ENGINEERING DESIGN 1

Topic 3 :Concept Generation and

Evaluation

TRIZ: The Theory of

Inventive Problem Solving

Ir Dr Zainal Fitri B Zainal Abidin

Jan 2015
 CONTENT
– What is TRIZ?
 What Is TRIZ
• The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, known by the acronym
“TRIZ,” is a problem-solving methodology tailored to provide
innovative solutions for scientific and engineering problems.
• TRIZ offers four different strategies for generating an innovative
solution to a design problem. They are:
– Increase the “ideality” of a product or system
– Identify the product’s place in its evolution to ideality
and force the next step.
– Identify key physical or technological contradictions in
the. product and revise the design to overcome them
using inventive principles.
– Model a product or system using substance-field
analysis and apply candidate modifications.
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What Is TRIZ
 Invention: Evolution to
Increased Ideality
• Altshuller’s examination of inventions led to his observation
that systems had a level of goodness he called ideality and
that invention result when changes were made to improve
this attribute of a product or system.
• Six specific design suggestions to examine for improving the
ideality of a system are as follows:
– Exclude auxiliary functions
– Exclude elements in the existing system
– Identify self-service functions
– Replace elements or parts of the total system
– Change the system’s basic principle of operation
– Utilize resources in system and surroundings
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 Innovation by Overcoming
Contradictions
• The following list describes each innovation level and shows its relative
frequency:
– Level 1: (32%) Conventional design solutions arrived at by methods
well known in the technology area of the system
– Level 2: (45%) Minor corrections made to an existing system by well-
known methods at the expense of some compromise in behavior
– Level 3: (18%) Substantial improvement in an existing system that
resolves a basic behavior compromise by using the knowledge of
the same technology area; the improvement typically involves
adding a component or subsystem.
– Level 4: (4%) Solutions based on application of a new scientific
principle to eliminate basic performance compromises
– Level 5: (1% or less) Pioneering inventions based on a discovery
outside of known science and known technology
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Level of Inventiveness
Structure Of TRIZ Tools
 Basic Concept of TRIZ
• Systems Approach
• Contradiction
• Ideality
• Resources
 What Is System Approach

A system :

An organised, purposeful structure regarded as a ‘whole’ consisting of

interrelated and interdependent elements (or components)

These elements (or components) continually influence one another

(directly or indirectly) to maintain their activity and the existence of the
system, in order to achieve the common purpose (or function) of the
system
Idea Process – system
approach
 What Is Contradiction
Contradiction is the opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas.

Living dead Friendly Fire

New Classic Serious joke
Open Secret Deafening Silence

Solid Water Kalah menang

Glass Hammer Hidup mati
Invisible Ink Lawak gila

TRIZ Definition : The contradiction occurs when we are trying to improve

one parameter of a system and then the same or other parameters of the
technique are affected negatively.
 Look For Contradiction
• A key characteristics of an inventive problem
• Usual solution – trade off or compromise
• Eliminating Contradictions typically lead to invention

Speed Fuel Consumption

GOOD
BAD

The car should travel faster (good) but it will consume more fuel

The inventor must find and remove contradictions

 What Is Ideality ?
• Each system evolves towards its ideal state
• The ideal state of the system is where it has all the benefits with none
of the or none of the costs
• The system is better, faster, low cost, low error, low maintenance and
so on. (The ideal system consists of all positives and no negatives)
• The ideal system is a system that does not materially exist, while its
functions are achieved (ideal system is no system)
• In the absolute sense ideality is impossible to achieve, but in a relative
sense ideality is achievable
 Evolve Towards Ideality

If a system is to operate in an ideal stage, then the system must have at

least 1 main useful function without any cost and harmfulness

Final Result: it has all the benefits and none of the costs and harmfulness
Ideality
 What Is Resource ?
• Every system has resources, some of which are fully used, some are
partially used and some may not be used at all.
• Resources are things (including waste), information, energy or
properties of the materials that are already in or near the system
• Using resources, one can solve the problem and evolve towards the
ideal state – the inventor has to evaluate what all resources are
available in the system.
• There may be resources in the system which are not yet identified – in
many cases, identification resources solve a problem very nicely
• Resource should be free or low cost and should be readily available
Resources
 Type of Resources

Substance Energy Time

All kinds of energies &

fields such as
All kinds of time
All substances in the electrical,
before, during and
system or in the electromagnetic,
after running of the
external environment thermal field, etc. in
system
the system or in
external environment

Functional Information Combines

All possible function of

All kind of data used
substance, fields,
for measuring, A combination of prime
properties or object-
detection and resources
can work as great
seperation
resources
 Main Function : Delivers the
system Product
• The product is what engineering system was designed to do or produce and
the one that people pay for
• Most engineering systems contain only one product

Subject (Tool) Function Object

Engineering system Main Function Product

What is the purpose of car

Transport Driver
 What is the Function ?

