Design Process –

Revisit
 What is Design?
• Design is an innovative and highly iterative process.

• It is also a decision-making process

• The process of identifying and deeply understanding a problem or need, thinking

creatively, using sound decision-making processes to identify the best solution, and
using project management and teamwork skills to drive the entire process, implement
the solution, test it, and modify it.

• Engineering Design integrates mathematics, basic sciences, engineering sciences,

economics and other subjects for the creation of components, systems, product and
processes to satisfy specific needs and constraints (i.e., economics, safety, health,
environmental and social factors, the requirements of standards and legislation, and
other consideration such as maintainability, serviceability, and manufacturability)
Closed Loop Product Cycle
 7 Phases of Design Process

• Conceptual Design

Primary Design
Phase 1

Phase
Phase 2 • Embodiment Design

Phase 3 • Detail Design

Phase 4 • Planning for Manufacture

consumption cycles

Phase related to
production and
Phase 5 • Planning for Distribution

Phase 6 • Planning for Use

Phase 7 • Planning for Retirement

Conceptual Design

• This stage is also called feasibility study. A design project always

begins with a feasibility study. The purpose and activities during
feasibility study are:
• To ascertain there really exists a need i.e. the existence of need must
be supported by necessary evidences, rather than the outcome of
one's fancy
• Search for a number of possible solutions
• Evaluate the solutions
• i.e. is it physically realisable?
• Is it economically worthwhile?
• Is it within our financial capacity?
 CONCEPT

PRODUCTION
 The Phase Of Design

Define Gather Concept Evaluation of Product Configuration Parametric

Problem Information Generation Concepts Architecture Design Design

Phase I. Phase II.

Conceptual Embodiment
Design Design

Phase III.
Detail Design

Phase VII. Phase VI. Phase V. Phase IV.

Planning for Planning for Planning for Planning for
Retirement Use Distribution Manufacture
Engineering Design Process 1st Three Phases

Define problem Gather Concept Evaluate & select

information generation concept
Problem Creativity methods Decision making
statement Internet Patent Brainstorming Selection criteria
Benchmarking Technical articles Functional models Pugh chart
QFD Trade journal Decomposition Decision matrix
PDS Consultants Systematic design
Project planning AHP
methods
Phase 1- conceptual design

Configuration
Parametric design
design
Product Detail design
Robust design
architecture Preliminary
selection of Set tolerance Engineering
materials and DFM, drawings
Arrangement of
manufacturing DFA, Finalize PDS
physical elements
process DFE
Modularity Tolerances
Modeling
Sizing of parts
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Phase 2- embodiment design Phase 3- detail design
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 1

Define Gather Concept Evaluation of

Problem Information Generation Concepts

Phase I. •Feasibility Study.

Conceptual
Design •Requires greatest creativity, involves the most
uncertainty and requires coordination among many
functions in the business organization.

•Discrete activities to be considered:

− Identification of customer needs
− Problem definition
− Gathering information
− Conceptualization
− Concept selection
− Design review
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 1

Define Gather Concept Evaluation of

Problem Information Generation Concepts

Phase I. •Most important steps in the engineering design

Conceptual process is identifying customer needs.
Design
• The customer needs can be gained from:
– Interviewing customers
– Focus group
– Customer survey
– Customer complaints

• Tools to achieve this:

– Benchmarking
– QFD
– PDS
Benchmarking
Method for measuring company operation against the best company inside and outside of the industries.
Select the product, process, or functional area that is to be benchmark.
Identify the performance metrics that will be measured and used for comparison.
Compare the best in class product or process with the in house equivalent using the performance metrics.
Specified program and actions to meet an exceed the competition

QFD – Quality Function Deployment Color

Also known as ‘House of Quality’
A planning and problem solving tool that is finding growing acceptance for translating customer requirements into engineering
characteristics of a product.
Alargely graphical method that systematically looks at all the elements that go into the product definition.
Helps organisations seek out both spoken and unspoken needs.
QFD links the needs of the customer (end user) with design, development, engineering, manufacturing, and service functions. A
process devised to identify the voice of customer and channel it through the entire product development process (PDP).

