
materials Disposability, Repairability,
○ Operational steps and sequence Cleanability, Installability
● Human factors ● Resource concerns
○ Appearance ○ Time, Cost, Capital, Unit, Equipment,
○ Force and motion control Standard, Environment
● Physical requirements ● Manufacturing requirements
● Reliability ○ Materials
○ Quantity
○ Company capabilities
Characteristics of a well-formulated
requirement

● Requirements needs to be discriminatory

● Requirements are measurable
● Each requirements should address a specific feature and should not overlap with other
requirements
● Requirements should be universal and apply to all alternatives and not just a few
● Requirements are external and govern the features and functions not the internal
workings
Filtering of customer requirements

● Express the requirement in terms of what the product should do, not
how it should do it
● Express the requirement specifically
● Use positive rather than negative phrasing
● Express requirements as product attributes
● Avoid must and should
Objective Tree

1. Prepare a list of design objectives

a. Obtained from market survey
b. Do not limit objectives
2. Organise the list into
a. Higher-level-objectives
b. Lower-level-objectives
3. Draw a diagram of the tree
4. The OBJECTIVE TREE will help in
understanding the first three aspects of
a design brief
Design Brief

The first document that completely describes the need.

Should have the following details

1. Product description (What to design)
2. Product concept (How to design)
3. Benefits of design and goals of design
4. Market position and target price
5. Target Market
6. Assumptions, constraints and standards
7. Stakeholders
8. Features and Attributes
9. Innovation areas
Product Concept
Functions

● Functions are solution neutral ● Functions are the intended input/output

● Functions should consider what the product relationship
does (how it addresses the problem), not ● Function is the description of the behaviour
how it does it (how it addresses the abstracted by users in order to make use of
solution). it
● Functions fulfill the expectations of the ● Function is the fulfilment of a goal or
purposes of the resulting artifact purpose
● Function is an intended purpose of the ● Function is the intended behaviour
device ● Function is the purpose of the product
● Function is the logical flow of energy, ● Functions convey what components do
materials, or signal between objects or the ● Function is the intended effect that a
change of states of an object due to flows device has on its environment
● Function is an action of the product on its
inputs and outputs
Description of devices

Devices can be described using:

● Goals of the device: what the device is designed to achieve

● Action of the users using the device
● Function of the device
● Behaviour of the device
● Structure of the device
Product Specifications

A design must establish a set of specifications that precisely detail what

the product needs to do.

Specifications are the measurable behaviours of the device.

Specification checklist

● Geometry ● Production
● Kinematics ● Quality
● Forces ● Assembly
● Energy ● Operation
● Materials ● Maintenance
● Signals ● Recycling
● Safety ● Costs
● Ergonomics ● Schedule
Solution Concept
What is a Solution Concept

A solution concept is simply:

1. A sketch of the overall system

with notes
2. List of important subsystems
with sketches
3. Rough dimensions of the
proposed product
Morphological Chart

1. Functions of the product in the first

column
2. For each function, list all the possible
solution methods horizontally as
options
3. Repeat Step 2 for all other functions
to complete the chart
4. Combine different options to create a
concept
Idea Generation - KJ Method

1. Multiple people write on cards

Customer needs, Product ideas, Comments, Sketches and
illustrations, Descriptions
2. Cards are then shuffled and distributed randomly to the contributors
3. The cards are arranged in piles of similar ideas
4. Piles are then labeled according to the needs or ideas they
represent
5. Themes are then identified based on the piles ideas and notes
Idea Generation - Brainstorming

1. Ideas can be called out in random (for creativity) or in turns (for a

more structured session)
2. NO DISCUSSING, COMPLEMENTING, or CRITICIZING may take place
as the ideas are put out
3. Generate as many ideas as possible (QUANTITY over QUALITY)
4. All ideas are noted and recorded (ALL IDEAS ARE GOOD IDEAS)
5. You can use other ideas for inspiration and you can build on other
people's ideas
6. After all ideas are listed, clarify each one and eliminate duplicates
Idea Generation - Structured Questions

1. What is wrong with the product?

2. How can it be improved?
3. What other uses does the product fulfill currently?
4. Can it be modified?
5. Can it be scaled?
6. Can we adopt something similar?
7. Can we reverse it?
8. Can we give it a new look?
9. Can we base it on an old look?
10. Can it be rearranged?
11. Can it be substituted?
12. Can we combine the ideas, methods, groups, components, or hardware?
13. Can we simplify the product?
14. Can we make it safer?
Idea Generation - Other Methods

Other idea generation methods:

● Checklist method
● C-sketch
● 5(designers) - 3(ideas) - 1(solution)
Detailed Design
Prototypes

1. Mock-up: (Proof of concept prototype)

2. Model: (Proof of product prototype)
3. Prototype: (Beta prototype)
4. Virtual Prototype: CAD and CAE models of the design. Can be
used to satisfy all the above aspects, except for size and feel.
Why do we need Prototypes

1. Proof-of-concept: used in the initial stages of design to better

understand the design process and the approach needed to design
the product.
2. Proof-of-product: used to clarify the physical embodiment and
production feasibility.
3. Proof-of-process: used to show that the production method and
materials are suitable to manufacture the desired product.
4. Proof-of-production: used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the
complete manufacturing process.
Embodiment Design - Product Architecture

The arrangement of physical items to carry out a function. This is done

by arrangement of functions onto modules, and layouts with
subassemblies and critical components.

● Define the arrangement of functional elements

● Map the physical components from the functional elements
● Define the specifications of the interfaces of the interacting parts
and components
Embodiment Design - Configuration Design

This design will include the materials and manufacturing process.

● Determine the spatial constraints

● Create and refine the interfaces and connections between the
components
● Ensure the maintenance of functional independence
● Identify and eliminate or combine redundant parts
● Use standard parts whenever possible
Embodiment Design - Parametric Design

This includes

● Final sizing
● Dimensions and tolerances
● Working assemblies
Cost Analysis

1. Recurring or non-recurring
2. Fixed or variable costs
a. Fixed costs
Investment costs, Overhead costs, Management expenses, Selling expenses
b. Variable costs
Materials, Direct labour, Maintenance cost, Power and utilities, QC staff, Royalty
payments, Packaging and storage, Scrap and spillage
3. Direct and Indirect costs
a. Direct costs
Materials, Purchased parts, Labour costs, Tooling costs,
b. Indirect costs
Overhead, Selling expenses
Cost Saving

● Introducing new manufacturing processes

● Learning from previous mistakes
● Standardization of parts, materials and methods
● Employing a steady production rate when possible
● Production capacity optimisation
● Have product-specific production lines
● Improve methods and processes to eliminate rework, reduce work in
progress, and reduce inventory
Cost Saving - Things to avoid

● Incomplete product design specifications

● Redesign due to failures
● Supplier delinquency
● Management and/or personal changes
● Relocation of facilities
● Unmet deadlines
● Over complicating a product
● Technologies and processes not completely utilised to full potential
● Inadequate customer involvement