Describe is simple language the function of the following systems :

mirror Helmet Belt

 TRIZ Tool : Function Analysis
FUNCTIONALITY
• People buy functions
(functionality), NOT
PRODUCTS
• Understanding Functions and
functionality at the most basic
level is fundamental to the
successful application of TRIZ
• Solutions change, but
function remains the same
• Knowledge classification by
Function allows ready access
to other’s solutions
 TRIZ Tool : Function Analysis

Component Interaction Analysis Function Model

Analysis

• Identifies • Identifies the • Identifies and

components of interaction evaluates the
the engineering between the Functions
system and its components performed by
supersystem the component
TRIZ Tool : Function Analysis

Subject (Tool) Function Object)

Hit
Hammer
Nail

Pull
Hammer Nail

hold
Paper Weight Money
 TRIZ Tool : Function Language
Use simple language to describe functions !!
Subject (Tool) Function Object)
Remove
Bristle Food

Remove
Dental floss Food

Remove
toothpick Food
 Avoid Technical Jargon

• Technical language is sometimes difficult for people to mentally

image & restrict potential solutions
• Function language enables a bigger scope of potential solutions

Technical Language Function Language

Etch Remove
Distill Separate
Encapsulate Include
Stream Deliver
Zip Reduce
 Component Analysis
What is component ?
• Component is an identifiable object that make up a part of an engineering
system
• Component can be substances and/or fields
• Substance is define as an object with rest mass (eg table, book, hammer)
• Field is define as an object without rest mass (eg magnetic field)

List of component in and around the engineering system

Back rest Frame

Seat Screws
 Component Analysis
Supersystem Component?
• Supersystem components interacts with engineering system but are not part of
system

Air Floor

Humidity Person

Dust
Lights
 Interaction Analysis &
Functional Model
• Interaction analysis is an analytical tool that identifies and
understands the interaction between the components of the
engineering system

Component Component
C1 C6
C2 Interaction C3
Interaction
Interaction
Interaction

C4 C5
C7
 Interaction Analysis &
Functional Model
• Functional Model is an analysis of the interaction between
components of the engineering system and supersystem. It identifies
the advantages and disadvantages of the function acting on each of
the components. Supersystem
component C6
Component

Component C1
Interaction

C2
Product
C3
Interaction

Supersystem
C4 component
C5
C7
Boundary of Engineering System
 Interaction Analysis &
Functional Model
• Functional Model is an analysis of the interaction between
components of the engineering system and supersystem. It identifies
the advantages and disadvantages of the function acting on each of
the components. Supersystem
component C6
Component

Component C1
Interaction

C2
Product
C3
Interaction

Supersystem
C4 component
C5
C7
Boundary of Engineering System
 Interaction Analysis &
Functional Model
The main goal of Functional analysis is to identify specific disadvantages of an
object – namely, harmful Functions as well as useful Functions performed
insufficiently, and those that are performed excessively

Types of Actions
 TRIZ Tool : Trimming
What is Trimming ?
• Trimming is a method of eliminating component from an
Engineering system to reduce or eliminate the disadvantages of
those trimmed component
• Trimming is used to increased the efficiency and reduce the cost
of the engineering system
 TRIZ Tool : Trimming Rules
RULE A
The function is not
needed any more
because the object of the
function no longer exists

RULE B
The object being worked
by the function performs
the function itself

RULE C
The function is
transferred to another
component in the system
or supersystem
 TRIZ Tool : 40 Inventive Principle

What is an inventive principle?

