Engineering Design

Concept Generation

BITS Pilani Mr. Prashant Bawa

Pilani Campus Guest Faculty
 BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus

ET ZC413
ENGINEERING DESIGN
LECTURE NO: 7
Product Development Process

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Content: Concept generation

• Creativity and problem solving

• Functional decomposition and synthesis

• Morphological analysis

• TRIZ: Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

• Decision Making

• Evaluation Methods

• Summary

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Creative Thinking

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Introduction to Creative Thinking

Freud’s Model of Levels of the Mind

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Introduction to Creative Thinking

Freud’s model divides human

consciousness into 3 levels of
awareness

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Brain - Dominance Theory

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

• The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

(MBIT) is a simple measurement
indicator of how people behave and
contribute in work environment.
• Different personalities are often
better suited for different tasks.

https://www.cpp.com/products/mbti/index.aspx

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Myers - Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

• First Category: How a person is energized – Extroversion vs. Introversion

• Second Category: What a person pays attention to: Sensory vs. Intuition

• Third Category: How a person decides: Thinking vs. Feeling

• Fourth Category: What kind of outlook on life a person adopts: Judgment vs.
Perception

• Possible combinations are 16 personalities behavior

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Myers – Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

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Myers – Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

INTJ - Architect ISFJ - Defender

INTP - Logician ESTJ - Executive
ENTJ - Commander ESFJ - Consul
ENTP - Debater ISTP - Virtuoso
INFJ - Advocate ISFP - Adventurer
INFP - Mediator ESTP - Entrepreneur
ENFJ - Protagonist ESFP – Entertainer
ENFP - Campaigner
ISTJ - Logistician

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Thinking Processes that Lead to Creative Ideas

• Aids to Creative Thinking: • Creative thinking process

– Develop a creative attitude

– Unlock your imagination

– Be persistent

– Develop an open mind

– Suspend your judgment

– Set problem boundaries

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Barriers to Creative Thinking

Perceptual Emotional Blocks Cultural Blocks Intellectual Blocks Environmental

Blocks Blocks
Stereotyping Fear of risk taking Set of pattern Poor choice of Physical
problem-solving environment
language or problem
representation
Information Unease with chaos tradition bound Memory block Criticism
overload and are reluctant
to change
Limiting the Unable or unwilling Countries even Insufficient
problem to incubate new differ in their knowledge base
unnecessarily ideas attitudes toward
Fixation Motivation Incorrect information

Priming or
provision of cues

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Creative Thinking Methods

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Creative Thinking Methods

Concept selection

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Creative Thinking Methods

• Brainstorming:
• The overall aim of brainstorming is to obtain several creative
ideas that might work as solution principles for development of
product.
• All team members are encouraged to be open and uninhibited
during the initial session of brainstorming.
• Generally, group with 5-15 people participate in brainstorming
session. Usually, session will continue for 30-45 minutes.

• Avoid hierarchically structured groups.

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Brainstorming

• Drawbacks:

• Right idea may not come at right time

• Group conventions may sidetrack original ideas

• Distractions by misdirected focus

• Certain team members may be dominate the discussion

• The team may not be open to new ideas

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Checklist for Brainstorming Session

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Other Idea Generating Techniques

• Six Key Questions

– Who? Who uses it, wants it, will benefit by it?

– What? What happens if X occurs? What resulted in success? What resulted in failure?

– When? Can it be speeded up or slowed down? Is sooner better than later?

– Where? Where will X occur? Where else is possible?

– Why? Why is this done? Why is that particular rule, action, solution, problem, failure
involved?

– How? How could it be done, should it be done, prevented, improved, changed, made?

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Other Idea Generating Techniques

• Five Whys:

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Other Idea Generating Techniques - Concept Map

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Creative Methodsfor Design

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Creative Methodsfor Design

• Refinement and Evaluation of Ideas:

– Ideas that are feasible.

– Ideas that may have potential after more thought or research are applied.

– Ideas that are very unfeasible and have no chance of becoming good solutions.

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Systematic Methods for Designing

Physical Decomposion :

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Systematic Methods for Designing

Functional Decomposition and Synthesis:

• “If one generate one idea it will probably be a poor

idea; if one generates many ideas, one good idea
might exist for further development” (Ullman, 1992).

• Description of the product → as a system of functions.

