The Engineering Design Process - Essay Example

The Engineering Design Process College: The Engineering Design Process Definition of engineering design process Engineering design refers to the process through which engineers, servicemen, technician and other people employ engineering techniques, scientific principles and tools to develop, improve and innovate new products geared towards improving customer needs and utilities as well as improving the functionality and efficiency of the product under development(Eide, 2002). The design process is a decision making process that utilizes mathematics, basic science, graphics, material science, environmental knowledge, engineering and documentation towards developing a novel product and services (Seyyed, 2005; Daniel, 2003). The Engineering Design Process The core design steps that are followed are; 1) Identification of a problem or necessity 2) Information gathering 3) engender possible solutions 4) select the most viable solution 5) Detailed design and analysis 6) Implementation of the design and testing IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM The problem definition involves the development of a clear non ambiguous definition to a problem. The major steps followed towards the identification of problem are; a) Identify a problem or a need The need to the new product being developed must be analyzed before project development. Human and industrial problems usually result to the need for new sophisticated products. The needs that give rise to new problem may be identified by the engineers, the market forces, harsh condition in industries, legal and environmental laws and regulation, customer needs, safety requirement among other factors. b) Develop a problem statement After problem identification, a clear definition of the problem is outlined. The statement should be clear, detailed and unambiguous. It should specifically address a given real need. Broad definitions to a given problem encourage wide solution generation and better products at the end. During problem definition, aspects of design safety, costs, ergonomics, environmental pollution, aesthetics, disposability, simplicity, efficiency, effectiveness and ease of operation should be taken to consideration (Seyyed, 2005). GATHER INFORMATION/ CONDUCTING THE RESEARCH After defining the problem statement, searching for relevant information commences. The steps followed are; a) Gathering of information or background research It involves conducting detailed information search from relevant literature interrelated to the identified problem. This reveals imperative information about the product being developed. During information search the following questions are answered a. Does the problem exist b. Is there any solution developed to address the specific problem c. Does the problem require a new solution d. If there is a solution, what are the limitations of the stated solution e. What is the best method of solving the stated problem f. Are there economic factor limiting or affecting the solution to the problem g. How much will be paid for the solution h. What factors are important during problem solution Information is obtained from many sources. The most common sources are engineering books and journals. Traditional publications are important and give the engineer guidance regarding the solution developed. Scientific encyclopedias, technical books, scientific magazines, handbooks, technical manuals, articles with international standards play an important role during design process. Nowadays electronic books, journals, magazines, encyclopedias and the internet provide a much detailed and comprehensive source of information for design engineers (Seyyed, 2005). b) Narrow down the research After the broad search for information, the design engineer should narrow down to the specific problem and information regarding this problem. This eliminates the need for too broad solution that may be difficult to implement. c) Enumerate the criteria for success The selection criterion is important. This involves outlining the criterion for selecting the best solution. For example, the best solution may be selected based on low cost, high performance and easiness of fabrication. SOLUTION GENERATION Based on the information search, the designer then generates a set of possible solutions to the identified problem. The main steps followed are; a) Generating ideas towards problem solving It entails generating of ideas that can be used to solve a particular problem. b) Analyzing the possible solution The generated solutions are analyzed to determine the best solution. This is a very important step and experienced engineers must be involved. Technical knowledge must be applied towards this process. This involves: Functional analysis: all designs are critically evaluated to determine if they will function towards solving the problem amicably. Design that meets the other entire criterion but fail to function properly is eliminated. Ergonomics: safety, comfortability and easiness of use are evaluated for all the design solutions. The design solution must fit all the people and human physical factors and other human aspects must be considered. Safety and liability: the safety of the design so that it does not cause injury Economic and market analysis: this involves checking if the product is viable and whether it is needed by the consumers. The price of the product is also checked to ensure that it is affordable to the customers. Very expensive designs are discarded. Mechanical and strength analysis: preliminary engineering analysis of the different designs must be performed. The design solution must support the structures maximum load, effect of dynamic loads, heating effects, thermal analysis and must pass all analytical tests. Manufacturability: ease of manufacture is also an important consideration. Different designs should be evaluated to determine if they can be manufactured with ease. Regulation and compliance: the different designs must be evaluated to determine if they comply with rules and regulation as well as