Engineering Design

• What is engineering design?

• Function to form
MECHANICAL DESIGN • Design process
• Phases of design
• Product realization process
ME 490 Graduation Project Notes • Roles for engineers
• Concurrent engineering
2014 • Teamwork
• Summary

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What is Design? Which of the following is «design» and which is «analysis»?

One of the most common ways to differentiate analysis from
design is to say that analysis is "what" and design is "how". This
sounds compelling at first. Clearly if we can first define "what" we A. Given that the customer wishes to fasten together two steel
want the system to do, then it will be easier to define "how" the plates, select appropriate sizes for the bolt, nut and washer.
system should do it. ???
In other words; analysis is understanding the problem you're
B. Given the cross-section geometry of a new airplane wing,
trying to solve. What environment is it in? Who are the
determine the lifting force it produces by conducting wind
customers going be? What behaviors should your solution
tunnel experiments.
exhibit? etc. Design is figuring out how to organize the solution
once you've done the analysis and you understand the problem. ???
Generally you want to do a fair amount of analysis before
design, otherwise you'll start building a solution for a problem
you don't truly understand.
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How are "Function" to "Form" related? Definition of Mechanical Design

• control In the simplest manner:
• holding
Function • movement
• protecting
"Set of decision making processes and activities
• storing to determine the form of an object,
Design • decision making processes given the customer’s desired function. "
• shape Or
• configuration
Form
• size "Mechanical design is creating new devices or
• materials
• manufacturing processes
improving existing ones in an attempt to provide
the “best”, or “optimum” expected performance
with the constraints of time, money, and safety."
Form Follows Function!

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1

Design Process
(Decision Making)
ME 490 Notes by Mehmet Demirkol
The Phases of Mechanical Design
Formulation
Concept
Generation
Configuration
Design
Parametric
Design
Detailed
Design
ME 490 Notes by Mehmet Demirkol
Decisions relating to concept?
Decide physical principles that will perform the function:
1. Surface friction (e.g. drum brake, disk/caliper)
2. Opposing magnetic fields (e.g. inverse motor)
3. Air friction (e.g. fan blades)
Assume we decide on "surface friction"
“Concept Generation Phase”
ME 490 Notes by Mehmet Demirkol
Decision Making During "Design Process"
• Establish functional requirements
Formulating
the Problem
• Determine constraints
• Set performance targets
Design specifications
Generating • Create alternative forms
Alternatives (shape, configuration, size, materials,
manufacturing processes)
Redesign
iteration
All alternatives
Analyzing
Alternatives
Feasible alternatives
Evaluating • Select the best alternative among the
Alternatives
others
Best alternative design candidate
(Determine manufacturing specifications)
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An example for design problem:
"To stop a spinning shaft"
(200 mm diameter, 250 kg weight , steel and turning at 3000 rpm)
Early in the design process, we decide upon the specifics
of the function to be performed:
• Decide upon a satisfactory rate of deceleration
• Determine the length of the shaft
• Determine where it is supported
• Determine what actuating energy is available
• Apply reverse engineering on existing products
• Make research on brakes in the library
“Formulation” Phase
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Decisions on configuring products
and new components?
Decide upon product components & how they are arranged
Decide upon part features & how they are arranged
Product configuration:
- disk/caliper, or drum, or band brake
- location on shaft (right. left, middle)
(Assume we decide on a disk/caliper brake)
Part configuration:
- relative size of hub to disk
- relative size of rotor thickness to diameter
“Configuration Design” Phase
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 Values for Parameters? Completing the details

Decide upon specific values for design variables: Decide upon the remaining manufacturing specifications:

1. rotor diameter (outer)

2. rotor thickness
3. brake pad (disc) width • machined rotor tolerances
4. pad material on disc • pad bonding resin
5. hydraulic pressure on piston • assembly/testing procedure etc.

“Parametric Design” Phase “Detailed Design” Phase

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Final “Form” is the solution to a design problem A tool for desicion making in design
(PUGH Matrix Method)
Function ---- to stop a spinning shaft • Let's assume we're deciding between four
alternatives, A, B, C, D.

• We decide what our criteria are. We pick the four

most important, the ones that absolutely must be
Form included. Let's call them 1,2,3 and 4. (These can be
• rotor: 250 mm diameter, steel, 10 mm thick, with cooling passages price, time, ease of production, man-hours,
• forged steel caliper/housing whatever is/are most important.
• brake pads, 2 opposing, 25 sq. cm., metal particles/epoxy matrix
• steel piston, 25 mm diameter, with elastomeric seals • The baseline is the system we have in place at the
• 7 bar hydraulic piston pressure moment, so we score this a reference against our
criteria.
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We can also give each criterion a weighting. For example, if our

first criteria is a 2, and the second criteria is twice as important
we give that a four. By multiplying the values in the matrix by
related weights: Selection

Now consider option A. In relation to criteria 1, do we consider

that it is better, the same as, or worse than the baseline? If it's
better we give it a +1, if it's the same we give it a 0, and if it's
worse we give it a -1. Let's say it's +1.
Total: 0 -3 3 11 Maximum
We assess each of the alternatives B, C and D in the same way,
filling in all the blanks.

It is decided that Alternative-D is the best (or optimum)

solution for the problem.

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 A tool for time management in design process
(Gannt Chart) Tasks: are activities which must be completed to
achieve project goal(s). Break the project into tasks
A Gantt chart is a graphical representation of the and subtasks. Tasks have start and end points, which
duration of a project or tasks against the progression of are shorter relative to the project and are significant
time. A project is a set of activities which ends with (not going to library, but rather, search literature).
specific accomplishment and which has:

(1) Non-routine tasks, Milestones: are important checkpoints or interim

goals for a project. Can be used to catch scheduling
(2) Distinct start/finish dates,
problems early. Name by noun-verb form, e.g. report
(3) Resource constraints (time/money/people/equipment). due, parts ordered, prototype complete.

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Steps in preparing a Gantt chart:

Design and Product Realization
1.List all events or milestones in an ordered list, whenever
possible.
2. Estimate the time required to establish each event Realized
(remember it is an estimate). Product
3. List the starting time and end time for each event.
4. Represent the information in a bar chart.
Disposal
Weeks Production Design Service
# of Mile- Engineering Design
Tasks Who 1 2 3 4 5 6 Distribution
Weeks stones
Industrial Design Manufacturing
MD/AA/ Concept Sales / Marketing (Production)
Task-1 2
ED/OK Design

Tech.
Task-2 3 MD/ED
Drawing
Customer
Task-3 2 AA/OK
Test Needs
Results

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Phases in the life of a product Investment & Income During Product Realization
• establish function
Design • determine form

• fabricate
Manufacture • assemble
• Introduction Growth Maturity Saturation Decline
Income

distribute

• set up
Sales
Use • operate
• maintain
• repair
Investment

Time
• take down Product
Retire Development
• disassemble
• recycle
• dispose
To satisfy the consumer, we must consider all the phases in the life of a product
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 Summary

• Design is “decision” making process

• Product realization process includes engineering
design
• Design process requires formulating, generating,
analyzing, evaluating, refining
• Form follows function
• Product realization is a professional team sport

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