• Functional modeling → organizing the design team,
tasks, and process.

• Derived → directly from the customer needs.

• The functions also define → assemblies
/subassemblies

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Functional Decomposition and Synthesis

• Primary functions, secondary functions and constrains.

• What is function?
• A function of a product is a statement of a clear, reproducible relationships between the available
input and the desired output of a product, independent on any particular form.

• It is simplest representation of the product.

• Usually just a “ Noun and an active verb” Examples “ Chop beans”, “ Clip nails”

• The next step is to decompose the functions into various sub-functions

• The relation between the various sub-functions and functions are often governed by
constrains or input – output relations.

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Functional Decomposition and Synthesis

• Abstraction:
• It is the process of ignoring what is particular or incidental and emphasizing what is
general and essential.

• Generic black box method:

• Constrain: It is set of clear criterion that must be satisfied by a product.

Input Product Function Output

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Function tree method: FAST Method

• Top-down approach
• Functions linked by HOW-WHY logic Coffee grinder
• HOW from left to right
• WHY from right to left
• WHEN (event not time) is from top-bottom

When
you do
this you
also?

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Function tree method: FAST Method

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Function tree method : Subtract and operate

(Bottom-up approach)

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CreativeMethodsfor Design - Black Box Method

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CreativeMethodsfor Design - Black Box Method

Energy Energy
Material Product represented as a Material
Function Systems
Signal Signal

Finger force Sound KE in

hand motion (Fingernail clipper) nail
Fingernail, Cut nail, hand,
Remove excess length debris
hand, debris
Long nail, on finger-nails Good
hang nail, appearing
rough nail

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Steps for Black Box Method

• Phase I: Develop process description as Activity Diagrams

• Phase II: Formulate sub-functions through task listing

• Phase III: Aggregate sub-functions into a redefined function structure

• Phase IV: Validate the functional decomposition

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Examples

Mechanical Pencil

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Examples

Dish washer

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Morphological Methods

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Morphological Methods

• It is a tool that provides a structured search and combination of

concepts in product design.

• Steps:
1. Consider each product function in the fundamental model and each module of the
product architecture

2. List the function or module as row of the matrix

3. In the first column of the matrix, enter the current solution to the function or module, if the
product already exists

4. Apply concept generation methods (such as TIPS etc.) and record the concepts in the
columns of the matrix for each function.

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Morphological Methods

5. Map the range of solutions per each function to a classification scheme, such as
energy domains. Judge if the solutions are too focused or cover a good breadth.

6. If the solutions are too focused, carry out further sessions of intuitive and directed
concept generation

7. When a good breadth of ideas and technologies are realized in the morphological
matrix, combine the ideas into diverse concept variants that seek to satisfy the entire
product specification.

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Morphological Method: Example

Redesign of a disposable syringe

Functional decomp. – black box method

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Morphological Method: Example

Vegetable transferring system

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Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

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Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TIPS or TRIZ)

• A Russian acronym: Theoria Resheneyva Isobretatelskehuh Zadach

• (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)

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TRIZ

• 3 categories covered by TRIZ:

- “ identifying conflicts and solving them with known physical principles,”

- “ identifying new principles,”

- “identifying new product functions and solving them with known or new principles.”

• Altshuller observed a number of trends in historical invention.

• Evaluation of engineering system is done by same pattern, independent of
engineering discipline.

• Conflicts (contradictions) are the key drivers for product invention.

• Compromises are unacceptable.

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TRIZ

• TIPS (TRIZ) is based on two basic principles

1. Somebody, sometime, somewhere has already solved your problem or one similar to it.
Creativity means finding that solution and adapting it to the current problem.

2. Don’t accept contradictions. Resolve them.

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Engineering Parameters ( 39 )
http://www.triz40.com/

