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Engineering Design Process

Product design deals with conversion of ideas into reality and, as in other forms of human activity, aims at
fulfilling human needs.

DESIGN BY EVOLUTION
In the past, designs used to evolve over long spans of time. The leisurely pace of technological change reduced
the risk of making major errors. The circumstances rarely demanded analytical capabilities of the designer. This
was design by evolution. Development of the bicycle from its crank operated version to its present day chain
and sprocket version over a period of about a century is a typical example of design by evolution.
The disadvantages of evolutionary design are:
 Unsuitability for mass production. An evolved design is rather crude and is more oriented towards
design by masses for Production by masses (Gandhian philosophy) rather than mass production. It is
acceptable at village level but unacceptable at urban level.
 Difficulty in modification. A design by evolution is shaped by demands of time. On the, other hand,
design by invention and creative process uses sophisticated tools and techniques such as CAD
(Computer Aided Design) workstation. The CAD workstation helps generate a large number of design
alternatives within minutes.
 Inability to tap new technologies. A new technology can result in a totally new design based on a
different working principle as compared with evolutionary design which relies heavily on small
modifications in an existing design. It is well known that the new technology has made artisans and
craftsmen of certain categories redundant.

DESIGN BY INNOVATION
Following a scientific discovery, a new body of technical knowledge develops rapidly; the proper use of this
discovery may result in an almost complete deviation from past practice. Every skill, which the designer or the
design team can muster in analysis and synthesis, is instrumental in a totally novel design. Examples of design
by innovation are:
 Invention of laser beam which has brought about a revolution in medical and engineering fields. Laser
based tools have made surgical knife in medicine and gas cutting in engineering obsolete.
 Invention of solid state electronic devices resulting in miniaturization of electronic products, which has
made vacuum tubes obsolete.

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ESSENTIAL FACTORS OF PRODUCT DESIGN
Need and Need Analysis
A design must be in response to individual or social needs, which can be satisfied by the technological status of
the time when the design is to be prepared.
Put simply; whereas Requirements analysis focuses on the elements needed to be represented in the system,
needs analysis focuses on the requirements related to the goals, aspirations and needs of the users and/or the
user community and feeds them into the system requirement analysis process. The main purpose of needs
analysis is the user's satisfaction.
As it focuses on the needs of the human, needs analysis is not limited to addressing the requirements of just
software, but can be applied to any domain, such as automotive, consumer product or services such as banking.
Although it is not a business development tool, it can be used to help in the development of a business case.
Need Statement: There can be extreme variability in description, interpretation, and assessment of need
statement. The simple statement of need has thus to be carefully examined by asking following questions ?
 What is the origin ?
 Why is it felt to be a need ?
 Whose need is it ?
 When and for how long will it be needed ?
 Does it conflict with other needs ?
Examples of need statements are
 The need statement for bicycle. A device for a common person to travel reasonable distance
comfortably with least effort. Of course, the initial cost should be low, be as light as possible, have
adequate life, be easy to maintain, etc.
 The need statement for voltage stabilizer. A solid state, noiseless electrical device of adequate power
rating to provide continuously an output at constant voltage, accepting the input power at varying
voltage between the limits of ..... volts. The indications for input and output voltage levels may be
provided.
 The need statement for personal computer. A computing device to accept-input data, manipulate it
according to a set of instructions, and provide the desired output on CRT and printer.
The following steps can be followed to be able to analyse the needs for a project/product.
 Main emphasis should be on the needs of the end user directly.
 The market trends in past, present and future may be analysed thoroughly.
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 There should be no bias, prejudices or preconceptions of the analysis.
 The needs should be measured against the abilities to satisfy them.
 The needs should be translated into a statement of goals, considering the resources, constraints and
judging criterion.

Physical reliability
A design should be convertible into material goods or services, i.e. it must be physically realizable.

Economic worthwhileness.
The goods or services, described by a design, must have a utility to the consumer which equals or exceeds the
sum of the total costs of making it available to him. For example, a bulb with luminous intensity 3 and life 4 on
a ten-point scale has a lower utility than a bulb with luminous intensity 2.5 and life 5.

Financial feasibility
The operations of designing, producing and distributing the goods must be financially supportable, i.e., a design
project should be capable for being funded by suitable agencies or people. The method for assessment of
financial feasibility could be 'Net present value' which states that the present worth of cash flows in the project
when added up during the useful life of the product should be greater than the initial investment for the project.

Optimality
The choice of a design concept must be optimal amongst the available alternatives; the selection of the chosen
design concept must be optimal among ail possible design proposals. Optimal design, in theory, strives to
achieve the best or singular point derived by calculus methods. In the context of optimization under constraints
for mechanical strength, minimum weight and minimum cost are usually taken up as criteria for optimization.

Design criterion
Optimality must be established relative to a design criterion which represents the designer's compromise among
possibly conflicting value judgments which include those of the consumer, the producer, the distributor, and his
own.

Morphology
Design is progression from the abstract to the concrete. This gives a chronologically horizontal structure to a
design project. The seven phases of design proposed by Asimow are: Feasibility study phase, preliminary
design phase, and detailed design phase, as indicated in figure.

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Morphology of design process.

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Design process
Design is an iterative problem-solving process. This gives a vertical structure to each design phase. The
iterative nature of design is owing to feedback from existing design and improvement with further information
in the form of technological, financial and creativity inputs.

Iterative nature of design process

Subproblems
During the process of solution of a design problem, a sublayer of subproblems appears; the solution of the
original problem is dependent on the solution of the subproblems.

Reduction of uncertainty
Design is derived after processing of information that results in a transition from uncertainty, about the success
or failure of a design towards certainty. Each step in design morphology from step (i) to step (x) enhances the
level of confidence of the designer.

Economic worth of evidence

Information gathering and processing have a cost that must be balanced by the worth of the evidence, which
affects the success or failure of the design. Authentic information should be gathered to make the design project
a success. Today, information is regarded as a resource which is as valuable as money, manpower and material.

Bases for decision

A design project is terminated when it is obvious that its failure calls for its abandonment. It is continued when
confidence in an available design solution is high enough to indicate the commitment of resources necessary for
the next phase.

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Minimum commitment
In the solution of a design problem at any stage of the process, commitments which will fix future design
decisions must not be made beyond what is necessary to execute the immediate solution. This will allow
maximum freedom in finding solutions to subproblems at the lower levels of design.

Communication
It must always be kept in mind that the purpose of the design is to satisfy the needs of a customer or client.
Therefore, the finalized design must be properly communicated, or it may lose much of its impact or
significance. The communication is usually by oral presentation to the sponsor as well as by a written design
report. Surveys typically show that design engineers spend 60 percent of their time in discussing designs and
preparing written documentation of designs, while only 40 percent of the time is spent in analyzing and testing
designs and doing the designing. Detailed engineering drawings, computer programs, 3-D computer models,
and working models are frequently among the “deliverables” to the customer.
It hardly needs to be emphasized that communication is not a one-time occurrence to be carried out at the end
of the project. In a well-run design project there is continual oral and written dialog between the project
manager and the customer.
Note that the problem-solving methodology does not necessarily proceed in the order just listed. While it is
important to define the problem early on, the understanding of the problem improves as the team moves into
solution generation and evaluation.
In fact, design is characterized by its iterative nature, moving back and forth between partial solutions and
problem definition. This is in marked contrast with engineering analysis, which usually moves in a steady
progression from problem setup to solution.
Factors for Effective Communication are as follows
 Presentation. When a message has too much information, or when it is conveyed in a way that the
receiver cannot understand, then that message is ineffective. Communication needs to be condensed
down to essential facts and then put into a form that the receiver can understand in order for it to be
effective. Once the message is received and understood, then a detailed discussion regarding the topic
can begin.
 Channels. A communication system is only as effective as its ability to deliver the message, according
to the educational resource Management Study Guide. The structure of an organization has a profound
effect on the effectiveness of organizational communication. By creating clear communication channels
that are understood and upheld by the entire organization, you can significantly increase the
effectiveness of your company's communication.

