Managing Engineering Design - Detailed Explanation
1. Nature of Engineering Design
- Engineering Design Process: The process involves identifying a need, conceiving an idea, defining
the problem, researching and developing a solution, and evaluating prototypes. Engineers must
communicate their solutions clearly through drawings, specifications, and reports.
Example: Designing a new car engine involves identifying performance issues with current engines,
coming up with a more efficient design, and testing it before mass production.
2. Systems Engineering and New Product Development
- Systems Engineering: This refers to the design, creation, and operation of complex systems. It
involves identifying goals, creating design concepts, evaluating alternatives, and ensuring the
system meets its goals throughout its lifecycle.
- Stages in New Product Development: The stages include problem definition, investigating
alternatives, modeling, integration, launching, assessing performance, and reevaluation.
Example: NASA's Mars Rover was developed using systems engineering, where each stage
addressed specific issues, like terrain navigation and data transmission.
3. Concurrent Engineering (CE)
- Definition: CE involves integrating multiple disciplines early in the design process to reduce
development time and improve product quality.
Example: In the aerospace industry, engineers, designers, and manufacturers collaborate
simultaneously during the design of a new jet to identify and solve issues in parallel, reducing
time-to-market.
4. Control Systems in Design
- Drawing/Design Release: It involves officially finalizing design drawings and ensuring that
everyone involved in production is working with the same, approved version.
- Configuration Management: It ensures that any changes in the design are communicated
effectively across teams to avoid errors due to conflicting versions.
Example: In automobile manufacturing, configuration management ensures that changes made to
one part (e.g., the engine design) are reflected in all related components, such as the transmission.
5. Design Criteria
- Product Liability: Designers must consider the potential risks of a product failing and causing harm
to users. Legal precedents now hold manufacturers responsible for product defects.
- Reliability: Ensures that the product consistently performs as expected over time. For example,
Japanese cars gained a reputation for reliability in the 1970s, leading to their dominance in global
markets.
- Maintainability: The ease with which a product can be repaired. For instance, a military jet might be
designed with easy access to critical components, allowing faster maintenance during operations.
- Human Factors Engineering: Involves designing products to suit human limitations. For example,
the layout of a cockpit in a fighter jet ensures that all critical controls are within easy reach to prevent
errors during flight.
- Standardization: Ensuring uniformity in components (e.g., bolts or nuts) to make manufacturing
more efficient.
- Producibility: Making sure that a product design can be manufactured with existing resources
efficiently. For example, a manufacturing engineer might suggest adjusting the tolerances of a part
to make it easier to produce.
- Value Engineering: A method to reduce costs without affecting the product's performance. For
example, in a project to develop a new mobile phone, engineers might find cheaper materials that
don't compromise durability.
6. Modern Trends in Design
- Technological Change: Managing the impact of technological innovations on product development.
For example, the rise of 3D printing has revolutionized prototyping in engineering design by allowing
faster iterations and cost-effective testing.
- Communication and Information Technology: Effective use of IT tools like CAD software and
project management tools has become integral in design management, helping coordinate complex
projects across different locations.
7. Example Scenarios
- Product Liability Example: In the case of Firestone tires, a design flaw led to several fatal
accidents, and the company had to recall millions of tires.
- Reliability Example: Japanese cars were initially cheaper, but their superior reliability led to higher
consumer trust and market share in the 1980s.
- Human Factors Example: The layout of controls in an aircraft is designed to ensure that pilots can
operate all necessary functions without taking their hands off the controls, especially in critical
situations.
Conclusion
The chapter highlights the comprehensive nature of engineering design management, emphasizing
the importance of communication, system integration, and adherence to strict design criteria like
liability, reliability, and maintainability. Successful product development requires engineers to
integrate technical knowledge with management skills to ensure the creation of safe, reliable, and
cost-effective products.
