Engineering Design for Successful Products

Successful Product Development

  • Examples of products:
    • Successful: Apple iPhone, Samsung phone
    • Less successful: HP tablet, Apple Newton
    • Failed dramatically: Samsung phone (battery issues)

Key Elements for Successful Products

  • Engineering Skills: Mechanical, electrical, software engineering.

  • Purposeful Application: Knowing how to apply engineering skills effectively.

  • Product Definition: Clearly defining what kind of product to develop.

    • Engineering design doesn't have one single answer; it depends on the problem, company, and customers.
    • Requires a systematic and methodical approach.

Engineering Design Overview

  • Interdisciplinary field combining:
    • Engineering (mechanical, software, manufacturing).
    • Design (design thinking, design innovation).
    • Links to innovation management, business, and biology.

Engineering Procedure Models

  • Similar to recipes: what to do, why, and how to achieve an intended outcome.
  • Adaptable to specific contexts and problems.
  • Help build capabilities and competencies.

Key Steps in Procedure Models

  1. Analysis: Identify the product and its requirements.
  2. Structuring: Break down complex problems into smaller sub-problems; develop alternative solutions for each.
  3. Assessment: Evaluate sub-solutions, select the best ones, and combine them into an overarching product.

V-Model

  • Established model for developing mechatronic products (mechanical, electrical, and software parts).
  • Mirrors the three key steps: analysis (left arm), structuring (lower part), and assessment (right arm).

V-Model Example: Fan Development

  1. Identify the Fan Type (Left Arm):

    • Pedestrian fan vs. mobile fan.
    • Market research, trend analysis, open innovation, design thinking (customer observation).
    • Determine product requirements (volume speed, noise level).
    • Consider stakeholders across product lifecycle (manufacturing engineers, recycling).

  2. Structure into Domains (Lower Part):

    • Mechanical.
    • Electrical.
    • Software.
    • Develop alternative solutions for sub-problems within each domain (e.g., different fan blade sizes/shapes, radical solutions like Dyson's bladeless fan).

  3. Assessment and Combination (Right Arm):

    • Assess alternative solutions using requirements defined earlier.
    • Combine partial solutions: components → modules → entire product.
    • Product characteristics vary based on project, problem, and user needs.
      • Rudimentary fan with mechanical buttons.
      • Smart fan controlling flow based on temperature and humidity.
      • Innovative robot-based fan that follows the user.

Other Procedure Models

  • Munich procedure model.
  • Agile product development & Scrum.

Advantages of Engineering Design

  • Develop successful products: Solve complex problems.
  • Purposeful application: Apply engineering skills purposefully; collaboration with other disciplines.
  • Turn failures into success: Samsung's battery safety check test improved quality processes after initial product failure.