PDS – Product Design Specification

A statement of what a product to be designed is intended to do.
Its aim is to ensure the development of a product meets the need of the users.
The PDS is a specification of what is required but not the specification of the product itself.
QFD- Quality Function Deployment

• Identify customer wants

• Identify how the good/service will satisfy
customer wants
• Relate customer wants to product hows
• Identify relationships between the firm’s
hows
• Develop importance ratings
• Evaluate competing products
• Compare performance to desirable
technical attributes

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 Product Design Specifications (PDS)
• A document that contains all of the facts related to the outcome of
the product development (document listing the problem in detail).
• It should avoid forcing the design direction toward a particular
concept and predicting the outcome.
• Should be understood that the PDS is evolutionary and will change
as the design process proceeds.
• It is important to work with the customer and analyse the
marketplace to produce a list of requirements necessary to
produce a successful product.
• The designer should constantly refer back to this document to
ensure designs are appropriate.
 Product Design Specifications (PDS)
Example: PDS

1. What is the product going to be?

2. What are the dimensions of the product?
3. What materials does the product require?
4. What is the estimate cost of the materials?
5. What tools/technology will be used to work on the project?
6. Are the tools/technology accessible, or will special arrangements need to be made?
7. What is the time estimate for completing the project?
8. Where will the product be worked on primarily?
9. Will an outside company be used to complete the project?
10. Will materials need to be ordered? If so, how much time should be allotted for
shipping, ordering, etc?
11. Will an expert in the field need to assist with the creation of the product? If so,
when will this person be contacted to set up a mutually convenient time to meet?
12. Who will benefit from the benefit from the creation of the product?
13. Why is it necessary to create this product?
14. How will the product demonstrate technical knowledge?
PDS TEMPLATE
 Product Design Specifications (PDS)

PRODUCT DESIGN SPECIFICATION EXAMPLE 1

Product: Lightweight wheel for Formula Student car.

Weight :Maximum 3kg

Size :13” diameter;
15-25mm centre thickness
Timescale :18 weeks from initial phase to manufacture.
Cost :Maximum RM300 per wheel
Quantity :4 on initial design run
Safety :-Design for fatigue life of 250000 cycles at approximately
1.4g loading
-Interface between centre and rims must be airtight
-Smooth surface finish
-Secure fittings
 Product Design Specifications (PDS)

Competition :There are few competitors in niche market, but

various racing wheel manufacturers.
Maintenance :Seals and bolts must be checked occasionally.
Customer :Lightweight motorsport / weekend racer.
Manufacturing Facilities :Dependent upon material
CNC and Casting in-house.
Other manufacturing must be out-sourced.
Installation :4 inch PCD 4 stud formation.
Materials :Range of materials to be modelled:
Aluminium 2024 T6
Steel
Plastics
PDS EXAMPLE 2
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 1

Define Gather Concept Evaluation of

Problem Information Generation Concepts

Phase I. • Information from Internet

Conceptual – Engineering URLs
Design

• Patent Literature
– Intellectual Property
– Patents

• Handbook
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 1

Define Gather Concept Evaluation of

Problem Information Generation Concepts

Phase I. • Brainstorming
Conceptual
Design
• Functional decomposition

• Morphological chart
 Concept Development, Evaluation and Selection
Generating Design Concepts

Brainstorming
−Most common method used by design teams for generating ideas for design
concepts in conceptual design.
− Think of all the possible limitations or shortcomings of the product.
− The basic concept of brainstorming is to generate a large quantity of ideas.
− A brainstorming session requires participants to be prepared to offer all ideas,
including seemingly silly ideas. In many cases, silly ideas lead to genuine and
creative ideas.

Functional decomposition (breakdown)

− A logical approach for describing the transformation between the initial and final
states of a system or device.
−Physical decomposition → separating the product or subassembly directly into its
subsidiary subassemblies and components (output = physical decomposition block
diagram).
− Functional decomposition → a general description of a device is refined into more
specific arrangements of functions and subfunctions.
 Concept Development, Evaluation and Selection

Physical decomposition

Urban Car

Suspension Steering Braking

Chassis Power train
system system system

Functional decomposition

Power train

Variable valve
Direct injection 3.5 cc
timing

The controller is used to The gasoline is highly pressurized, and

The engine consist of 6
vary the operation of the injected via a common rail fuel line
pistons
open-closed valve directly into the combustion chamber
 Developing a concept: Mechanical Vent

Consider the case involving a design to automate the opening and closing of air
conditioning vents in a centralized location in the house. Design teams have
developed a function analysis wherein the functions are

1. Select vent
2. Send signal
3. Receive signal
4. Convert signal
5. Open/close vent

The following figure shows a morphological chart for this problem. The five functions
are entered in the left-hand column of the chart. Each row represents a specific
function.
Developing a concept: Mechanical Vent
 Developing a concept: Mechanical Vent

For example, row 5 is the function “open/close vent,” and we need to find
means to achieve the function of opening/closing the vent. The chart shows
five different means or methods to achieve the function using gears, belt,
electric field, cable, or impact plate.

The chart in the above figure thus contains the five functions and the
different (5, 5, 5, 6, 5) ways of achieving each function. Thus, theoretically,
there are 3750 possible different open/close vent machines, combining the
various means.

However, many of them are not viable. At least five or six of such
combinations will be identified for building the system.
 Developing a concept: Wheelchair Retrieval Unit

A design team is required to design a retrieval unit for wheelchairs to assist nurses
performing walking activities with patients.

