MECH340 / PRDT304

MECH340: Engineering Design

PRDT304: Engineering Project 1

Systematic Design
Product Planning & Task Clarification
Prepared by Tony Robotham
31 January 2017

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

What We Will Be Doing Today

We will consider:

• Product Planning & Task Clarification

– Developing the specification (Requirements List )

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 AMECH340 / PRDT304
J Robotham et al

A SYSTEMATIC
APPROACH TO DESIGN
Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017
 MECH340 / PRDT304
What We Know about Designers
Novices
• Focus on understanding the
problem
• Fixate on a specific solution
• Do not discard weak solutions
• Depth-first & Bottom-up approach
– worry about details
• Learning a systematic design
process improves quantity and
quality of results
Prepared by Tony Robotham
Experts
• Rapid problem exploration through
solution generation
• Create lots of alternative ideas
• Willing to start again
• Breadth-first & Top-down approach
• Flexible-methodical design
procedures
after Cross 2008
27 Jan 2017
 MECH340 / PRDT304

Engineering Design – Pahl & Beitz

The approach described here follows a
methodology first described by
Gerhard Pahl and Wolfgang Beitz

The full description can be found in

Engineering Design:
A Systematic Approach

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

P&B Design Process Model

A sequential design process model
with 4 main stages:
1. Planning & Task Clarification
• Requirements List
2. Conceptual Design
• Principle Solution (Concept)
3. Embodiment Design
• Definitive Layout
4. Detail Design
• Product Documentation
Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017
Pahl & Beitz 2007
 MECH340 / PRDT304

4-Phase Design Process Model

1 2 3 4

Product Planning Conceptual Embodiment Detail

Task Clarification Design Design Design

1 Requirements List 2 Principle Solution 3 Definitive Layout 4 Documentation

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 AMECH340 / PRDT304
J Robotham et al

PLANNING &
TASK CLARIFICATION
Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017
 MECH340 / PRDT304

P&B Design Process Model

A sequential design process model
with 4 main stages:
1. Planning & Task Clarification
• Requirements List
2. Conceptual Design
• Principle Solution (Concept)
3. Embodiment Design
• Definitive Layout
4. Detail Design
• Product Documentation
Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017
Pahl & Beitz 2007
 MECH340 / PRDT304

Planning & Task Clarification

Planning & Task Clarification takes an ill-defined problem and
clarifies and elaborates what product is needed

ILL-DEFINED
PROBLEM SPACE

Problem
Space

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Planning & Task Clarification

Planning & Task Clarification takes an ill-defined problem and
clarifies and elaborates what sort-of product is needed
The problem becomes more well-defined and needs are specified
in the Requirements List
ILL-DEFINED MORE WELL-DEFINED
PROBLEM SPACE PROBLEM SPACE

Problem Converges to Problem Requirements

Space Space List

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Planning & Task Clarification

Planning & Task Clarification takes an ill-defined problem and
clarifies the needs which are then specified in a Requirements List

1 2 3 4

Product Planning Conceptual Embodiment Detail

Task Clarification Design Design Design

1 Requirements List 2 Principle Solution 3 Definitive Layout 4 Documentation

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Planning & Task Clarification

Involves several activities that lead
to a Requirements List
1. Define basic market demands
2. Define attractiveness demands
3. Document customer specific technical
performance requirements
4. Refine and extend the requirements
using checklists and scenario planning
5. Determine demands and wishes Pahl & Beitz 2007

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Planning & Task Clarification

Product properties
Requirements List

• Functionality
• Performance
Project attributes
• Cost targets
• Deadlines

Pahl & Beitz 2007

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Stimuli for New Product Development

The trigger for new product development can come from different sources
• Market
Technical & economic position of existing products in the market
Changes in market requirements, e.g. new functions or fashions Question:
Customer complaints or suggestions
Technical & economic superiority of competitors’ products What are the stimuli
• Environment for your Challenge?
Socio-economic and political changes
New technologies and research results
Environmental issues
• Company Question:
New ideas and results from in-house research
New functions added to extend or satisfy the market From Where/Whom do
New production methods
Rationalisation of the product range and production
these arise?
Increasing product diversification
Pahl & Beitz 2007

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

The Product Lifecycle

Planning Design Production Distribution Use Service & Disposal

& Sales Maintenance & Re-Use

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

The Product Lifecycle

By understanding the product lifecycle we get to know:
• Who interacts with the product (users)
• Where this interaction takes place (context)
• What activity is being undertaken (overall function)
• What tasks must the product perform (sub-functions)
• What performance properties/attributes the product
must have (criteria)
Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017
 MECH340 / PRDT304

Task Clarification
By understanding the product lifecycle we get to know:
increase transmit
pressure data
Who?
reduce What? Where?
speed
Functions Why?
When?
Attributes How?
at > 10m/s2

by 10% at 50GHz

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Question: Who?
What do you know about What? Where?
Functions Why?
the Product Lifecycle for Attributes When?
How?
your Design Challenge?

Planning Design Production Distribution Use Service & Disposal

& Sales Maintenance & Re-Use

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 AMECH340 / PRDT304
J Robotham et al

REQUIREMENTS LIST
Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017
 MECH340 / PRDT304

Planning & Task Clarification

Product properties
Requirements List

• Functionality
• Performance
Project attributes
• Cost targets
• Deadlines

Pahl & Beitz 2007

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Requirements
Demands
• Requirements that must be met under all
circumstances
• If not met, solution is unacceptable
• Minimum demands must be formulated Quantitative
&
Wishes Qualitative
• Requirements that should be met whenever
possible
• Classify importance – major, medium, or minor
Pahl & Beitz 2007

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Requirements List – An Example

Pahl & Beitz 2007

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017

 MECH340 / PRDT304

Requirements List - Format

Week 1 Task:
• Define Demands & Wishes
• Write a Requirements List

Pahl & Beitz 2007

Prepared by Tony Robotham 27 Jan 2017