Our Model For Innovation:
Mowing The Lawn
Innovation by normal, random process
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Our Model For Innovation:
Mowing The Lawn
Give it a “kick” to get “out of the box” innovation
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Our Model For Innovation:
Mowing The Lawn
TRIZ is innovation by rapid, systematic process
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
PDMA MN Agenda
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What is TRIZ?
Tools of TRIZ
Practice applying TRIZ
Applications of TRIZ in Product and Services
development
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
TRIZ IS…..
• The Russian acronym for the “Solving Problems
Inventively” (pronounced “trees” )
• Based on observable patterns found in patents and
literature of how people solve problems
• A system of:
– patterns of how people solve problems
– tools to define problems in ways that allow us to
utilize the patterns for solving new problems.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
1945: Patent for processing peppers. Force air inside of the
peppers. Suddenly reduce the pressure. Seeds and stems
separate from pepper body.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
1950: Patent for removing the shell of cedar nuts. Under
high pressure, water is forced inside of the shells. When
the pressure is suddenly reduced, the shells break away.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
1950: Patent for removing
shells from sunflower
seeds. Air is forced inside
the shells. When the
pressure is suddenly
reduced, the shells break
away.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
AND 27 YEARS LATER…..
1972: Patent for breaking artificial diamonds.
Diamonds are placed into a pressure chamber. High
pressure forces air into micro fractures. Releasing the
pressure suddenly breaks the diamonds into crystals.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Pattern: Raise Pressue Slowly Then
Suddenly Release It
• Removing stems from bell peppers
• Removing shells from sunflower seeds
• Cleaning filters
• Unpacking parts wrapped in protective paper
• Splitting diamonds along micro-cracks
(+27 years after pepper patent)
• Producing sugar powder from sugar crystals
• And 200 more!!!
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Pattern: Raise Pressue Slowly Then
Suddenly Release It
Or more generally:
Store up energy and suddenly release it
Or more generally yet:
Store up a resource for later use
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Tools for TRIZ
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Useful Function
Useful
Function
• Has useful output (although it may also have harmful
output as well)
• Is a useful result
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Harmful Function
Harmful
Function
• Leads to a harmful result. No useful results are produced.
• A harmful result because it hinders some useful function.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Links
Links describe the relationship between functions.
Function
A
Link
Function
B
Produce
Makes good happen
Produce
Makes bad happen
Counteract
Stops good from happening
Counteract
Stops bad from happening
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Link Examples
Carpet Cleaning Service
Steam
extraction
Fear of damage
to furniture
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Clean
carpet
Enjoy
home
System to
protect
furniture
Basic Directions
Improving a Useful System
Useful Function
A
• Make it better
• Make it differently
• Make B without A
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Useful Function
B
Basic Directions
Improving a Harmful System
Harmful
Function
A
Harmful
Function
B
• Stop the source
• Stop the action
• Reduce the consequences
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Directions - Harmful Functions
Stop the
source
Stop the
action
Reduce the
consequences
Stop the
collision
Pad the
components
Make replacement
easy
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Refined Directions - Operators
• After selecting a basic direction to explore, we get
more detailed suggestions for solutions. We call
these suggestions operators.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Basic Directions
Improving a Useful System
Useful Function
A
• Make it better
• Make it differently
• Make B without A
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Useful Function
B
Ideality
Ideality
=
All Useful Functions
All Harmful Functions
• All systems evolve toward increasing Ideality
• Ideal System: Function is done without existing
• Near Ideal solutions often utilize existing resources
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
RESOURCES
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Financial
Human
Business assets
Technical
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
RESOURCES
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Financial
Human
Business assets
Technical
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
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Investment
Cash reserve
Loans
Barter
Other
RESOURCES
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Financial
Human
Business assets
Technical
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
• People you know - your
network
• Allies
• Experts (inside and outside
your company)
• Test and implementation
helpers
RESOURCES
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Financial
Human
Business assets
Technical
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
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Equipment
Facilities
Inventory
Information - Intellectual
property
RESOURCES
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Financial
Human
Business assets
Technical
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
•Substances
•Fields
•Space
•Time
•Information
•Functions
PILL INSPECTION WORKSTATION
Vibratory feed move pills around an internal spiral to top of vibratory bowl where the pills are
discharged and slide down an incline plane onto a conveyor. As the pills go by, the inspectors
identify and remove the damaged pills.
Damaged Pills
Conveyor
Trash Can
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
GOOD PILLS/BAD PILLS
• What is IDEALITY?
• What are the RESOURCES we have?
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
PILL INSPECTION WORKSTATION
Vibratory feed move pills around an internal spiral to top of vibratory bowl where the pills are
discharged and slide down an incline plane onto a conveyor. As the pills go by, the inspectors
identify and remove the damaged pills.