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 Completeness. For a message to be effective it needs to be complete. While it is important to keep your
message concise, you also need to be certain that all pertinent information is included each time you
communicate. Prepare to have a discussion with someone by studying the topic at hand. This will allow
you to be able to present all of the information needed to get a resolution.
 Medium. Effective communication is done through the right mediums. If it is a short and quick
message, then a written medium such as a memo or email would be sufficient. Topics that require
longer and more detailed discussion should be done in person or over the phone. Choosing the wrong
medium can cause problems with message retention. Discussing the details of a contract in person
without using a written back-up means that the information may get lost or forgotten. Selecting the right
communication medium has an influence on the effectiveness of a communication.

MORPHOLOGY OF DESIGN (THE SEVEN STEPS)

The morphology of design refers to the study of the chronological structure of design projects. It is defined by
the phases (see figure of morphology already mentioned) and their constituent steps. Of the seven phases, the
first three phases belong to design, and the remaining four phases belong to production, distribution,
consumption and retirement.

Phase I-Feasibility Study

A design project begins with a feasibility study; the purpose is to achieve a set of useful solutions to the design
problem. Sometimes, a design group is assigned a project for which a design concept has already been fixed.
This implies one of the three possibilities:
1. A feasibility study has been previously done.
2. The design department has so much experience with the particular design problem that further study is
superfluous.
3. The top management, by omitting the feasibility study, is proceeding on unsupported intuition.
The first step in the study is to demonstrate whether the original need, which was presumed to be valid, does
indeed have current existence or strong evidence of latent existence. The second step is to explore the design
problem generated by the need and to identify its element such as parameters, constraints, "and major design
criteria. Third, an effort has to be made to" seek a number of feasible solutions to the problem. Fourth, the
potentially useful solutions are sorted out from the feasible set in three steps on the basis of physical
realizability, economic worthwhileness, and financial feasibility. Finally, the completed study indicates whether
a current or a potential need exists, what the design problem is, and whether useful solutions can be found. It
investigates the feasibility of the proposed project. Computer aided modelling is very useful in generating
alternative designs from which the best can be selected.

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Phase II-Preliminary Design
The preliminary design phase starts with the set of useful solutions which were developed in the feasibility
study. The purpose of preliminary design is to establish which of the preferred alternatives 1st design concept.
Each of the alternative solutions is subjected to quantitative analysis until evidence suggests either that the
particular solution is inferior to some of the others, or that it is superior to all the others. The surviving solution
is tentatively accepted for closer examination. Synthesis studies are initiated for establishing to a first
approximation the fineness of the range within which the major design parameters of the system must be
controlled. Further studies investigate the tolerances in the characteristics of major components and critical
materials which will be required to ensure mutual compatibility and proper fit into the system. Other studies
examine the extent to which perturbations of environmental or internal forces will affect the stability of the
system. Sophisticated methods such as the finite element method are used now-a-days to carry out design
analysis of components, with a view to finding critical areas of stress concentration.
Next, project type studies are undertaken to know as to how the solution will be feasible in future. The socio-
economic conditions, such as consumers' tastes, competitors' offerings or availability of critical raw materials
may change; the state of technology may advance and, eventually, corrosion, fatigue, and deterioration of
performance may set in. Time will almost certainly erode the quality of the product. The question is: how fast?
The rate of obsolescence or wear must be accounted for. The critical aspects of the design must be put to test in
order to validate the design concept and to provide essential information for its subsequent phases.

Phase III-Detailed Design

The detailed design phase begins with the concept evolved in the preliminary design. Its purpose is to furnish
the engineering description of a tested and producible design.
With the design concept in mind and the preliminary synthesis information at hand, a provisional synthesis is
accomplished. It is developed as a master layout. With this as a basis, the detailed design or specification of
components is carried forward. From time to time, exigencies in the detailed work at the component level may
dictate changes in the master layout; therefore, it has a provisional status.
As the paper design progresses, experimental design is initiated. Experimental models are constructed to check
out untried ideas which are not suitable to final simulation or analysis. Components, partial prototypes and,
finally, complete prototypes are tested as the need for information arises. This information, gathered from the
testing programs, provides a basis for redesign and refinement until an engineering description of a proven
design is accomplished.

Phase IV - Planning the Production Process

The above-mentioned three phases were particularly in the area of engineering design; much of the
responsibility for phase 4 will be shared with other areas of management. A new battery of skills, those of tool
design and production engineering, come into play. The original project group, however, may continue in its
role of leadership. Often, the decision to produce involves an enormous economic commitment. The level of
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confidence in the success of the product must be very high to support a positive decision. The decision itself
must be made at the top level of management. The evidences on which the engineer responsible for the-design
project bases his confidence must be communicated in a condensed, but fully revealing form to the top
management. The designer's confidence will have to be shared by the top management who will re-evaluate this
confidence, using additional information on financial capability, business conditions etc., before arriving at a
final decision.
The production planning phase involves many steps which will vary in form and detail according to the
particular industry. The following shortened list is typical of the mass production industries:
1. Detailed process planning is required for every part, subassembly and the final assembly. The
information is usually displayed on process sheets, one for each part of subassembly. The process sheet
contains a sequential list of operations which must be performed to produce the part. It specifies the raw
material, clarifies special instructions, and indicates the tools and machines required. This step is
particularly important, because design features that lead to difficulties in production are revealed. Such
difficulties should have been minimized earlier by timely consultations between product designers and
tool designers. Similarly, questions about materials should have been resolved by consultation with
metallurgists.
2. Design of tools and fixtures: This design work proceeds generally from the information developed in
the operations analysis on the process sheets.
3. Planning, specifying or designing new production and plant facilities.
4. Planning the quality control system
5. Planning for production personnel: Job-specifications are developed, standard times are determined,
and labour costs estimated.
6. Planning for production control: Work schedules and inventory controls are evolved. Standard costs
for labour, materials, and services are established and integrated with the accounting system.
7. Planning the information-flow system: The information necessary for transmission of instructions and
provision of feedback for control is determined. Appropriate forms and records are designed and
integrated with computers when available. How patterns and routines are established.
8. Financial planning: Usually, large sums of money are required to initiate production of a new product.
The source of the financing must be carefully established, and the means and rate of recovering the
capital determined.

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Phase V-Planning for Distribution
Production is the first process in the production-consumption cycle. The second is distribution. Although the
product designer may not be directly involved in planning for distribution, he will often find that the problems
of distribution have an important impact on the original design of the product.
The purpose of this phase is to plan an effective and flexible system of distribution of the designed goods. The
short list we now give is indicative of the planning for distribution.
 Designing the packaging of the product
 Planning the warehousing systems
 Planning the promotional activity
 Designing the product for conditions arising in distribution

Phase VI-Planning for Consumption

Consumption is the third process in the production-consumption cycle. As a process, it occurs naturally after
distribution. The purpose of this phase is to incorporate in the design, adequate service features and to provide a
rational basis for product improvement and redesign. Design for consumption must consider the following
factors:
 Design for maintenance
 Design for reliability
 Design for safety
 Design for convenience in use
 Design for aesthetic features
 Design for operational economy
 Design for adequate duration of services
 Obtain service data that can provide a basis for product improvement, for next generation designs.

Phase VII-Planning for Retirement

The fourth process in the production-consumption cycle is the disposal of the retired product. For large an
semi-permanent installations, the mere removal may pose difficult engineering problems, as for example, the
demolition of a tall building closely surrounded by buildings on either side. Sometimes, the impact on a new
design is more immediate as when an old structure or system must be replaced by a. new one with minimum
disruption of normal operations.