In most cases, a single nurse is in charge of assisting patients during walking exercise.
However, the nurse cannot assist the patient and drag the wheelchair. The design team
developed a function analysis for the unit as follows:

1. Align wheelchair to patient and nurse

2. Move wheelchair
3. Steer wheelchair
4. Stop wheelchair
Developing a concept: Wheelchair Retrieval Unit
UAV for Cloud Seeding – Functional Decomposition 1
UAV for Cloud Seeding – Functional Decomposition 2
The Morphology of a UAV
All heavier-than-air UAVs contain many similar and well-understood components
that the design team need to consider:

1. Lifting surfaces. Traditionally wings or rotors but this can include blended wing-
bodies – certainly it is common for fuselages to generate lift.
2. Control surfaces or their equivalents. Typically elevators, rudders, ailerons, and
perhaps laps and air-brakes (sometimes a single surface provides multiple
functions).
3. Fuselages. To house systems, but these may be subsumed into a blended wing-
body configuration or engine nacelles.
4. Internal structure to support all the loads seen by the vehicle and to connect the
components together).
5. Propulsion system. Normally propeller-, turbo-fan-, or jet-based. Here, the focus
is on propeller-driven aircraft that use piston engines or electric motors.
The Morphology of a UAV – cont’ed

6. Fuel tanks or other energy sources for propulsion and possible on-board
generation. Here, they are generally JP8 kerosene, gasoline, methanol, or
LiPo batteries.
7. Command, communication, and control systems and associated on-board
power system (generally supported by (LiFe) battery, generator, or the main
engine).
8. Payload. Commonly sensors or munitions but sometimes emergency aid,
medicines, or other lightweight high-value goods.
9. Take-off and (normally) landing gear. Generally wheels with suspension
and steering, sometimes retractable (this can include catapult attachment
points or landing hooks).
Morphological chart
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 1

Define Gather Concept Evaluation of

Problem Information Generation Concepts

Phase I. • Comparison Based on Absolute Criteria

Conceptual
Design
• Pugh’s Concept Selection Method

• Weighted Decision Matrix

 Concept Development, Evaluation and Selection

Concept Evaluation & Selection

Evaluation methods:
1. Pugh concept selection method.
2. Weighted decision matrix.
 Concept Development, Evaluation and Selection

• Pugh Concept Selection Method

• This method compares each concept relative to a reference or datum
concept.
• Each criterion determines whether the concept is better than, poorer
than or about the same as the reference concept.

• Steps in this Pugh concept selection method:

• 1. Choose the criteria by which the concepts will be evaluated
• - Can refer to QFD (House of Quality).
• 2. Formulate the decision matrix
• - Concepts on the row headings and criteria on the column headings.
• 3. Clarify the design concepts
• - Make sure every team member understand every concept developed.
 Concept Development, Evaluation and Selection

• 4. Choose the datum concept

• - Reference concept with which all other concepts are compared.
• 5. Run the matrix
• - Use a three-level scale, better (+), worse (-) or same (S).
• 6. Evaluate the ratings
• - Sum up the +, - and S ratings.
• 7. Establish a new datum and rerun the matrix
• - To gain added insight regarding the highest rated concept.
• 8. Examine the selected concept for improvement opportunities
• - Is there any improvement that can be done considering the worse
ratings gained for the selected concept.
Concept Development, Evaluation and Selection
Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
 Concept Development, Evaluation and Selection

Weighted Decision Matrix

• Evaluating competing concepts by ranking the design criteria with weighting factors
and scoring the degree to which each design concept meets the criterion.
• Weighting factors:
- A 5-point scale (0-4) → knowledge of the criteria is not very detailed.
- An 11-point scale (0-10) → the information is more detail.
• The evaluation steps are quite similar to Pugh concept selection method but without
any datum.
 Concept Development, Evaluation and Selection
Example 1: Choice of cooker
Example 2:
Example 3: Career Choice
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 2

• Preliminary Design – Assembly drawing.

• In this stage, the idea of presenting information through
drawings was introduced when different concepts were
generated from the morphological chart.
Product Configuration Parametric
Architecture Design Design
• Decisions are made in this design phase: strength, material
selection, size, shape, and spatial compatibility.

• Any major changes beyond this design phase become very

expensive. Phase II.
Embodiment
• Outcome of embodiment design are: Design
✓ Detailed drawings and circuit diagrams
✓ Bill of materials
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 2

•Product architecture, also referred to system-level

design is defined by how each subcomponent or modules Product Configuration Parametric
Architecture Design Design
interact with each other in a product level and the
function of each subcomponent.

•This process involves the arrangement of the physical

elements of a product to carry out its required functions.
Phase II.
•Consideration: Design for Human Factor, i.e. creating Embodiment
user-friendly design Design

•2 styles of product architecture; Modular or Integral.

