LOGO

MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING DESIGN
(MEC332)
Chapter
Chapter 3:
3:
Concept
Concept Generation
Generation and
and Evaluation
Evaluation

By:
Firdaus bin Sukarman
Fakulti Kejuruteraan Mekanikal
UiTM Pulau Pinang
 Lesson Outcome

 At the end of this session, students should be

able to:
 Understand and identify the concept generation to
be used
 Understand and utilize the Pugh’s method for
evaluation
Contents

1 Concept Generation Method

2 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

 LOGO

Chapter
Chapter 33 :: Concept
Concept Generation
Generation
and
and Evaluation
Evaluation
1. Concept Generation Method
 Concept
Selection
Generation &
Concept Generation Method

Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
 Concept Generation Method
A concept is an idea that is sufficiently developed to evaluate the
physical principles that govern its behavior
Once the function is understood, there are many methods to
generate concepts to satisfy them.
Concepts are the means for providing function

It can be represented by:

Verbal or textual description
Sketches
Introduction Paper or clay models
Block diagram, etc…
Or any form that can show how the function can be achieved.

There are a few methods can be used to generate the

design concepts:
 Brainstorming
 Synectic
 Finding idea in reference books and journals
 Using experts to help generate the concepts
Concept Generation Method

Sensitivity:
Ability to recognize that a problem exists

Fluency:
The ability to produce a large number of
Problem Solver alternative solutions.

Characteristic Flexibility:
The ability to develop a wide range of
approaches to a problem.

Originality:
The ability to produce original solutions to a
problem.
Concept Generation Method

Common method used by design teams for

generating ideas.
General usage in the language to denote any
kind of idea generation.
Carefully orchestrated process.

A well-done brainstorming session is an

Brainstorming enthusiastic session of rapid, free-flowing
ideas.
Concept
Tips
Criticism is not allowed
Ideas should be generated by the group
Participation
Generate as many ideas in a short time
 Concept Generation Method

Ideas that are feasible as they stand

Brainstorming
Ideas that may have potential after more thought or
Way of sorting research are applied
ideas

Ideas that are very unfeasible and have no chance of

becoming good solutions.

Six Key Questions:

Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Concept Generation Method

In design, like in everyday life, many problems are

solved by analogy.

Meaning joining together of different

things into unified connection) is a
Synectics methodology or creativity based on
reasoning by analogy that was first
Concept described in the book of Gordon.

Recognizes four types of analogy:

 Direct Analogy
 Fantasy Analogy
 Personal Analogy
 Symbolic Analogy
 Concept Generation Method

A particularly intriguing source of direct analogies is those that are

inspired by biological systems.

Synectics Biomimetic is the mimicking of biological system such as:

 Velcro fasteners
Biomimetic  Honeycomb structures
Design

The challenge for designers is two fold:

 engineering designer are not trained in a wide variety of
biological systems
 the words engineers use to express behavior do not
always match words used to describe biological systems.
Concept Generation Method

Tool for the generation of ideas by

association, and for organizing information
in preparation for writing a report, is the
Concept Map concept map.

Concept
Good for generating and recording ideas
during brainstorming.
 Concept Generation Method

Concept Map

Example

Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
Concept Generation Method
The motivation for applying any creativity
technique to a design task is to generate as many
ideas as possible.

Quantity counts above quality, and wild

ideas are encouraged at the early stages of
the design work.
Creativity
Techniques Once an initial pool of concepts for alternative
for a Design designs exists, these alternatives can be
reviewed more critically.
Concepts
The goal becomes sorting out infeasible
ideas.

The team is identifying a smaller subset of ideas

that can be developed into practical solutions.
Concept Generation Method

Common strategy for solving any complex

task or describing any complex system is to
decompose it into smaller units that are easier
to work with.

Decomposing must result in units that

Functional meaningfully represent the original
Decomposition entity.
and Synthesis
Mechanical design is recursive:
That means the same design process applied to the
Concept
overall product applies to the units of the product and
can be repeated until a successful outcome is achieved.

Functional decomposition method has

solution-neutrality:
 It does not initially impose a design, allowing more
leeway for creativity and generates a wide variety of
alternative solutions.
 Concept Generation Method

Physical
Decomposition

Example:
Bicycle

Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
 Concept Generation Method

Functional
Representation

Standard Flow
Classes &
Member Flow

Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
 Concept Generation Method

Functional
Representation
Example: Components
Abstracted
into
Function Blocks

Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
 Concept Generation Method

Functional
Representation
Function Structure
Black Box
for a Basketball
Ball Return

Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
 Concept Generation Method

Functional decomposition produces a diagram called a function

structure.

A function structure is a block diagram depicting flows of

energy, material, and signal as labeled arrows taking
Functional paths between function blocks.
Decomposition

Description The most general function structure is a single function

block description of a device.

This type of function structure (a single function block) is called a

black box representation of a device.
 Concept Generation Method

Functional
Structure

Example:
Mechanical
Pencil

Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
 Concept Generation Method

Functional
Structure

Example:
Basketball
Return Device

Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
 Concept Generation Method

First, creating function structures forces re-

representation into a language that is useful for the
Functional manipulation for mechanical design problems.
Synthesis
Second, using a function structure to represent a design
Strengths lends functional labels to potential solution components,
and these labels serve as hints for new memory
searches.

Some products are better suited to representation and

design by functional decomposition and synthesis than
Functional are others.
Synthesis

Weaknesses The function structure is a flow diagram where flows are

connecting different functions performed by the product
the structure represents.
 Concept Generation Method
Morphological analysis is a method for
representing and exploring all the relationships in
multidimensional problems.

The word morphology means the study of

shape and form.