Damaged Pills
Conveyor
Trash Can
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
AN ELEGANT SOLUTION-THE PILL INSPECT ITSELF
Change the escapement for the vibratory bowl so that the pills are ejected standing on
their edge. Move the conveyor 3 inches. Pills that are round will roll at a velocity that
allows them to jump to the conveyor. The pills that are chipped will slide or will roll at a
lower velocity and fall into the trash.
Resource:
Velocity of the sliding or rolling pills
Function (inspection of pills) is
performed without the system (human
inspectors or video inspection system).
Trash Can
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Small Group Excercise
Select an aspect of airline food:
•Improve an existing feature
•Reduce a negative feature
•Identify an Ideal System and find resources to
achieve it
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Contradictions
Resolution without compromise
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Contradiction
Useful Function
A
Harmful
Function
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Useful Function
B
Contradictions Defined
Improving one system parameter results in the
deterioration of another system parameter.
Examples:
Strength vs. Light Weight
Product Features vs. Simplicity and Ease of Use
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Piling Problem
Easy to drive
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Compromise
Stays in place
Contradictions
A
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
A and B are desireable
features of the system.
B
Contradictions
A
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Improving one feature
harms the other
feature.
B
Contradictions
A
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Improving one feature
harms the other
feature.
B
Contradictions
A
There exists a control
feature of the system
that ties the two
desireable features
together.
C
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
B
Contradictions
A
C
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
When the control
feature is small or
absent, one of the
features increases while
the other decreases.
B
Contradictions
A
When the control
feature is large or
present, the second
features increases while
the first decreases.
B
C
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Contradictions
A
C
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
What we want is c
small to give large A
and c large to give
large B.
B
C
Contradictions
Resolve by Separation
•Space
A
•Time
B
•Parts From the
Whole
C
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
•Upon Condition
C
Separation Principles
Space
Example: Strength vs Weight of a plastic panel
The control parameter is thickness. Reinforcing ribs are placed only
where additional strength is needed.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Contradictions - Jet Engine
Boeing wanted to install larger engines on a redesigned
737. A larger air intake would reduce ground clearance
to unacceptable levels.
Contradiction:
Increasing air intake
reduces ground
clearance
Control parameter:
Intake radius
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Contradictions - Jet Engine
Resolve the contradiction by Separation
Make the radius large
laterally for high air
flow.
Make the radius
smaller downward for
high ground
clearance.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Separation Principles
Time
A
C
B
B
At time 1, C is small
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
C
A
At time 2, C is large
Separation Principles
Time
Example: Strength vs Lightweight of a automobile frame
The control parameter is thickness. Reinforcing brackets are
needed for shipping the vehicles but not for normal operation.
The weight degrades fuel economy. The brackets are bolted on
at the factory and then removed at the dealership.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Separation Principles
Parts From the Whole
Large company composed of
small semi-autonomous
divisions to keep small
company responsiveness.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Separation Principles
Under Conditions
Condition 1, C is small
A
C
B
Condition 2, C is large
B
C
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
A
Separation Principles
Under Conditions
Example: Privacy Glass
There is a liquid crystal film (made by 3M) that can be
laminated to a window. When there is no current applied
to the film, the film is opaque. When a current is applied,
the liquid crystals align and the film is nearly transparent.
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Piling Problem
Easy to drive
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Compromise
Stays in place
Piling Problem
Separation In Space
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Piling Problem
Separation By Parts From Whole
Drive bundles of smaller piles
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Piling Problem
Separation Under Condition
When the pile is turned, it goes
down.
When the pile is not turning, the
threads stop the downward
movement
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Piling Problem
Separation In Time
During driving
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
After pile is in position
Small Group Excercise
Select an aspect of airline food:
•Identify a contradiction
•Resolve the contradiction by separation
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Applying TRIZ to Product and
Business Development
Problem Solving
• Product/process/service development
• Customer need identification
• Cost reductions
• Organization development
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Applying TRIZ to Product and
Business Development
Quality and Liability
• ReverseTRIZ to find hidden sources of quality
problems
• ReverseTRIZ to predict problems
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Applying TRIZ to Product and
Business Development
Next generation product development
• Patterns of product evolution to look ahead
• ReverseTRIZ to predict obstacles
• Problem solve to invent around obstacles
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Applying TRIZ to Product and
Business Development
Intellectual Property
• Circumvent competitors’ patents
• Strengthen and broaden your patent applications
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.
Applying TRIZ to Product and
Business Development
Altshuller Institute at ai-triz.org
• Sponsors annual TRIZCON convention
• Many TRIZ developers
The TRIZ Journal at triz-journal.com
• Examples in various industries by different TRIZ
practictioners
• New areas of TRIZ research and development
©2002 Inventive Solutions, Inc.