Design process is a collection of procedures and habits that help teams design better products

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Designing is the process of making many decisions that converts a need into a hardware reality.
Need Product

1.
Product Design Specifications ( PDS )
2.
External Search ( Research )
3.
Internal Search ( Brainstorming )
4.
Concept Evaluation and Selection
5.
Detail Design ( Engineering )
6.
Prototyping and Testing
7.
Documentation

Step
Product Design Specifications
External Search ( Research )
Outcome
PDS Document
List of existing related products and technologies
Internal Search ( Brainstorming ) A lot of solution ideas
Concept Evaluation / Selection Pros and Cons / Decision Matrix
Selection of one idea to implement
Detail Design ( Engineering ) Determination of all details needed to build the product
Prototyping and Testing
Documentation
Comparisons to PDS target
Improvement recommendations
Final Design Report
BOM + Production Drawings
All other reports

Nail Driver

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Climbs fast
Affordable as a birthday present
Fully assembled
Uses batteries for power
No small parts – is safe
Looks good
Plays music as it climbs
Glows in the dark
Lasts a long time
Would not violate any patents

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START
Slow
Patents
No Glow
Silent
Expensive
Unsafe Indoors Only
Battery
Life

Desired Boundary
Retail < $45
Acceptable Boundary
Retail < $50

High Priority
Plays Music
Low Priority
Glow in the dark

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Cannot be taken apart
Has no small parts or sharp edges
Only to be used indoors
It is light and compact
Does not use toxic materials
Fits into a small box for shipping
Has attractive packaging
Design and testing finished in 4 months
Quantity 1 Million

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Climbs at 1 ft/s or faster
Retail cost is to be less than $45
Uses 2 AA batteries
Has 0 removable small parts
Music loudness between 20-30 db
Luminosity is to be more than 5 C
Works for minimum 3 hours on 2 AA

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More Abstract
Lift and Drag Coefficients
(as effected by ground promimity)
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
0 0.05
h/L
0.1
0.15
Drag Coefficient
Lift Coefficient
Engineering Less Abstract

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Applies to Top-level decisions
Applies to lower levels decisions
◦ Define requirements
◦ Search for existing ideas/technologies
◦ Brainstorm for solutions
◦ Pick a candidate
◦ Determine the details

Candidate Design
Detail Design
Prototyping
Release for Production
PDS
Concept Synthesis
Concept Evaluation
Candidate Design

Candidate Design
Components
No Numbers
System-Level Design
Numbers Parameter Design
Prototype Testing
Release for Production

Complexities of Developing a PDS
Document
• Level-I:
– Goal is clear, “Design a X to do Y”
– specifications are known,
– priorities are known,
– no mass production concerns,
– IP issues not important,
– limited customer base
– Example: one-of-a-kind equipment.

Complexities of Developing a PDS
Document
• Level-II:
– Goal is specific “Design a X to do Y”,
– Specifications are unknown,
– Priorities are unknown,
– Mass production concerns,
– IP issues are important,
– expanded customer base
– Example: Most consumer products

Complexities of Developing a PDS
Document
• Level-III:
– Goal is unclear, “Design ? To do ?
– There is a general statement of need
– Not easy to get to: “Design X to do Y”
– Example: Oceans are rising

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People who define the PDS
People who influence product success
People you cannot ignore
Globe
(External)
Team
Company
(Internal)

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A successful product:
1) Sells well and makes a lot of profit
2) Would not violate any laws/regulations
What about:
◦ Safer than law requires?
◦ Solves some problems of humanity?
◦ Is green (energy efficient, recycles, etc)?
◦ Lasts more than warranty period?
◦ Perform better than required?
Only when they relate to 1) or 2)

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Customers
 The design team and its members are not customers
 Every PDS statement must be associated with at least one customer
 Internal customers are within the organization (management, marketing)
 External customers are outside the organization(end users)

Retailer
Maintenance
Society
(Marketing)
EXTERNAL
Company
Buyers
End
Users
Government
&
Standards

Manufacturing
&
Procurement
Marketing
Legal
Internal
Management
Shipping
Packaging

What Do They Want?
• End users want
– Performance & Functionality
– Affordability
– Ease of use including ergonomics
– Reliability and Long life
– Robustness
– Versatility
– Safety
– Low maintenance and easy assembly
– Esthetics

External Customers
• Buying managers want
– Low Cost/Performance
– Safety
– Ruggedness ( abuse resistance )
– Ergonomics
– Long warrantees
– Reliable with Low downtime
– Low operating cost

External Customers
• Retailers want
– Small and attractive packaging
– Long shelf life
– Low cost high profit
– Exciting features
• Maintenance wants
– Ease of maintenance
– Low cost of maintenance

External Customers
• Government wants
– Conformance to laws and regulations
• Standards want
– Conformance to industry standards
– Conformance to codes

Internal Customers
• Management wants
– Make $$$
– On time delivery
– Low risk of financial failure
– Proper Documentation
– Process: Conformance to company product development process

Internal Customers
• Marketing wants
– Attractive features to target buyers
– Low retail price
– Esthetics
– Attractive packaging
– Ease of user assembly/maintenance
– On time delivery
– Long Warrantees

Internal Customers
• Manufacturing / Purchasing want
– Available materials
– Manufacture-able at low cost.
– Conformance to company documentation formats.
– Use of products from preferred vendors.

Internal Customers
• Legal wants
– No patent infringements
– Safety
• All required safety warnings and labels
• Protection against reasonable abuse
• Safety manual
– Conformance to laws and regulations

Internal Customers
• Shipping and Packaging
– Small (standard) package sizes
– Ability of locking or fixing sensitive components
– Resistance against damage due to dropping, vibrations, moisture, heat, and cold.

