1. “The best design is the simplest one that works.” Albert Einstein
Engineering Design
“The best design is the simplest one that works.”
Albert Einstein

2. Characteristics of Engineering Design
An engineering design problem is ALWAYS poorly defined and full of uncertainty (i.e., involves risk)
An engineering design is ALWAYS dependent on the resources available (requires tradeoffs)
Engineers must constrain the design to fit the needs, likes, and perceptions of the customer.

3. Engineering Design is . . .
creative problem solving involving intention, meaning, and purpose.
a quest for simplicity, order, and organization.
a deliberate process involving both conscious and intuitive effort to satisfy the functional, material, and visual requirements of a problem.
the process of inventing things that represent a new physical order, organization, and form in response to function.

4. Engineering Design Practices
Analytical models
Design reviews
Experimentation to determine unknown information
Prototyping
Searching & studying patent literature
Setting tolerances and the methods to check them
Team collaboration to focus the knowledge and skills of several individuals
Using standards of all types for components, procedures, CAE, CAD, etc.

5. Engineering Design Process - Taguchi
System selection
Parameter design
Tolerance design & specification
Quality management in the production process

6. Engineering Design Process - Shigley
Recognition of need
Definition of problem
Synthesis (conceptual design)
Analysis & Optimization (detailed design)
Evaluation
Presentation

7. Engineering Design Process - Dieter
Recognition of need
Definition of problem
PDS creation
Gathering information
identifying suitable sources
assessing latest technology
Design
feasibility study
conceptual design
detailed design
plan for manufacturing
plan for distribution
plan for use
plan for disposal
Evaluation of the design
decision matrix
design review, quality audit, etc.
Communication of the design
shop drawings
geometric models
business plan
manufacturing process plans

8. Best Practices in Engineering Design - NRC
Consider the whole product life cycle
Design for excellence
Generate metrics
Use CAD/CAE extensively
Use concurrent design
Use Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
rank product attributes according to customer wants
Use Taguchi robust design
systems design (conceptual design
parameter design (detailed design)
tolerance design (detailed design)

9. Engineering Design Guidelines - Dieter
Always give the best answer within the available resources
Always pursue conceptual design to their limit and then back off a little
Avoid arbitrary decisions
Develop a PDS before beginning conceptual design
Develop a solution by successive approximations
“Freeze” the design at an appropriate iteration so the team has time to finish drawings, report, construction, etc. on schedule

10. Engineering Design Guidelines - Dieter
Keep up with current literature
Make small changes in the state of the art
SIMPLIFY everything always
Use computer models as much as possible
Use mathematical analysis to predict performance before a prototype is built
Use science where appropriate

11. Design Considerations
Assembly (DFA)
Environment
Life Cycle
Manufacture (DFM)
Performance
Reliability
Safety
Value

12. Any Questions?