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What determines as to when an economic commodity in use (e.g. a consumer's product, a commercial or
industrial device, or a private or public system) has reached an age at which it should be retired? This is one of
the principal questions raised by a study of engineering economy. If the article in use is worn to the point at
which it can no longer render adequate service, then the need for replacement is clear. However, the same fast
pace of technology which compels the designer also accelerates the aging process of goods in use. It is a
hallmark of our times that goods in use are retired more frequently because of technical obsolescence than for
physical deterioration (mobile phones for example). Changes in fashions, often deliberately cultivated by
industry, also produce their share of casualties. In the design of soft goods, such as clothing, exploiting fashion
changes is an accepted practice, since the value of such goods lies in their aesthetic appeal.
To the product designer, the question whether to design for physical deterioration or for technical obsolescence
is of fundamental importance. Ideally, the system should be designed so that it wears out physically as it
becomes technically obsolete; then no extra cost would be incurred for providing for a longer than useful life.
But usually, the elements of design that contribute to a longer life are also essential to adequate reliability and
maintenance; thus a full compromise between obsolescence and wear out is generally not possible. These
aspects of design need further study.
Designing for retirement, according to Asimow, must consider the following aspects:
 Designing to reduce the rate of obsolescence by taking into account the anticipated effects of technical
developments.
 Designing physical life to match anticipated service life.
 Designing for several levels of use so that when service life at higher level of use is terminated, the
product will be adaptable for further use with a less demanding level.
 Designing the product so that reusable materials and long-lived components can be recovered.
 Examining and testing of service-terminated products in the laboratory to obtain useful design
information.

MORPHOLOGY VS. ANATOMY OF DESIGN

Morphology
The consideration of the product life from its conception to retirement.....
 Needs Analysis
 Feasibility Study
 Preliminary Design
 Detailed Design

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 Production
 Distribution
 Consumption
 Retirement

Anatomy of Design
It includes
 Detailed examination of the engineers
 actions as he/she identifies and solves the
 problem
 Problem statement and formulation
 Information collection
 Modelling
 Value statement
 Synthesis of alternatives
 Analysis and testing
 Evaluation
 Decision
 Optimisation
 Iteration
 Communication

PRIMARY DESIGN PHASES AND FLOWCHARTS

We have just discussed seven steps of design. We will now discuss first three steps in detail, which are
1. feasibility study
2. preliminary design
3. detailed design phase
Feasibility study has six steps, preliminary design has 10 steps and detailed design has nine steps, making a
total of 25 steps. These are shown in the figure and explained below.

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Phase I-Feasibility Study

Step 1: The need. The starting point of a design project is a hypothetical need which may have been observed
currently on the socio-economic scene. It may be worded in the form of a primitive need statement; or it may
have been elaborated into a sophisticated and authenticated statement based on market and consumer studies.
The need may be suggested by a technical breakthrough which motivates its exploitation through product for
social good. The product may be available in the market for a purchase price and there could be a number of
firms supplying the product. The importance of establishing the need can hardly be overestimated. Too often,
an organization will go in for a project and develop a base while ending up in financial failure because the
assumed need was imaginary and disappeared in the light of reality. Primitive need statement contains a vague
description of what is required.
Intuitive knowledge about people, their habits and lifestyles and their behaviour in the socioeconomic system,
may be combined with specific information obtained by market research to provide the information necessary
for making a need analysis. After performing the need analysis, a decision must be made about the validity of
the economic worthwhileness of the need. If it is favourable, the results of this step are summarized in a set of
specifications of desired outputs which the product or system must be capable of producing in order to satisfy
the need.
Step 2: The design problem-Identification and formulation. The information available comes from the
results of the preceding step, particularly the specifications of desired outputs, and from relevant technical
knowledge about environments, resources and the general engineering principle. With this information, an
activity analysis is performed whereby the design problem is given a technical formulation.
Step 3: The synthesis of possible solutions. Synthesis implies combining or bringing different ideas to
produce an integrated whole. It is this step which characterizes, more than anything else, the project as a design
undertaking. This requires innovative and creative effort. Creativity is therefore an essential ingredient for
product design.

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Step 4: Physical realizability. The problem is whether it is possible to accomplish such a practical physical
embodiment, as is suggested by the concept. The designer can visualize the elements and results of a new
concept.
Step 5: Economic worthwhileness. No object is a proper subject of product design, if it is unable to pass the
test of economic worthwhileness. The only objective measure is in the market place. When this instrument of
measure can be applied, the results can be quantitatively expressed in terms of money. Utility is a good measure

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of economic worthwhileness of a product. For example, on a comparative basis, a bulb with 4 units life (on a 10
point scale) and luminous intensity 3 units has a higher utility than a bulb with 5 units life arid luminous
intensity 2.5 units.
Step 6: Financial feasibility. Sometimes it happens that a project, meritorious from every point of view, and of
great economic worth, cannot be realized because it is difficult to mobilize resources for its implementation.
The last three steps are like sieves. Through the first sieve only those solutions are passed which are physically
realizable; through the second, only those possessing economic worthwhileness for producer, distributor and
consumer; and through the third, only those that are financially feasible. The set of useful solutions comprise
the ones passing successfully through each of the three sieves.

Phase II-The Preliminary Design

The preliminary design is intended to establish an overall concept for the project, which will serve as a guide
for the detailed design. An evolution of the design concept is carried forward far enough so that a decision can
be made about committing for the next phase. The preliminary design phase is shown diagrammatically in
given figure. Optimization is the main objective in this phase.
Step 1: Selection of the design concept. In the set of useful solutions developed in the feasibility study, the
most promising one must be identified. The design concept is selected on the basis of utility. Factors such as
reliability, safety, cost, and user friendliness are given consideration and the design concept with the highest
point rating qualifies as the best concept.
Step 2: Formulation of mathematical model. Design proceeds from the abstract to the concrete. We do this
by describing the idea in words, in graphic illustrations, and in mathematical equations. Mathematical models
enable useful software to be developed so that the design can be optimized on a computer.
Step 3: Sensitivity analysis. We visualize a system as being described in the form of equations or
mathematical model involving the design parameters and the input and output variables. We would like to
know how sensitive the performance of the system is to the adjustment of several design parameters. Those
which critically affect the performance must be carefully adjusted, whereas others which are less critical can be
adapted to suit convenience. In recent years, Taguchi the Japanese pioneer of quality control, has been
advocating the concept of robust design. According to his philosophy, the design parameters which, on
changing, result in a large change in undesirable output from the system, should be deleted.
Step 4: Compatibility analysis. A system or a complicated device can be thought of as an object which is
itself a combination of objects. In the case of a complex system such objects would be referred to as sub-
systems.
Compatibility may involve straightforward considerations such as geometrical tolerance or chemical tolerance.
More difficult problems of compatibility arise when interacting co-members must have matching operating

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characteristics, as when one member is in series with another so that the outputs of one are the inputs of the
other. One example of this aspect of compatibility is electric motor and pump combination.
Step 5: Stability analysis. Systems and devices that engineers design are often exposed to a dynamic
environment. For example, a building is apparently a stable and static structure, but an earthquake may apply an
impulsive displacement to the foundation, resulting in a catastrophe.
A designer would like the systems he designs to have an inherent stability so that uncommon perturbations in
the environment or accidental large inputs or loads will not cause catastrophic failures or malfunctions.
Step 6: Formal optimization. Till now we have not tried to fix all the major design parameters at definite and
singular values. However, for the design to advance, the parameters must receive specific design values.
Among all the feasible combinations of parameter values, there is one superior to all others, viz. the optimum
combination. The process for finding this destination is called optimization.
Step 7: Projections into the future. We may now pose two main questions: the first is on the socio-economic
environment that will exist when the product comes into actual use, and the second refers to the race against
technical obsolescence. The development period for a product should not be so large that by the time it comes
in the market, the competitor would have launched a superior product. The other aspect of the future
projections is the expected useful 'shelf life' of the product.
Step 8: Prediction of system behaviour. A system must function in an acceptable manner throughout a
reasonable service life. The desired outputs must be produced over a span of time as well as at the start when
the system is new.
Step 9: Testing the design concept. The proof of a design is in the use of the product. Evolutionary design
waits for the evidence and allows time to pass for its utility to be revealed. A novel design cannot wait because
it relies much more on innovation. Innovation must speed ahead; otherwise, it will be overtaken by the next
wave of new technology. The new design concept can be tested with a scale model or through computer
simulation.
Step 10: Simplification of design. As a design moves through various steps, the original concept becomes
more complicated. The simple and the obvious are hard to achieve. One of the most important questions for the
designer to ask is whether the projected solution is the simplest.
The detailed design to be discussed now onwards carries the overall design concept, developed in its
preliminary stage, to the final hardware. To do so, the overall concept must be brought to a state of design that
is clearly physically realizable. This state is achieved by finally constructing a prototype from a full set of
design instructions, testing it and making the necessary revisions in both prototype and design instructions until
the system or device is satisfactory for production, distribution and consumption.