 The Phase Of Design – Phase 2
Integral Modular
• Implementation of functions is • A modular architecture makes it easier
accomplished by only one or a few to evolve a design over time.
modules.
• The product can be adapted to the
• Components perform multiple functions. needs of different customers by adding
or deleting modules.
• When a component provides more than
one function it enables function sharing. • Can be carried by using the same set of
basic components in multiple products,
creating a product family
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 2
•Establishing the shape and general dimensions of the
components that are defined in product architecture.

•This stage does not include any details yet (no

dimensions or tolerances, etc.) but will begin to Product Configuration Parametric
illustrate a clear definition of a part, how it will look, Architecture Design Design
and how it interfaces with the rest of the parts in the
product assembly.

•It is largely depended on the three-dimensional

constraints that define the envelope in which the
product operates and the product architecture. Phase II.
Embodiment
•This stage includes the design of special-purpose parts Design
and the selection of standard components, like pumps
or motors.

• Configuration depending on:

1. Available materials and production methods
2. Spatial constraints
3. Product architecture
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 2

•The main objective of parametric design is to determine

the exact dimensions and tolerances that will produce the Product Configuration Parametric
best possible design considering both the performance Architecture Design Design
and cost.

•This aspect of the design is much more analytical than

conceptual or design configuration. Phase II.
Embodiment
• A few established method in designing to maximise Design
performance and quality :

– FMEA
– Design for reliability
– Robust design
– Design for Assembly (DFA)
– Design for Manufacture (DFM)
 The Phase Of Design – Phase 3

• Any missing or incomplete information are added • Final Phase- Detail design
→ arrangement, form, dimensions, tolerances,
surface properties, materials and manufacturing of • Waiting for final decision to be manufacture
each part
•The design is brought to the stage of a
•Activities to be completed in the detail design complete engineering description of a tested
phase (documentation): and producible product.

–Detail engineering drawing.

– Verification testing of prototype.
– Assembly drawings and instruction, BOM. Phase III.
– A detailed product specification. Detail Design
– Decisions either to fabricate each part or to buy it
– A detailed cost estimation.
–A design review as a conclusion of the detail
design phase before being passed to manufacturing.
The Phase Of Design – Phase 3
 PRINCIPLES OF DFMA

• Minimize total number of parts

• Use modular design
• Minimize part variations
• Use a multifunctional design
• Design parts for multiuse
• Design to simplify fabrication
• Use of fastener
• Minimize assembly direction
• Maximize compliance
• Minimize handling
• Eliminate or simplify adjustment
• Avoid flexible component
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 Design for Assembly (DFA)

• Simplicity – minimize part number, part variety, simplify

assembly sequences and component handling and
insertion
• Standardize – on material usage
• Use the widest possible tolerance
• Minimize non value added operations
• Choose material that suit function and production
process
• Team work
• Reduce number of parts
• Ensure that the remaining parts are easy to assemble
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 Design for Assembly Outcomes

•Shorten product design time

•Reduce assembly time
•Simplify assembly process
•Reduce total material cost
•Improves quality and reduce defects
•Reduce labour content

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Guidelines for Manual Assembly
- Handling
■ Divided into 2 areas:
- Insertion and fastening

Design Guidelines for Insertion and Fastening

■ Provide chamfers
■ Provide clearance
■ Standardize
■ Design a part whichcan be locate before it is released

Design Guidelines for Part Handling

• Avoid tangling part
• Part should have end to end symmetry
• Avoid part that stick together, small slippery and dangerous to the handler
Factors that will affect
handling
Design feature that will help
assembly process
Design to avoid adjustment during assembly
Design concept that will provide easier access during assembly
 Design For Manufacture (DFM)
• Design for ease of manufacture of the collection of parts
or product
• More as a philosophy
• It is a way of thinking that can be applied to component
or product
• Aspects to look at in DFM :
1. Operating parameters
2. Operating and non-operating environmental stimuli
3. Test requirements
4. External dimensions
5. Maintenance and testability provisions
6. Materials requirements
7. Reliability requirements
8. External surface treatment
9. Design life
10. Packaging requirements
11. External marking
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DFM 3 key element:

1.Process selection
2.Reducing the number of
process stages
3.Designing of the process
 1. Process Selection

•Analysis of material and processing

methods for individual component
based on:
-Tolerance requirement
-Production volume
-Component complexity requirement
-Critical performance criteria
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 2. Reducing Process Stages

•Eliminate unnecessary process stages

through:
-Component minimization
-Elimination of finishing process
-Combining processes

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 3. Design of the Process

• To ensure design of component will satisfy the specific

production process
• Exploit the benefits and limitation of the process
- Design for machining
- Design for casting
- Design for injection moulding
- Design for Powder Metallurgy

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