Material Matrix

Material Ease of Cost Appearance Strength Weight Total

Production
Brass 3 2 5 4 2 16
Gold 1 1 5 2 1 10
Copper 3 3 4 3 3 16
Aluminium 4 4 3 2 5 18
Iron 5 5 2 5 4 21 Ke
y
Description

Mild Steel 5 4 2 4 5 20 1
2
Poor
Unsatisfactory
Galvanized 5 3 2 4 5 19 3 Satisfactory
4 Good
Steel 5 Excellent
Plywood 3 4 4 4 3 18
Polyvinyl 5 2 3 2 4 16
Chloride

Explanations:
Ease of Production: This category ranks materials based on how easy it is to produce them in
the required shape and size. Plywood, PVC, Mild Steel, and Galvanized Steel are easier to work
with compared to Gold, which is the most difficult.
Cost: This category ranks materials based on their raw material cost. Gold is the most
expensive, followed by Brass, Plywood, and PVC, while Iron, Mild Steel, and Galvanized Steel
are the most affordable.
Appearance: This category ranks materials based on their aesthetic appeal. Brass and Gold are
the most visually attractive, followed by Plywood and Copper, while PVC, Mild Steel,
Galvanized Steel, Aluminium, and Iron have a more industrial or utilitarian look.
Strength: This category ranks materials based on their strength. Iron and Mild Steel are the
strongest, followed by Galvanized Steel, Brass, Copper, Plywood, Aluminium, and PVC.
Weight: This category ranks materials based on their weight. Aluminium is the lightest,
followed by PVC and Plywood, while Iron, Mild Steel, Galvanized Steel, Brass, and Copper are
heavier.
The material chosen for a project depends on various factors, such as strength, weight,
appearance, budget, and availability. For this project, galvanized steel is preferred due to its
strength, durability, and resistance to corrosion. It is also a cost-effective option compared to
other materials like brass or gold. Galvanized steel is widely used and easy to manufacture,
making it a convenient choice for projects that require a large quantity of material.
Note: That the cost ranking is based on the materials’ relative cost to each other, with a higher
score given to less expensive materials and a lower score to more expensive ones. Therefore, a
material with a score of 5 for cost is actually the most affordable on the list.
 Social Factors
Solutions Safety Ergonomy Aesthetic Pollution Affordability Total
Quality Risk
Idea 1 4 3 2 3 3 15
Idea 2 3 4 4 2 4 17
Idea 3 3 3 3 3 2 14
Idea 4 2 3 2 2 5 14
Idea 5 2 4 3 3 4 16 Ke Description
y
Idea 6 4 3 3 3 3 16 1 Poor
2 Unsatisfactory
Idea 7 4 4 4 2 3 17 3 Satisfactory
Idea 8 3 3 3 3 3 15 4
5
Good
Excellent
Idea 9 3 3 2 2 5 15
Idea 10 4 4 3 2 4 17

Explanations:
Safety: This category assesses how safe each solar panel stand is to use. It takes into account
factors such as stability, structural integrity, and the likelihood of accidents or injuries.
Ergonomy: This category assesses how easy and comfortable each solar panel stand is to use.
It takes into account factors such as adjustability, ease of use, and the ergonomic design of the
stand.
Aesthetic Quality: This category assesses the visual appeal of each solar panel stand. It takes
into account factors such as the materials used, the design, and how well it integrates with its
surroundings.
Pollution Risk: This category assesses the environmental impact of each solar panel stand. It
takes into account factors such as the materials used in the construction, the manufacturing
process, and the eventual disposal of the stand.
Affordability: This one assesses the cost of each solar panel stand. It takes into account factors
such as the materials used, the manufacturing process, and the overall quality of the stand,
compared to its price.
Idea 7 is the top-performing idea in multiple categories such as Safety, Ergonomy, Aesthetic
Quality, and Affordability. It received a score of 4 in Safety, Ergonomy, and Aesthetic Quality,
indicating excellent safety features, user-friendly design, and an attractive appearance.
Additionally, Idea 7 scored a 3 in Affordability, making it an affordable and high-quality option
for consumers.
 Production Methods
Production IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA IDEA
Method 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
One-off ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Production
Batch ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Production
Mass ✓ X X ✓ X X ✓ X ✓ X
Production
Continuous X X X X X X X X X X
Production
Key Description
✓ Applicable
One-off Production is the most applicable production method. X Inapplicable

As there is no need for Continuous Production, all ideas are considered inapplicable
 Construction Methods
Construction Idea Ide Idea Idea Idea Idea Ide Idea Idea Idea Total
Methods 1 a2 3 4 5 6 a7 8 9 10
Welding 5 1 4 4 2 3 5 2 4 1 31
Riveting 4 2 3 4 3 3 4 2 3 2 30
Blanking 3 4 3 2 5 3 2 4 3 3 32 Ke
y
Description

Extrusion 3 1 3 2 3 2 2 1 3 1 21 1 Poor
2 Unsatisfactory
Press 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 24 3 Satisfactory
Forming 4
5
Good
Excellent
Forging 3 1 3 2 2 2 2 1 3 1 20
Drilling 3 1 3 5 2 5 4 2 5 1 31
Sand Casting 4 2 4 5 3 5 4 2 5 2 36

By looking at the table, we can see that:

Sand casting and blanking are the most suitable construction methods overall, as they have the
highest total values (36 and 32, respectively).
Forging and extrusion are the least suitable construction methods overall, as they have the
lowest total values (20 and 21, respectively).
Different ideas have different requirements for construction methods. For example, Idea 1 is
most suited to welding and Idea 5 is most suited to sand casting.
There is some variation in the rankings across different ideas, indicating that the best
construction method for an idea depends on the specific requirements of that idea.
For the chosen idea 7, it is most suited to welding
 Specification Matrix
Criteria Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea Idea
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Durability 5 4 4 4 3 3 5 2 4 1
Stability 4 2 3 4 3 3 4 2 3 2
Compatibility 3 4 3 2 5 2 2 4 3 3
Height 2 1 2 2 3 3 2 1 2 3
adjustability
Strength 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 1
Safety 3 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 3 1
Easy 3 4 3 4 3 2 4 2 3 4
installation
Compliance 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Aesthetics 2 4 3 2 3 3 4 3 2 3
Accessibility 1 3 1 1 2 1 3 2 2 2
Maintenance 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Cable 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2
management
Extra storage 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1
Adjustable 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
base
Green 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2
materials
Cost 3 4 2 5 4 3 3 3 5 4
Total 38 38 31 38 42 32 43 30 40 29
Ke Description
y
1 Poor
2 Unsatisfactory
3 Satisfactory
4 Good
5 Excellent

From the table, we can see that Idea 7 has the highest total score of 43, which indicates that it
has the highest overall performance across all criteria considered. This idea received a score of
5 for durability, 4 for stability and compliance, and 3 for compatibility, easy installation, and
adjustable base.