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Phase III-Detailed Design

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Step 1: Preparation for design. In order to go ahead we need budgetary approvals and a strong design team.
The commitment to proceed is not final because relatively close estimates of time and money are needed, prior
to the design. For practical reasons, it is only the top management who, having the responsibility for the final
economic success of the project, can make the decision to suspend the project, or to approve the necessary
budgets. The art and science of estimation is very important.
Step 2: Overall design of subsystems. In the preliminary design, we are concerned with the overall concepts;
subsystems are examined only to evaluate the quality of the overall system concept. Subsequently, each
subsystem must be looked at as an individual entity. Compatibility of one subsystem with the other also needs
to be verified.
Finally, a provisional master layout is prepared for each subsystem which translates the results of the subsystem
designs into drawings. These master layouts become the basis for developing the design of the components.
Step 3: Overall design of components. The work which is required for the overall design of components is
practically a repetition of what has been indicated for the subsystems. Just as the system comprises several
subsystems, so the subsystems usually comprise a certain number of components, which are developed in the
same way as the subsystem. But as we move down to successively lower levels in the design project, the
objects we deal with become progressively less abstract and the problem of ultimate hardware becomes urgent.
Some of the components can even be purchased as complete assemblies of hardware. A set of ball bearings is a
typical example of bought-out items.
As in the case of the subsystem, the results of the component designs are covered in provisional master layouts
which form the basis for the detailed design of parts.
Step 4: Detailed design of parts. Parts are the elementary pieces from which components are assembled.
When a part is being designed, no questions pertaining to its design may remain unanswered; no ambiguities
about its shape, its material, or its surface treatment should interfere with the instructions for its manufacture.
Step 5: Preparation of assembly drawings. After the constituent parts have been designed, the form of a
component can be fixed. The provisional layout of the component can now be replaced by tentative final
assembly drawings. In producing the assembly drawings, cases of incompatibility and oversight in the
compatibility analyses will generally be revealed. The affected parts are suitably modified.
After the component assemblies are prepared, the corresponding assembly drawings for the subsystems can be
drafted. Again, incompatibilities and misfits of various kinds may be revealed, and these are corrected by the
usual iterative process. Finally, the final assembly for the system is similarly undertaken. Computer Aided
Design (CAD) and Drafting is the latest practice in computerized drafting.
Step 6: Experimental construction. With the completed drawings at hand, the prototype shop can undertake
to build the first full-scale prototypes. Sometimes, the first prototype is also the end product.

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Step 7: Product test program. Factorial experiments provide a very effective method of testing with low cost.
In this method, the independent variables are changed between their high limit and low limit. The effect of such
change on the response variable (or the main design objective) is determined.
Step 8: Analysis and prediction. With the notes and records of the experimental construction and the data and
other general observations of the test program, preparation for revision or redesign can begin, if necessary.
Step 9: Redesign. The analysis and predications of performance are the prelude to redesign. If the experimental
construction and the test program have not found the design inadequate, the work of redesign may be just that
of minor revision. If major flaws and shortcomings have been exposed, then the work of redesign may reach
major proportions, and entirely new concepts may have to be sought for major components and even for
subsystems.

CHECKLIST FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN PROBLEMS

 What Makes a Good Design Brief?
 Does it define the problem you intend to solve?
 Does it describe how existing products are used and why they fail to address the problem?
 Does It describe your target user?
 Does it list all of the requirements for your design?
 Is each design requirement needed to solve your problem? If it is not needed leave it out. You will have
enough other things to work on!
 Is each design requirement feasible? Ask if you have the time, money, materials, tools, and knowledge
to make It happen. If you have conflicts between your requirements, have you investigated making
trade-offs among them?
 What Makes a Good Design Choice?
 Does your solution meet all of your design requirements?
 Does your solution meet as many of the universal design criteria as possible?
o Elegance
o Robustness
o Aesthetics
o Cost
o Resources
o Time

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o Skill Required .
o Safety

DESIGN FOR SAFETY

Besides the explicit warranty which a manufacturer supplies to the consumer, the former is also committed to
an implied guarantee of safety to the user. If the user suffers from an accident during the normal usage of a
product, he would expect. compensation from the manufacturer. There are many conditional safety standards
for products:
 As safe as they can possibly be
 Safe, according to industry-wide standards
 Safe, if used in the manner and situations specified in the instructions
 Safe for a child who may behave impulsively.
Engineers and designers are concerned about the legal aspects of safety. Often, decisions in court involve
judgments, not obvious to the designer. Moreover, the enforcement of laws and the interpretation of
constitutional rights vary from one country to another, and may change with public awareness.
Reducing the responsibility of the manufacturer, by specifying narrow situations and particular procedures does
not always work. In court, the user is often not responsible, for not following the minute details included in the
instructions. It all depends on how reasonable and obvious the instructions arc:. Products are required to
function in real-life situations, allowing for human error as permitted by ergonomic factors. Real-life conditions
may include power failure, poor maintenance, accidental overheating, and a corrosive environment. Human
errors include slight ignorance, negligence and abuse. Though instructions do not exclude responsibility on the
part of the manufacturer, clear and explicit warnings are often the best defence. Whenever possible, safety
warnings should be placed on the product. Crucial warnings are sometimes included as part of advertising.
A defect free or fail-safe design is one that will not lead to accidents, in the case of functional failures. Since a
functional repair is much cheaper than a damage from an accident, fail-safe designs are recognized as superior
and necessary in many products. Take power steering as an example. Most power steering systems are designed
so that the wheels can still be controlled without the power booster. If the fluid pump fails or the engine stalls,
the car can still be steered.
Large soft drink bottles have foam plastic coatings for increased safety. Uncoated bottles are known to explode
upon impact, under the pressure of carbon dioxide. Photographic flash bulbs also have plastic coatings, to
prevent shattering due to sudden heating. Automobile windshields are engineered to prevent shattering.
The clothing or hair of an employee may be caught between rollers and dragged into a machine. Slip clutches,
shear pins, fuses, circuit breakers and pressure-relief valves are used to prevent overloads. If a bicycle is

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jammed under an electric garage door (or an elevator door), a slip clutch can prevent uncontrolled large forces
that might damage both the bicycle and the garage door.
Interlocks are used to prevent human errors. For instance, the keys for a car with an automatic transmission
cannot be removed unless the shift is in 'park' position. In some cars with manual transmissions, the engine
cannot be started unless the clutch is depressed. Safety switches are installed at the bottom of some portable
heating appliances. If an appliance, such as an electric room heater, is accidentally tipped over, it would
automatically shut off. All of these are introduced because humans do not function perfectly, and the design
parameters invariably take into account the human errors.
Emergency equipment in buildings has greatly improved, during the last decade, due to fire hazards. Many
buildings are equipped with emergency exits, emergency lights, which have self contained battery packs, fire
doors, smoke detectors and automatic sprinkling systems. Emergency elevators are also installed in some tall
buildings.
Factor of safety is the ratio of strength to load. Strength is a characteristic of the machine component: the
maximum force it can bear. The load is the actual force imparted to the component, when the machine operates.
The strength of a component may vary, because of uncertainties in 'material properties and finishing processes.
The load may exceed the estimated load, when the machine is missed. A factor of safety larger than 1 leaves a
margin for an overload, and for the discrepancy between what is calculated and what actually happens.
Sometimes, a factor of safety as large as 10 is used, because the estimation of strength and load is extremely
inaccurate. Since excess strength results in material wastage, a better engineering practice is to obtain an
accurate evaluation of the strength and the load, and to use a small factor of safety.