• A generalized rule for consistent work followed as a basis of reasoning of
the invention
• Developed by Altshuller based on study of patents (more than 200 000
patents were screened and synthesized)
TRIZ List of 40 Inventive
Principles
Principle #1 : Segmentation
Principle #2 : Taking Out
Principle #3 : Local Quality
Principle #4 : Asymmetry
Principle #5 : Merging
Principle #6 : Universality
Principle #7 : Nested Doll
Principle #8 : Anti- Weight
Principle #9:Preliminary Anti Action
Principle #10:Preliminary Action
Principle #11:Beforehand Cushioning
Principle #12 : Equipotentiality
Principle #13 : The Other Way Round
Principle #14 : Curvature
Principle #15 : Dynamization
Principle #16 : Partial or Excessive
Action
Principle #17 : Another Dimension
Principle #18 : Mechanical Vibration
Principle #19 : Periodic Action
Principle #20 : Continuity Of Useful
Action
Principle #21 : Skipping
Principle #22 : Blessing In Disguise
Principle #23 : Feedback
Principle #24 : Intermediary
Principle #25 : Self Service
Principle #26 : Copying
Principle #27 : Cheap Short Living
Object
Principle #28 : Mechanics
Substitution
Principle #29 : Pneumatics &
Hydraulics
Principle #30 : Flexible Shell & Thin
Film
Principle #31 : Porous Materials
Principle #32 : Colour Changes
Principle #33 : Homogeneity
Principle #34 : Discarding &
Recovering
Principle #35 : Parameter Change
Principle #36 : Phase Transitions
Principle #37 : Thermal Expansion
Principle #38 : Strong Oxidants
Principle #39 : Inert Atmosphere
Principle #40 : Composite Material
 5 Most Frequently Used
Inventive Principles of TRIZ
• Principle 1: Segmentation

• Principle 2: Extraction

• Principle 10: Prior action

• Principle 28: Replacement of mechanical system

• Principle 35: Transformation of properties

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 TRIZ Tool : 39 System Parameters

What is Parameter ?
• Defied as any factor that defines a system
• Understanding and determines (or limits) its performance
• Parameter usually describes the characteristics of the system
• A parameter is a property or attribute given to describe a function of a system
– it takes the point of view of the function rather than the components
TRIZ List of 39 Engineering
Parameters
 TRIZ Tool : Engineering Contradiction

WHAT IS ENGINEERING CONTRADICTION ?

An improvement in one of characteristics of a system results in the degradation of

another characteristics.
It is a situation in which an attempt to improve one parameter of a system which
leads to the worsening (impairment) of another parameter.

“As one characteristics gets better another characteristics gets worse “

• If I add heat, then productivity goes up, but it consumes more energy
• If I make the lift larger, then it is better to carry more loads, but it adds
more weight
 TRIZ Tool : Engineering Contradiction

USING CONTRADICTION MATRIX

• Designed to formalized and facilitate the usage of inventive principles.

• There are 2 methods to apply the inventive principles.

Method 1 Method 2
Utilize the contradiction matrix in order to get a Familiarize with all 40 inventive
set of recommended inventive principles to Principle and apply each or a
solve the Engineering contradiction. If no good combination to solve the
solution, look at remaining 40 inventive engineering contradiction
principle

• The system parameters laid out in 39 x 39 matrix where the x axis

is the parameter worsens, while the y axis is the parameter that
improves in the contradiction
 TRIZ Contradiction Matrix

“TRIZ 40 Principles,” www.TRIZ40.com, Solid Creativity, 2004, accessed November 10, 2011.
 Metal Powder Hitting Bend in Pipe

 Problem: metal powder flows through a pipe and impinges on the bend
causing erosion

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 Technical Contradictions
Technical Contradictions for Improving Speed of
Metal Powder and Principles to Eliminate Them:

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 Strengths of TRIZ
• The principles at the hear of TRIZ are based on designs that
are certified as inventive through the patent-type system of
the country of the inventor.
• The developers of TRIZ continued to expand their database
of inventive designs beyond the original 200,000.
• A dedicated TRIZ user community (including students of
Altshuller) continues to expand the examples of inventive
principles, keeping the TRIZ examples contemporary.
• The TRIZ user community has made the contradiction matrix
web-accessible through sites like The TRIZ Journal found at
www.triz-journal.com.

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 Weaknesses of TRIZ
• Inventive Principles are guidelines subject to
designer interpretation
• The principles are too general for application in a
particular design domain
• The designer must develop her own analogous
design solution for the given problem
• There are differences in the interpretation of TRIZ
concepts
• There are aspects of TRIZ that are less intuitive

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THE END
Problem Definition
Systems
System conflict
Example : Watch System Conflicts
Component of triz model
Examples of a Function
Types of Function
Contradictions
Separation Principle
Examples
TRIZ Problem Solving Method