Preliminary Process Flow Diagram
Report Due: October 6, 2011
This project involves Stage 1 – Concept, of our process synthesis and design methodology. The following elements
of the Concept Stage are the main focal points of this activity:

Concept Stage
o preliminary process synthesis
o application of design heuristics
o development of a synthesis tree diagram
The objective of this activity is for your team to refine your initial very-preliminary (preliminary-preliminary)
process flow that you have already developed, this time, applying formal design heuristics, refer to Table 6.2, pg.
174 and associated discussions in Chapters 4 and 6 regarding design heuristics. There are three elements of this
project:
1.
2.
3.
Preliminary Process Synthesis
Application of Design Heuristics
Development of a Synthesis Tree Diagram
Your report must have a cover page that includes:
Title
Names and affiliations of each team member
Contact information for each
Address of the corresponding author (one address for the team leader or primary author of the document)
Your report must have the following sections:
Introduction – very brief stating the object of this report (100 words). This statement must be a revision of
your “Introduction” based on feedback you received on the previous report. The quality of your
introduction is expected to improve, but not necessarily to be any longer unless requested by the
reviewer.
Opportunity Assessment – a few pages with background and your “opportunity assessment.” This statement
must be a revision of your “Opportunity Assessment” based on feedback you received on the previous
report. The quality is expected to improve, but not necessarily to be any longer unless requested by the
reviewer.
Heuristic-based Synthesis and Database Report – use the feedback you received from your previous report to
refine this section. For this new report, you need to explain how you used your physical property or other
data resources to choose each step in your process flow. You must also explicitly state which of “our” 53
design heuristics applied to each decision in you final process flow. You should combine your “Database
Report” from the previous report and extend it now to include the design heuristics and any corrections
needed as noted by the reviewer.
Synthesis Tree Diagram – include a synthesis tree, refer to Figure 4.9, pg. 94. Since there will likely be design
alternatives, you should include a synthesis tree diagram showing as many alternatives as you can. Follow
the general strategy illustrated in Figure 4.9 and highlight the branches on your diagram that correspond
to your final preliminary process flow.
Appendix – the appendix should include all of your physical property data catalogued in an orderly way. Any
feedback from your last report needs to be explicitly addressed.