to international standards. c) Determine the best solution (decision process) After the evaluation and general analysis of the possible solutions, the best solution is selected. The criterion for selection differs from one design to another but is mostly influenced by the nature of the problem, market forces, product functionality, rules and regulations. This involves a decision making process. The first step during this evaluation is to formulate a decision matrix where different solutions are ranked based on the evaluation criterion. Value factors are assigned to different design aspects and based on this; the best solution which scores the highest and is selected (Lumsdaine, 1999). DETAILED DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION Design considerations After selecting the best solution, detailed design process starts. The major steps followed include; 1. Preparation of engineering drawing and design During this phase, detailed design of the selected solution is done. This engrosses critical evaluation of all the factors that affect the performance of the equipment/ product being developed. The major aspects considered during this process are; Product purpose Mechanical strength Product shape, form, inertia, size, ergonomics and weight Product safety and reliability Cost of the product, marketability and competitor/similar products. Availability of the materials to manufacture product Maintainability and serviceability of the product Ease of manufacture, linkages to other machines, joints, welds, fasteners and pins to be used Checking of life cycle costs Determining its upgradeability Performing a risk assessment Ease of operation, ergonomics, electrical and magnetic effects. The material to be used. The factors considered during materials selection are, tensile strength, shear strength, ductility, brittleness, compressive strength, bending strength, modulus of elasticity, rigidity, torsion stability, poison's ratio, fatigue strength, thermal effects, creep effects, toughness, wear, friction, hardness, case hardening, heat treatment, corrosion, surface properties, coatings, environmental pollution, toxicity, electrical and magnetic properties. Effects of load and functionality analysis (Sanders, 1993; Daniel, 2003). During the design process, drawings are prepared using drawing tools. Modern day design allows the use of computer and Softwares such as AUTOCAD and solid works for design and drawings. Computer aided design has eliminated the need for drawing tools (Ertas, 1996). 2. Prototyping After preparation of the drawing, a model or prototype of the product is prepared. This model is an actual representation of the final product. The prototype is smaller than the real life product and serves as a test pieces to practically determine the workability, functionality and other aspects of the developed product. This requires fabrication and tools such as lathe machine, milling machine, shapers, grinding machines, boring machines, drilling machines, forging equipments and engineering tools are used to prepare the prototype (Dym, 1999). 3. Testing and verifying developed prototype After developing and fabricating the prototype, it is tested for its functionality. Any failures are noted. Various tests are carried out to determine if the prototype is functioning properly. Some tests performed are Fatigue strength analysis, vibration analysis, noise analysis, friction tests, stiffness, wear, surface finish, texture, corrosion resistance and failure mode analysis. Many other tests are also carried out towards determining the workability of the prototype. 4. Product redesign After testing the prototype, the parts that fail to meet the test requirement are redesigned and re-fabricated. During this process some testing and improvement of the components as well as the whole equipment is carried out. 5. Preparation of final drawings Final drawing for the product is done using the drawing tools. Modern system allows the use of computers to draw and simulate the drawing. 6. Documentation This involves the preparation of reports on the product development. Though documentation is a continuous process that occurs during the entire design process, the final product documentation is done after testing the product developed. Graphs, charts, formulas, drawings, text and other visual aids are used to present the work to others 7. Patent application For original and novel solutions, patent application is made before making the work public. This protects other people from copying the developed solution. Concurrent engineering Concurrent engineering unlike the traditional design process which occurs as a step by step process with the major design milestones occurring in a serial manner, concurrent engineering allows for parallel design. This ensures that products aspects such as manufacturability, marketability, serviceability, safety and compliance are taken to consideration when drawing or during the early design stages. This is done through the use of computer aided design Softwares. It saves on design cost and time (Seyyed, 2005). References Daniel, K. 2003. The Design Process: Mechanical Engineering Design. [Online]. Available at: https://classshares.student.usp.ac.fj/EN334/The%20Design%20Process.pdf. Accessed 22 November 2009. Dym, C. L., Little, P. 1999. Engineering Design: A Project-Based Introduction. New York John Wiley. Eide, A.; Jenison, R.; Mashaw, L. & Northup, L. 2002. Engineering: Fundamentals and Problem Solving. New York City: McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Ertas, A. & Jones, J. C. 1996. The Engineering Design Process. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Seyyed, K. 2005. Engineering Design Process. California: Industrial Initiatives for Science and Math Education. Sanders, M. & McCormick, E. J. 1993. Human Factors in Engineering and Design, New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Lumsdaine, E., Lumsdaine, M. & Shelnutt, J. W. 1999. Creative Problem Solving and Engineering Design. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Read More