Product Design
Specification
• Is this a PDS item?
– Is there a customer associated with it?
– Does the information limit the design selections and choices?
– Can the requirement be designed into the product?
• High resale value
• Win a Prize

Product Design
Specification
• Elements of PDS
– Performance
(Primary customer: End User)
• Speed,
• Capacity,
• Power,
• Efficiency,
• Accuracy,
• Return on investment
• etc.

Elements of PDS
– Environment:
(User)
• Temperature range, rain, humidity, dust.
– Life in service:
(User
)
• 10 years, 5000 cycles, etc.
– Maintenance:
(User)
• The market policy, what customers accept
– Retail/Production cost:
(User)
• Consistent with comparable products
• Rule of thumb 4:1

Elements of PDS
• Shipping/packaging:
– Package sizes + Weights
– Damage resistance

Elements of PDS
• Quantity
(Marketing)
– Determined by marketing
• Manufacturing facility
(Management)
– Does the company policy dictate certain facilities?

Element of PDS
• Size and shape
(Marketing)
• Weight
(Marketing)
– What is the desired weight?
– Handles for lifting points?
– Modular?
• Aesthetics
(Marketing)
– Color, shape, form, texture, finish.
– Market research.

Elements of PDS
• Materials
(Marketing, Codes, Regulations)
– Left to designers unless company guidelines or regulations restrict certain materials (asbestos, lead).
• Product life span
(Marketing)
– Designed life

Elements of PDS
• Laws, Codes, and standards
(Government)
• Ergonomics
(User + Marketing + buyers)

Elements of PDS
• Quality and reliability
(Marketing)
– Company policy regarding warranties
– Failure rate during warrantee period
• Testing
(Marketing)
– Tests to perform to verify performance and other PDS requirements
– Industry standard tests

Elements of PDS
• Shelf life (storage) -
Retail
– Possibility of rust, decay, deterioration
• Processes
(Mangement)
– Conformance to certain standards
(GD&T or ISO 9000 for example)
– Use of company procedures
• Time-scales (deadlines) -
Management
– Whole design project, milestones

Elements of PDS
• Safety
(User, Government, Legal)
– Safety requirements mandated by government
– Professional society's codes and standards
– Need for warning labels
– Design against acceptable degrees of abuse

Elements of PDS
• Company constraints
(Management)
– Compatibility with other products
• Documentation
(Management – Legal)
– Full documentation (Guard against possible litigation)
– Safety, Operation, and Service documents.

Elements of PDS
• Legal
(Lawyers)
– Product liability law suits associated with similar products and why.
– Relevant patents

Element of PDS
• Installation
(Installers)
– Connection geometry.
– Various models to install
• Disposal
(Marketing)
– Recyclable?
– bio-degradable?
– Green

Other Element of PDS
• Other possible PDS items to include
– Rugged
– Easy to use
– Reliable
– Quiet
– Portable
– Source of energy

Before you Interview
Sponsors
• Prepare your questions (PDS)
• Let them do most of the talking
• Take notes
• Ask for clarification
• Do not be annoying
(you can always ask more questions later if deemed important)

Wording of the PDS
Document
• Format of most statements in PDS:
– The device must ……..
– The device is to ……
– The device is desired to ….
• Avoid mixing requirements.
– One sentence per requirement.
• Cast PDS statements in a positive format

PDS is a Dynamic
Document
• A design statement usually begins as a vague statement
– The device is to be easy to use
– The device is to be safe
– The device is to be inexpensive
– The device is to be rugged and reliable
– The device is to be portable

Wording of the PDS
Document
• Example: ESCO’s Pin Remover
– The pin-remover is to be light.
– The pin-remover must work in a wet, cold, and dusty environment.
– The Pin-remover must be safe
– The Pin-remover must have a 3-year warranty .

PDS Example
• The Pin Remover is to be rugged.
• must work with air pressure.
• is to be easy to use.
• is to pass “ASME standard” tests.
• is to last 5 years in normal usage.
• is to be easy to carry.

PDS Example
• is to sell for less than $150.
• is to cost less than $50 to make.
• is to have low maintenance needs.
• is to be difficult to use as a hammer.
• must not infringe patented devices.
• Production volume is 3000 per year

PDS Example
• is to be tested by June 2013.
• is to be released by Sep. 2013.
• is to be usable with all Dredge models.
• is to work faster than a hammer

Engineering
Specifications
• Engineers cannot design for vague criteria
– “Fast, accurate, high-performing”
– “Light, Small, portable”
– “Easy to use”
– “Safe”
– “Stylish” (maybe)

– Verifiable PDS statements
– Developed for important PDS statements
– Have associated target numbers
– Do not push the customer for numbers

A Typical PDS Page
• Requirement: PR is to be easy to maintain
– Primary customer: End users
– Priority: High
– Metrics and Targets
• Daily maintenance: None
• Weekly maintenance: < 10 minutes – field
• Yearly maintenance: < 1 hour – Shop
• Cost of weekly maintenance < 10c
• Cost of yearly maintenance < $10

Some targets are specified by:
• Marketing
• Management
• Regulations /standards
• Users / buyers / retailers
• etc

• Benchmarking + parametric Studies
• Technology capability
• Field experts
• Experimentation
• Educated guesses
• Select ranges for targets from
Barely acceptable to highly desirable

HoQ
Customer
Needs
PDS
Statements
T
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C
I
M
P
O
R
E
Engineering Requirements
Competition
Relation Between
Engineering and
Customer Needs
Competition
Target