DESIGN FOR ASSEMBLY (DFA)/DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURABILITY

Design for Assembly is a process by which products are designed with ease of assembly in mind. If a product
contains fewer parts it will take less time to assemble, thereby reducing assembly costs. In addition, if the parts
are provided with features which make it easier to grasp, move, orient and insert them, this will also reduce
assembly time and assembly costs. The reduction of the number of parts in an assembly has the added benefit
of generally reducing the total cost of parts in the assembly. This is usually where the major cost benefits of the
application of design for assembly occur.
Starting in 1977, Geoff Boothroyd, supported by an NSF grant at the University of Massachusetts, developed
the Design for Assembly method (DFA), which could be used to estimate the time for manual assembly of a
product and the cost of assembling the product on an automatic assembly machine. Recognizing that the most
important factor in reducing assembly costs was the minimization of the number of separate parts in a product,
he introduced three simple criteria which could be used to determine theoretically whether any of the parts in
the product could be eliminated or combined with other parts. These criteria, together with tables relating
assembly time to various design factors influencing part grasping, orientation and insertion, could be used to
estimate total assembly time and to rate the quality of a product design from an assembly viewpoint. For
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automatic assembly, tables of factors could be used to estimate the cost of automatic feeding and orienting and
automatic insertion of the parts on an assembly machine.
Two notable examples of good design for assembly are the Sony Walkman and the Swatch watch. Both were
designed for fully automated assembly. The Walkman line was designed for "vertical assembly", in which parts
are inserted in straight-down moves only. The Sony SMART assembly system, used to assemble Walkman-
type products, is a robotic system for assembling small devices designed for vertical assembly.
The IBM Pro-printer used design for automated assembly (DFAA) rules. These DFAA rules help design a
product that can be assembled automatically by robots, but they are useful even with products assembled by
manual assembly.

TECHNICAL REPORTS
A formal technical report usually is written at the end of a project. Generally, it is a complete, stand-alone
document aimed at persons having widely diverse backgrounds. Therefore, much more detail is required than
for the memorandum report.
The outline of a typical professional report 5 might be:
Cover letter (letter of transmittal): The cover letter is provided so that persons who might receive the report
without prior notification will have some introduction to it.
Title page: The title page includes names, affiliations, and addresses of the authors.
Executive summary (containing conclusions): The summary is generally less than a page in length and
contains three paragraphs. The first briefly describes the objective of the study and the problems studied.
Paragraph two describes your solution to the problem. The last paragraph addresses its importance to the
business in terms of cost savings, improved quality, or new business opportunities.
Table of contents, including list of figures and tables.
Introduction: The introduction contains the pertinent technical facts that might be unknown to the reader but
will be used in the report.
Technical issue sections (analysis or experimental procedures, pertinent results, discussion of results):
 The experimental procedure section is usually included to indicate how the data were obtained and to
describe any nonstandard methods or techniques that were employed.
 The results section describes the results of the study and includes relevant data analysis. Any
experimental error allowances are included here.
 The discussion section presents data analysis analyzing the data to make a specific point, develop the
data into some more meaningful form, or relate the data to theory described in the introduction.

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Conclusions: The conclusion section states in as concise a form as possible the conclusions that can be drawn
from the study. In general, this section is the culmination of the work and the report.
References: References support statements in the report and lead the reader to more in-depth information about
a topic.
Appendixes: Appendixes are used for mathematical developments, sample calculations, etc., that are not
directly associated with the subject of the report and that, if placed in the main body of the report, would
seriously impede the logical flow of thought. Final equations developed in the appendixes are then placed in the
body of the report with reference to the appendix in which they were developed.

ROLE OF ALLOWANCE AND TOLERANCE IN DETAILED DESIGN

Allowance (A)
Allowance is the difference of dimension between a female member and a male member of the assembly. A
practical example of a male member would be a shaft, and its corresponding female member would be a hole.

Tolerance (T)
The product designer is aware that a process set up at a size D will occasionally produce pieces which are either
oversized or undersized. For this reason, a designer always specifies a part dimension (D + T/2), where T is the
tolerance prescribed by the designer.
CREATIVITY - IDEA GENERATION
Creativity is the development of ideas, new to an individual, not necessarily new to someone else. It is
creativity that leads to the discovery of alternative designs, methods, systems or processes that will accomplish
the basic function at minimum cost.
Generating ideas will exercise the designer’s creatively. Ideas don’t cost money, and the more ideas that can
be generated at the beginning of a project, the better will be the chance of finding an acceptable solution.
A good idea generated too late may be costly in time and money spend developing a poorer idea. An
engineer can improve the success rate for generating good ideas if some basic guidelines are followed such as
reviewing the original problem statement (including all the questions), breaking problems into parts (sub
problems), value analysis (the method to determine other methods of performing the same function at less
cost), searching for the available sources of information for ideas (such as books, technical journals,
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handbooks, encyclopedias, etc.) and by answering questions which were asked during problem identification
activity.

Brainstorming
Brainstorming is the most widely known creative method for idea generation. This is a method for generating a
large number of ideas, most of which will subsequently be discarded, but with perhaps a few novel ideas
being identified as worth following up. It is normally conducted as a small group session of about 5-12
people.
The group of people selected for a brainstorming session should be diverse including a wide range of expertise
and even laypeople if they have some familiarity with the problem area. The group must be non
hierarchical, although one person does need to take an organizational lead. The role of the group leader in a
brainstorming session is to ensure that the format of the method is followed, and that it does not degenerate
into a round table discussion. In response to the initial problem statement, the group members are asked to
spend a few minutes-in silence-writing down the first ideas that come into their brains. After the ideas have
been written down by all the members, then these ideas are analysed one by one so that best of the ideas may
be identified and selected out from a huge pile of ideas, generated during the session.
The essential rules of the brainstorming are :
 No criticism is allowed during the session.
 A large quantity of ideas is wanted.
 Seemingly crazy ideas are quick welcome.
 Keep all ideas short and snappy
 Try to combine and improve on the ideas of others.
Brainstorming originated in advertising as a way of discovering new methods of promotion. It is a useful
technique now extensively practiced as part of value engineering, but it has two drawbacks. An obvious
difficulty is the gathering together of a group at a specific time. The bulk of design results as a consequence of
other design work. It is not uncommon for a designer to have to speculate several times in one day and to
arrange brainstorming groups at such frequent intervals is not a very practical proposition. As a consequence,
brainstorming is normally reserved for the major problems and for those where a solution eludes the
designer. A second difficulty is keeping the specification accurately in mind and still maintaining an
informal atmosphere. Situations can occur where the line of thought is allowed to drift away from the
specification to such an extent that whilst most of the solutions may satisfy the requirement, they include
those features which not appropriate to the specification.

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SYNECTICS
Creative thinking often draws on analogical thinking-on the ability to see parallels or connections
between apparently dissimilar topics. The use of analogical thinking has been formalized in a creative
design method known as “Synectics”. Like brainstorming, synectics is a group activity in which criticism
is ruled out, and the group members attempt to build, combine and develop ideas towards a creative
solution to the set problem. Synectics is different from brainstorming in that the group tries to work
collectively towards a particular solution, rather than generating a large number of ideas. A synectics
session is much longer than brainstorming and much more demanding. In a synectics session, the group
is encouraged to use particular types of analogy. These have been summarized by J.C.Jones as follows :
 Direct analogies : These are most readily found by seeking a biological solution to a similar problem
e.g. Brunel’s observation of a shipworm forming a tube for itself as it bored through timber. This is said
to have led him to the idea of a caisson for underwater constructions.
 Personal Analogies : The designer imagines what it would be like to use one’s body to produce the effect
that is being sought, e.g. what would it feel like to be a helicopters blade.
 Symbolic Analogies : These are poetic metaphors in which aspects of one thing are identified with aspects
of another, e.g. the ‘head’ of hammer, the ‘mouth’ of a river etc.
 Fantasy Analogies : To wish for, or to imagine, things as they are known not to be e.g. we need a road that
disappears except where the wheels touch the ground.
Morphological analysis
It is structured in a comprehensive way to list. and examine many
possible combinations that may be useful in solving a problem.
An example of this technique, using a window as product under
consideration is shown in following figure. There are many possible
combinations of windows for a new building. The three variables
considered are size (shape), type and glazing material.
One axis of the cube lists all the different sizes to be considered. The
second axis displays the different types of windows, and, the third
axis lists the various choices of glazing materials. The resulting three
dimensional matrix displays up to 125 possible combinations. Each of these combinations could be evaluated
on a systematic basis, creating many more ideas.