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Inventive Principles (40 )
1. Segmentation
2. Extraction, Separation, Removal, Segregation
3. Local Quality
4. Asymmetry
5. Combining, Integration, Merging
6. Universality, Multi-functionality
7. Nesting
8. Counterweight, Levitation
9. Preliminary anti-action, Prior counteraction
10.Prior action
11.Cushion in advance, compensate before
12. Equipotentiality, remove stress
13.Inversion, The other way around
14. Spheroidality, Curvilinearity
15. Dynamicity, Optimization
16.Partial or excessive action
17.Moving to a new dimension
18.Mechanical vibration/oscillation
19.Periodic action
20.Continuity of a useful action
21.Rushing through
22.Convert harm into benefit, "Blessing in disguise"
23. Feedback
24. Mediator, intermediary
25. Self-service, self-organization
26. Copying
27.Cheap, disposable objects
28.Replacement of a mechanical system with 'fields'
29.Pneumatics or hydraulics:
30.Flexible membranes or thin film
31.Use of porous materials
32.Changing color or optical properties
33. Homogeneity
34.Rejection and regeneration, Discarding and recovering
35.Transformation of the physical and chemical states of an object,
parameter change, changing properties
36.Phase transformation
37.Thermal expansion
38.Use strong oxidizers, enriched atmospheres, accelerated oxidation
39.Inert environment or atmosphere
40.Composite materials
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Contradictions matrix

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TRIZ Examples

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 TRIZ Examples

• Statement: Bullet proof vests should be strong, but not

heavy.

• Step 1 – Identify the contradiction(s): Strength

(improves) versus Weight (worsens)

• Step 2 – Look at the list of features and identify those

important to your contradiction.

Strength – #14 Weight – #2

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TRIZ Examples

1 Segmentation Principle 27: Cheap short-living objects

26 Copying • Replace an inexpensive object with a multiple
27 Cheap short living of inexpensive objects, comprising certain

40 Composite materials qualities (such as service life, for instance).

Principle 1: Segmentation
Principle 40: Composite materials
• Divide an object into independent parts. • For lighter-weight, stronger vests, the use of
• Make an object easy to disassemble. composites is an active area of research.
Principle 26: Copying
• Polymers (Kevlar) reinforced with carbon nanofibers
• Instead of an unavailable, expensive, fragile
are currently being investigated as a strong
object, use simpler and inexpensive copies.
lightweight alternative to steel for structural
• Replace an object, or process with optical materials.
copies.

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TRIZ Examples

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TRIZ Examples

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TRIZ Examples

• Iron product to remove the wrinkles:

Conflicts is we desired heavy iron to remove the wrinkles from the cloths but we do not
want a heavy iron due to the impact on ergonomics.
✓ 8 – Principle of counterweight: Attach an object with lifting power or use the interactions with
the environment, e.g. aerodynamic lift.
✓ 1 – Principle of segmentation: Divide the object into independent parts that are easy to
dissemble, increase the degree of segmentation as much as possible.
✓ 37 – Application of thermal expansion: Use expansion or contraction of material by
heat. Use materials with different coefficient of thermal expansion.
✓ 18 – Use of mechanical vibration: Make the object vibrate. Increase the frequency of
vibration.

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Axiomatic Design

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Axiomatic Design

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Axiomatic Design

❖ Provides best Design concepts out of sets of good design

❖ Simple and Mathematical approach

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Axiomatic Design

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Axiomatic Design

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Elements Axiomatic Design

Axioms are hypothesis

➢ More generally, an axiom is an accurate observation of the world but is not

provable.

➢ An axiom must be a general truth for which no exceptions or counterexamples

can be found. Axioms stand accepted, based on the weight of evidence, until
otherwise shown to be faulty.

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Axiomatic Design

• Prof Suh defined two conceptually simple axioms

1. Independence Axioms
➢ An optimal design always maintains the independence of the functional requirements of
the design.

➢ In an acceptable design the design parameters (DPs) and functional requirements (FRs)
are related in such a way that a specific DP can be adjusted to satisfy its corresponding
FR without affecting other functional requirements.

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Axiomatic Design

2. Information axiom: The best design is a functionally uncoupled design

that has the minimum information content.

Axiom 2 is considered as a second rule for selecting designs. If there is more than
one design alternative that meets Axiom 1 and has equivalent performance, then
the design with the lesser amount of information should be selected.

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Axiomatic Design

Independence Axioms

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Axiomatic Design

Uncoupled Design Matrix Good Design

FRs can be satisfied independently by means of respective DPs

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Axiomatic Design

Decoupled Design Matrix

FRs can be guaranteed if an only if DPs are determined sequencially

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Axiomatic Design

coupled Design Matrix Bad Design

No FRs can be satisfied independently by means of respective DPs

60

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Axiomatic Design Examples

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Axiomatic Design Examples

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Axiomatic Design

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THANK YOU

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