Morphological Methods Morphological analysis is a way of creating

new forms.
Concepts
Morphological methods have been
recorded in science as a way to
enumerate and investigate solution
alternatives as far back as the 1700s.
Wackyz formalized the process of applying
morphological methods to design in the mid-
1960s with the publication of a text that was
translated into English in 1969.
 Concept Generation Method

Step 1: Develop concepts for each function

To generate as many concepts as possible for each of the function
identified in the decomposition.

Step 2: for each function, list the means or methods to be

used.
Morphological
Methods
Step 3: Draw up the chart containing all the possible sub-
Steps solutions.
This chart is called morphological chart
It is constructed from the functional list.

Step 4: Identify feasible combinations.

To combine the individual concepts into complete conceptual
design.
 Concept Generation Method

Morphological
Chart
Example:
Automatic
Toothbrush

Retrieve from http://www.personal.psu.edu/dam5179/webpage.htm

 Concept Generation Method

Morphological
Chart
Example: Vegetable
collection
system

Retrieve from http://cuba.coventry.ac.uk/maedesign/concept-design/l1-sketching-brainstorming-ideas-

and-morphological-analysis/l1-morphological-analysis/
 Concept Generation Method

Morphological
Chart
Example: Vegetable
collection
system

Retrieve from http://cuba.coventry.ac.uk/maedesign/concept-design/l1-sketching-brainstorming-ideas-

and-morphological-analysis/l1-morphological-analysis/
 Concept Generation Method

Retrieve from http://4generate.blogspot.com/

.
Morphological
Chart
Example:
Design of the
new chair
 LOGO

Chapter
Chapter 33 :: Concept
Concept Generation
Generation
and
and Evaluation
Evaluation
2. Pugh’s Method for Evaluation
 Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Generation &
Selection

Concept
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

A set of design selection criteria.

Selecting a
Design A set of alternatives believed to satisfy the set of criteria

Requirements

A means to evaluate the design alternatives with respect to

each criterion
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Behavioral psychology provides an understanding of the

influence of risk taking in individuals and teams.

Decision Making a decision is a stressful situation for most people

Making because there is no way to be certain about the
information about the past or the predictions of the
Behavioral future.
Aspects
This psychological stress arises from at least two sources:
 Decision makers are concerned about the material and
social losses that will result from either course of action that
is chosen.
 They recognize that their reputations and self-esteem as
competent decision makers are at stake.
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Unconflicted adherence:
Decide to continue with current action and ignore information
about risk of losses.
Unconflicted change:
Uncritically adopt whichever course of action is most
strongly recommended.
Decision Defensive avoidance:
Making Evade conflict by procrastinating, shifting
responsibility to someone else, and remaining
Challenges inattentive to corrective information
Hypervigilance:
Search frantically for an immediate problem solution.
Vigilance:
Search painstakingly for relevant information that is assimilated
in an unbiased manner and appraised carefully before a
decision is made.
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation
1. The objectives of a decision must be
established first.
2. The objectives are classified as to
importance.
3. Alternative actions are developed.
4. The alternatives are evaluated against the
objectives.
Good Decision 5. The choice of the alternative that holds the
best promise of achieving all of the
Way to
objectives represents the tentative decision.
Achieved
6. The tentative decision is explored for future
possible adverse consequences.
7. The effects of the final decision are
controlled by taking other actions to prevent
possible adverse consequences from
becoming problems and by making sure that
the actions decided on are carried out.
 Retrieve from Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C. Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009
Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Generation &
Selection

Concept
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Evaluation based on judgment of functional feasibility of the

design
 Concepts should be placed into one of the followings:
 Feasible
 Not Feasible
 Will Work
Absolute
Criteria Evaluation based on assessment of technology
readiness
Design •Product design is not the appropriate place to do R&D.
Selection

Evaluation based on go/no-go screening of the constraints

and threshold levels of engineering characteristics
Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

A particularly useful method for identifying

the most promising design concepts among
the alternatives generated at is the Pugh
chart.

Pugh’s method compares each concept

relative to a reference or datum concept
Pugh Method
and for each criterion determines whether
Concept the concept in question is better than,
poorer than, or about the same as the
reference concept.

Pugh Chart is a relative comparison

technique.
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

1) Choose the criteria by which

the concepts will be evaluated
2) Formulate the decision matrix
3) Clarify the design concepts
Pugh Chart
4) Choose the datum concept
5) Complete the matrix entries
Steps
6) Evaluate the ratings
7) Establish a new datum and
rerun the matrix
8) Examine the selected concept
for improvement opportunities
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Pugh Chart

Example:
Staple Gun

http://5starsengineering.blogspot.com/
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

http://wiki.ece.cmu.edu/ddl/index.php/Ice_cream_maker_redesign
Pugh Chart

Example:
Ice Cream Maker
Re-Design
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Pugh Chart
Example:
Automatic Pet
Feeder
Re-Design

http://wiki.ece.cmu.edu/ddl/index.php?title=Automatic_pet_feeder_redesign&redirect=no
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Pugh Chart
Example:
Ratcheting
Screwdriver

http://wiki.ece.cmu.edu/ddl/index.php/Ratcheting_Screwdriver_Redesign
 Pugh’s Method for Evaluation

Pugh Chart

Example:
Tablet

http://edge.rit.edu/content/P13541/public/Systems%20Design
 References

1. Rozaini Othman, Lecture Notes, MEC332

2. Engineering Design,G.E. Dieter and Linda C.
Schmidt, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2009.
3. D. G. Ullman, The Mechanical Design Process,
3rd edition, McGraw-Hill, 2003.
4. Machine Design, R-S-Khurmi-J-K-Gupta-S-
chand, 2005
5. S. Laguette, Lecture Notes, “Introduction to
Mechanical Engineering Design, ME 153”
Spring 2010
6. Wikipedia