Attribute listing technique

There are two steps in the attribute listing technique. The first is to list all the various characteristics of the
study object. The second is to deliberately change or modify these characteristics. By means of this technique,
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it is possible to bring together new combinations of characteristics or attributes that will fulfill some existing
needs in a better way.

PRODUCT AND MARKET

First, it is necessary to establish that the proposed product will fulfill a demand in the market, what it is
supposed to do, and the services it can offer are both desirable and acceptable. If no consumption is expected, it
is futile to go ahead with product design.
The demand for the product in the market may already exist, and its volume can then be assessed by market
research and sales figures for similar products. Demand can also be created with the introduction of a new
product either by filling in a gap in the market or by offering new attributes, such as novelty, form and shape, or
some other specific quality. The volume of such a demand is more difficult to forecast. Market research is a
useful tool in these cases.
The volume of demand is a function of several factors, such as trends, cyclic effects, seasonal effects etc., some
of which are closely related to local conditions and are sometimes difficult to define or measure. It is therefore
essential for an enterprise to keep in touch with the market and "feel" its trends, especially when this market is
remote and different in character from the local one.
Another relevant question related to product design is: should the customer get what he wants or should he be
served with what he needs?
In practice, product design is a result of compromise between infinite variety on one hand and the designer’s
concept of the ideal design on the other. In order to selling this compromise to potential customer, the
management opts for an advertising campaign.

PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS
The various relationships in design have already been illustrated in given figure. Now it can be seen how
market research starts driving the 'design-production-consumption' cycle. Needs analysis generates functional
requirement which in turn generates specification for product development. Apart from the functional aspects,
other aspects, termed standards of performance, e.g. cost durability, dependability, and ergonomics, are
essential inputs to product development. Production design which considers incorporation of production into
the design is another important aspect of design, and development. Aesthetics or considerations of product
appearance usually enter product design at a later stage rather than at the development stage. After the product
design is complete, the subsequent steps are prototype production and later on, batch or mass production. The
next step involves the actual selling of the product to the appropriate market. From the market, the feedback
loop too needs analysis is complete.

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Functional aspect
When the marketing possibilities have been explored, the functional scope of the product has to be carefully
analyzed and properly defined.. Sometimes, functional aspects are multiple, and usage of the product can be left
to the customer's choice. A steam iron is a case in point. The additional function of dampening the cloth when
required, prior to or during ironing, is incorporated in the steam iron, the main functions of which is to iron the
cloth. The customer can decide whether and when to exploit this characteristic of the apparatus.
There is a trend to offer functional versatility of the product, thereby increasing the range of applications and
sometimes combining several tools in one. A mixer, for example, allows for a large number of attachments to
be added for a variety of duties. It is labelled as a "kitchen machine" to enhance its positioning. Basically, the
mixer housing contains a power unit and a speed regulator, but it has to be so designed as to serve all the
attachments, and the customer has to decide and define for himself the functional scope to be compatible with
his needs, his taste and his pocket.

Operational aspect (Ergonomic considerations)

After determining the functional aspect, the operational aspect has to be considered. Not only must the product
function properly, it must be easy to handle and easy to operate. Sometimes it has to be adaptable to various
operational conditions. The designer's problem becomes all the more critical with the rising trend for increased

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versatility because this characteristic implies using basic attachments as elements for building suitable
combinations for specific purposes.

Ease of maintenance and durability

These are two factors closely related to the selection of materials and class of workmanship and hence to the
design of the product and the economical analysis of its cost. Quality is not always a simple characteristic to
define, but durability and dependability are two factors that often determine quality and have to be carefully
considered by the designer. Durability is defined mainly by the length of the service life or endurance of the
product under given working conditions. Selection of good materials alone does not guarantee the durability of
a product. The actual service life of a match or a rocket motor maybe rather limited, but that does not mean that
materials for these articles may be of low quality. An additional criterion, therefore, has to be considered, that
of reliability, or the capability of the product to do its job. In the case of matches, for instance, reliability may
be related to the number of sticks in a box, and while the manufacturer is eager to reduce this number to a
minimum, he need not choose the very best raw materials to ensure that not even one match will fail.
Dependability of rocket motors, however, may be more rigidly defined, and quality materials are chosen in
spite of the short active life envisaged for them in some applications. The standard of performance and
specifications of different products should be assessed with caution.
Another aspect of durability is that of maintenance and repair. The amount of repair and preventive
maintenance required for some products is closely related to quality and design policy. This is of particular
importance when the equipment is supposed to operate continuously and when any repair involves a loss of
running time.

Aesthetic aspect
In what way does the appearance of a product affect its design? In most cases where the functional scope,
durability and dependability have already been defined, the aesthetics aspect is mainly concerned with
moulding the final shape around the basic skeleton. Functional shape is a concept in its own right among
designers. Those who believe in functional shape argue that compatibility of function with shape is logical and
should therefore be accentuate. A standard lamp is first and foremost a lamp and not a butterfly, and there is
nothing wrong with its looking like a lamp. This approach is illustrated in previous figure. In this approach, the
aesthetic aspects are examined at the design stage, after all the other aspects of the proposed product have been
analyzed.
In some cases, aesthetics is the governing factor in design and completely dominates it. This is especially true.
for many consumer goods or fashion goods.
Whereas styling is a dominant factor in product design, it is often used as a means to create demand. In such
products, appearance is the sole reason for purchase of the product. Changes in fashion and taste, evolution of
form, and the introduction of new ideas quickly replace previous designs. If the market is turbulent and eager to
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discard outdated designs in favour of new ones, styling becomes a race against time, a race that determines the
salability of the product.
Aesthetic moulding, especially when governed by selection of material, colour, texture and sometimes even a
line, has great economic advantages, since great variety can be achieved at a comparatively low cost.

Product Development
New product development is a crucial process for the survival of firms, especially small businesses. The small
business environment today is very dynamic and competitive. For small enterprises to withstand competition
from multinationals, they have to continuously update their products to conform to current trends.
Five phases guide the new product development process for small businesses.
 Idea Generation. This is the initial stage where a business sources for ideas regarding a new product.
Some of the sources for new product ideas include the business customers, competitors, newspapers,
journals, employees and suppliers. This stage is crucial as it lays the foundation for all the other phases,
the ideas generated shall guide the overall process of product development.
 Screening. The generated ideas have to go through a screening process to filter out the viable ones. The
business seeks opinions from workers, customers and other businesses to avoid the pursuit of costly
unfeasible ideas. At the end of the screening process, the firm remains with only a few feasible ideas
from the large pool generated.
 Concept Development. The enterprise undertakes research to find out the potential costs, revenues and
profits arising from the product. The business conducts a SWOT analysis to identify the strengths,
weakness opportunities and threats existing in the market. The market strategy is set out to identify the
product's target group.
 Product Development and Commercialization. Product development entails the actual design and
manufacture of the product. Development commences with the manufacture of a prototype that
facilitates market testing. Based upon the results of the tests, the business owner decides on whether to
undertake large-scale production or not. Favorable results precede large-scale production and
commercialization. The business launches its promotion campaign for the new product. Ergonomics &
human factors of design
Consideration of human factors is very important since every design is to be used or controlled by human
beings. A good designer should always seriously think of the man-machine system. Efficiency of any system to
a great extent depends on the comfort of human operator and as such it becomes essential to keep in view the
limitations of the human operator. The ease with which he does the various operations - moving of levers,
seeing dials and receiving other signals, the fatigue that human body gathers while doing these operations, the
environmental conditions, heat, noise, humidity, safety considerations etc., need serious consideration. The
subject dealing with human aspects of design and his working environment is known as ergonomic design.
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Ergonomics is an activity which has developed from work study and the aim is to improve the working
environment such that the operator fatigue and strain is reduced, and the efficiency as a whole is improved.
Ergonomics is also defined as the study of the relation between man and his occupation, equipment and
environment, and particularly the application of anatomical, physiological and psychological knowledge to the
problems arising there from. It applies knowledge of the human body and mind to industrial problems. Many of
the problems encountered in the ergonomic design of machines and controls are found in the design of
workplace layouts (place to house operator). Efficiency of operator is directly dependent on the design of
workplace. Workplace should be so proportioned that it suits a chosen group of people. If possible, adjustments
on seat heights, etc. be provided to accommodate operators of different height.
The optimum conditions have been established by the research methods based upon which the following basic
principles have been evolved which should be considered by designer for a system involving operator:
 As far as possible the designer should aim for 'sitting position at work'. When it is impossible to
consider the sitting position due to the nature of work, then only standing position should be considered.
 All the unnatural body positions should be avoided for reduction of body fatigue.
 For tiring work such as holding a weight with arm stretched; supports lined with soft rubber or felt
should be provided for elbows, and arms and hands.
 Since continuous Use of one hand leads to fatigue, both the arms should be used, as far as possible.
 The height of working area should be properly chosen both for sitting and standing postures of the
body.
 Most frequent movements of hands should be as close to the body as possible. Working implements,
levers, hand grips etc. and work layout in the sitting condition should be arranged accordingly.
 The working load on limbs of human body should not exceed their load carrying capacities.
 Adequate light should be provided on the working area, but glare should be avoided.
 Knobs, levers, push buttons should be properly designed.

PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

A new product progresses through a sequence of stages from introduction to growth, maturity, and decline.
This sequence is known as the product life cycle and is associated with changes in the marketing situation,
thus impacting the marketing strategy and the marketing mix. The product revenue and profits can be plotted as
a function of the life-cycle stages as shown in the graph below:

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Introduction Stage
In the introduction stage, the firm seeks to build product awareness and develop a market for the product. The
impact on the marketing mix is as follows:
 Product branding and quality level is established, and intellectual property protection such as patents
and trademarks are obtained.
 Pricing may be low penetration pricing to build market share rapidly, or high skim pricing to recover
development costs.
 Distribution is selective until consumers show acceptance of the product.
 Promotion is aimed at innovators and early adopters. Marketing communications seeks to build product
awareness and to educate potential consumers about the product.

Growth Stage
In the growth stage, the firm seeks to build brand preference and increase market share.
 Product quality is maintained and additional features and support services may be added.
 Pricing is maintained as the firm enjoys increasing demand with little competition.
 Distribution channels are added as demand increases and customers accept the product.
 Promotion is aimed at a broader audience.

Maturity Stage
At maturity, the strong growth in sales diminishes. Competition may appear with similar products. The primary
objective at this point is to defend market share while maximizing profit.
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 Product features may be enhanced to differentiate the product from that of competitors.
 Pricing may be lower because of the new competition.
 Distribution becomes more intensive and incentives may be offered to encourage preference over
competing products.
 Promotion emphasizes product differentiation.

Decline Stage
As sales decline, the firm has several options:
 Maintain the product, possibly rejuvenating it by adding new features and finding new uses.
 Harvest the product - reduce costs and continue to offer it, possibly to a loyal niche segment.
 Discontinue the product, liquidating remaining inventory or selling it to another firm that is willing to
continue the product.
The marketing mix decisions in the decline phase will depend on the selected strategy. For example, the
product may be changed if it is being rejuvenated, or left unchanged if it is being harvested or liquidated. The
price may be maintained if the product is harvested, or reduced drastically if liquidated.

STANDARDIZATION
Standardization is the process of defining and applying the conditions necessary to ensure that a given range of
requirements can normally be met with a minimum of variety and in a reproducible and economic manner on
the basis of the current techniques.
Standardization covers a wide field of activity. These activities include:
 Physical dimension and tolerances of components within a defined range.
 Rating of machines or equipment (in units of energy, temperature, current, speed etc). 0

 Specification of physical and chemical properties of materials.

 Methods of testing characteristics or performances.
 Methods of installation to comply with minimum precautionary measures and convenience of use.
Standardization has many advantages, some of which may be briefly listed now:
 Reduction. of material waste and obsolescence
 Concentration of effort in manufacturing: hence, simplification and specialization
 Reduction in inventories, both of materials, and semi finished and finished products
 Reduction in book-keeping and other paper work
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 Lowering the grade of skill required in manufacture and assembly
 Reduction in price: hence expansion of the market
 Reduction in repair and maintenance costs

SPECIFICATION
For a particular application, the user must decide on the performance required depending on his application and
then check with the manufacturer's specification whether his requirements can be met by the product
manufactured by the company.
A specification must be clearly written so that all the necessary information on important characteristics is
shown without other confusing details.
Performance specification is a detailed statement of the characteristics and parameters of a
device/machine/process when operating under stated environmental conditions. It enables selection of well
defined product.
Test specification is a document used within a manufacturing plant which details the tests, with limits of
measured values, that must be made on all production models.
Standard specifications are issued by national authorities for the guidance of manufacturers and users of
equipment. These cover the glossaries of terms and symbols, dimensional standards, performance
specifications, standard methods of test, and codes of practice.
Specifications are used when designing a new product. The necessary information on the product to be
designed is transmitted to the designer through the specification. Writing the specification thus deserves special
attention and care. Good specifications can be developed by considering/ following points:
 Use plain and simple English. Avoid ambiguous phrases.
 Ascertain accuracy of specification.
 It should be flexible to incorporate improvements without difficulty.
 It should be ensured that specification is reasonable for stated tolerances.
 Reference to standard documents should be minimised.
 It should be ensured that the specification is complete and concise.
 It should include limitations during erection, manufacturing constraints etc.

RELIABILITY
Every product that is designed, fabricated and used has a finite life. After some time, there comes a time when
the product ceases to perform the design function effectively. This is all quite predictable, since we can

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calculate, at least approximately, the wear rates etc. And because of this predictability it does not pose a very
serious problem to the designer who can always design for a life longer than that needed for the particular
application.
What worries the designer is however another kind of failure called ‘chance failures’. A designer knows
only too well that no matter how carefully he designs, some piece will fold up before its expected life. If
we plot failure rate on y axis and operating time on x axis, we obtain a curve as shown in figure.

Bath tub life characteristic curve for product reliability

Fresh pieces have a relatively high rate of failure because of the undetected manufacturing errors that result
in a defective product being passed at the inspection stage. This defective product fails quite early in the
life tests. After this initial phase (infant stage or early failure stage), the product settles down and renders
useful services. During this period (useful life period) too, some product fails because of a chance failure,
but the rate of failure is relatively low. After the useful life ‘’, the surviving units fail quite rapidly again
because they are beginning to wear out.
The chance failure rate during the middle zone is of concern to the designer. He can guard against the first type
of failures by suitable designing, but these apparently is no protection against chance failures in the middle
zone except making the rate of failures in this zone as low as possible.
A study for reliability concentrates on the study of the zone of chance failures. Research in this area has shown
that these chance failures are governed by the laws of stochastic processes. This permits constructing
mathematical models of this phase and drawing conclusions about the reliability of a product or a system.

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General Reliability Model

R  e  (t / )
The values of  and  are estimated through life testing of the equipment. In this test, a random sample is drawn
and the failure number and corresponding time are recorded. We have

R  1  F  e  (t /  )
1
 ln   ln t   ln 
1 F
where R is reliability and F is components failing during test.
The results of the life test, i.e. F% (percentage of components failing during test) versus time t are plotted on a
special graph paper called Weibull probability paper.

The slope of the line of best fit gives us .

The time taken for 63.2% of the samples to fail is the characteristic life .

Reliability of Series System

See following figure.

In a series system, the probability of survival depends on the survival of both the components. From the
theorem of multiplication of probabilities, Rs = R1 x R2.
In this case, it can be shown that MTBF (mean time before failure) for experimental is 1/(1   2 ) where 1 and
2 are failures rates of elements 1 and 2 respectively.

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Reliability of Parallel System
See following figure.

The probability of failure of component 1 = (1 - R1). The probability of failure of component 2 = (1 - R2).
Hence probability of failure of both components = (1 - R1)(1 - R2)
Hence the probability survival of both the components = system reliability. Since (1 - R1)(1 - R2) is the
probability of failure of both units in parallel, the probability of survival of both the units is
R p  1  (1  R 1 )(1  R 2 )  .

If R1 = R2 then

R p  1  (1  R1 ) 2  .

Thus
1 1 
MTBF    
  2 

Example

An equipment consists of 100 parts, of which 20 parts are connected functionally in series, which in turn are
connected in series to the parallel branches of 60 and 20 parts, the individual parts in 60 and 20 being
connected in series. The reliability of each part in the three groups is 0.95, 0.96 and 0.93 respectively. Find
overall reliability of the equipment.

Solution

See the following figure.

Since reliability of each part in first group of 20 parts is 0.95.
i.e. Pa = 0.95

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Overall reliability of all 20 parts connected in series

PAA  Pa20  0.9520  0.358

Similarly PBB  0.9320  0.240

And PCC  0.9620  0.0863

Unreliability of groups BB and CC will be

(1  PBC )  (1  PBB )(1  PCC )

= (1  0.240)(1  0.0863)  0.760 x 0.914  0.695

or reliability of branch BB and CC is
PBC  1  0.695  0.305

Overall reliability of equipment

P  PAA x PBC  0.358 x 0.305  0.109

Problem

(i) In a system there are 10 components in series each with a reliability factor of 0.95. What is the overall
reliability of system?
Answer: 0.5987
(ii) If each of the 10 components is in parallel, and has individual reliability factor of 0.30 only, what is the
system reliability?
Answer: 0.97175

Example (AMIE S94)

(i) It the failure rate of and equipment has been established as 20 failures during every 1000 hours of
operation, calculate MTBF.
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(ii) In series of computers, the reliability of each is given as RA = 90%, RB = 80% and RC = 70%. Find out the
reliability of the system.

Solution

no of hours of operation
(i) MTBF =
no. of failures
1000
= = 50 hours
20
(ii) For series configuration, Reliability of system
= product of reliability of each component
= RA x RB x RC = 0.9 x 0.8 x 0.7
= .504
= 50.4%

Example (AMIE S94)

Calculate the probability of survival of a piece of equipment that is to operate for 500 hours and which
consists of four sub-assembly system having following MTBF’s:
Sub-system A - MTBF = 5000 hours
Sub-system B - MTBF = 3000 hours
Sub-system C - MTBF = 15000 hours
Sub-system D - MTBF = 15000 hours

Solution

Reliability of a system = e  No.ofhours / MTBF

Thus reliability of four systems
RA = e 500 / 5000 = 0.9048
R B  e500 / 3000  0.846

R C  e 500 /15000  0.9672

R D  e 500 /15000  0.9672

If sub assemblies are in series, then system reliability will be

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= R A xR B xR C xR D

= 0.9048 x 0.846 x 0.9672 x 0.9672

= 0.716
If assemblies are in parallel, then system unreliability will be
= (1  R A )(1  R B )(1  R C )(1  R D )

= (1  0.9052)(1  0.846)(1  0.9672)(1  0.9672)

= 0.0000158
Hence reliability for parallel system
= 1 - unreliability
= 1 - 0.0000158 = 0.9999842

Example (AMIE S94)

(i) During the inspection of wooden tables, the average number of defects is found to be 9, establish the control
limits. (ii) if the standard deviation in the inspection data comes out to be 4, compute the control limits.

Solution

(i) Average number of defects C = 9

 Upper control limit = C  3 C  9  3 9  18

and lower control limit = C  3 C  9  3 9  0

(ii) Standard deviation = 4
Hence average number of defects = C = (standard deviation)2 = 42 = 16

 Upper control limit = C  3 C  16  3 16  28

and lower control limit = C  3 C  16  3 16  4

MAINTAINABILITY
Maintainability is the probability that, when maintenance action is initialed under staled conditions, a failed
system will be restored to operable condition within a specified time. System maintainability can be improved
by providing accessible test points, built-in test equipment, built-in diagnostic aids, training the operating
personnel, and providing spare pans and equipment for incorporating repairs.

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TAGUCHI METHOD OF ROBUST DESIGN OF PRODUCTS
Robust Design method, also called the Taguchi Method, pioneered by Dr. Genichi Taguchi, greatly improves
engineering productivity. By consciously considering the noise factors (environmental variation during the
product’s usage, manufacturing variation, and component deterioration) and the cost of failure in the field the
Robust Design method helps ensure customer satisfaction. Robust Design focuses on improving the
fundamental function of the product or process, thus facilitating flexible designs and concurrent engineering.
Indeed, it is the most powerful method available to reduce product cost, improve quality, and simultaneously
reduce development interval.
To ensure or guarantee customer satisfaction, the Robust Design approach takes into account both (i) The noise
considered as the variation from environmental to manufacturing and component failure, and (ii) The cost
considered as the rate of deterioration in the area. It is a technique for performing experiments to look into
processes or investigate on processes where the end result depends on several factors such as inputs and
variables without having a mind-numbing and inefficient or too costly operation with the use of possible and
feasible mixture of values of the said variables. With a systematic choice of variable combination, dividing
their individual effects is possible.
The Robust Design method or the Taguchi approach makes it possible for engineers to:
 Improve processes and products which are intended under a broad variety of consumer’s circumstances
in their life cycle and making processes reliable and products durable
 Capitalize and get the most out of robustness by developing the planned function of a product by
improving and expanding insensitivity to factors of noise which somehow discredit performance
 Alter and develop formulas and processes of a product to arrive at the performance desired at a reduced
cost or the lowest rate possible but, at the shortest turnaround or time frame
 Make designs easier and processes at a reduced cost
The Robust Design follows a crucial methodology to ensure a systematic process to attain a good output.
Below are the five primary tools used in the Robust Design approach:
 P-Diagram is used to classify the variables associated with the product into noise, control, signal
(input), and response (output) factors.
 Ideal Function is used to mathematically specify the ideal form of the signal-response relationship as
embodied by the design concept for making the higher-level system work perfectly.
 Quadratic Loss Function (also known as Quality Loss Function) is used to quantify the loss incurred by
the user due to deviation from target performance.
 Signal-to-Noise Ratio is used for predicting the field quality through laboratory experiments.

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 Orthogonal Arrays are used for gathering dependable information about control factors (design
parameters) with a small number of experiments.
The following are the 4 main steps in Robust Parameter method:
 Problem Formulation. This step would incorporate the identification of the main function,
development of the P-diagram, classifying the best function and signal to noise or S/N ratio, and
planning or strategizing the experiments. The tests or experiments would involve altering the noise,
control as well as the signal factor logically and efficiently utilizing orthogonal arrays.
 Gathering of Data. This is the stage where experiments or tests are performed in either simulation or
hardware. Having a full-scale example of the product for experimentation purposes is not considered
necessary or compulsory in this step. What’s important or significant in this stage is to have a vital
model or example of the product which satisfactorily encapsulates the design idea or concept. As a
result, experiments or tests can be performed at a low cost or economically.
 Factor Effects Analysis. This is the stage where results or outcome of the control factors are estimated
and such results are evaluated to identify and classify the most favorable arrangement of the control
variables or factors.
 Prediction/Confirmation. This is the stage wherein predicting the performance or operation of the
product model under the most favorable arrangement of the control variables or factors to confirm best
conditions is done. After which, experiments are done under such conditions as well as comparing the
results observed with the underlying predictions. If the outcome or results of the experiments done
corresponds with the predicted results or predictions, final results are then implemented. However, if
predictions do not match with the final results, the steps need to be repeated.
A lot of companies worldwide have saved millions of dollars or even hundreds of millions just by using the
Taguchi approach.

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