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(1a) Input: Assigned design briefduty booklet, contract for a TP(s)/TS(s) with
given constraints (e.g., delivery time), as defined by management, and agreed with a
customer.
(1b) Output: A full design specification (list of requirements) which has been agreed
with the customer or sponsor, with the most appropriate state of anticipated properties
in all features.
(1c) Theorem: The TP(s) and TS(s) should be capable of effectively transforming
the operand and delivering the TS-effects. The TS(s) should also be appropriate
for all anticipated life cycle situations, and should have suitable properties (see
Section 6.6), for example, for humans, for nonpolluting disposal at life ended
(see Section 6.11.9), and so forth.
(1d) Applied Models: The model of the TS life cycle (Figures I.13 and 6.14) rep-
resents individual phases and processes of origination, operation (TP[s], and TS[s]
as operator), and disposal is represented as a sequencing of transformation systems
(Figures I.6 and 5.1). The model shows only the main processes and phases, which
contain several subprocesses. For example, testing can be included in manufactur-
ing and assembling, or distribution can include packaging and transport. During
the TS-operational process, the TP(s), additional processes of cleaning, mainten-
ance, repair, and upgrading may be required. The concretization of the general life
cycle for a TS-sort should contain these particulars, and avoid unnecessary work,
iterations and failures for the engineering designer within a specialty (branch of
industry).
Op-P1.5 Quantify and state tolerances for the requirements where possible.
Op-P1.6 Allocate the requirements according to life phases, operators, and classes
of TS-properties.
Op-P1.7 Establish any anticipated requirements for a supply chain for manufacture,
and for environmental concerns.
Op-P1.8 Review the results of this stage, be constructively critical, evaluate and
decide (e.g., among alternatives), reflect and improve, and verify and
check (including checking for possible conflicts and contradictions).
Enter this information into a list of requirements. This ongoing task covers the
information generated in each operation, and reviews and keeps this design specific-
ation up to date. Goals and principles can guide the process of generating the list of
requirements, as the task definition for the TP(s) and TS(s) (compare Chapter 2), and
for each subproblem. As interpreted by engineering designers and team members,
after clarification of the task
8. The state of the art should be clearly established within the design
specification.
9. The assigned problem statement and the list of requirements are sets of
information, therefore knowledge from the field of information processing
is applicable, for example, instructions about establishing the state of the art,
information storage and retrieval, and computer science. In this operation,
the majority of the technical (branch-related object) information concerning
the problem and solutions should be collected. Study stage is a frequently
applied term, but information is gathered through the whole design process.
Completeness and qualification of the requirements are (and continue to be) points
of contention; opinions and conceptions differ. A few hundred statements of require-
ments must be formulated at the start of the TP(s)/TS(s) life, before and during the
conceptual phases of designing. These goals and principles should be appropriate and
adapted to the needs of the design situation (see Chapter 3). The working methods
used by engineering designers should contribute to reaching a corresponding per-
fection and quality, both of the task definition and of the TP(s) and TS(s). Suitable
methods (see Chapter 8) are given as follows:
The possibility of realizing the TS(s), and its operational process, TP(s), should
be examined (a feasibility study), which should indicate whether a solution of the
given task is possible, and whether solving it is expedient. A feasibility study will
either indicate a possibility does not exist, or a possibility may existfeasibility
can never be proved. Areas to be explored are
2. Economic aspects: Are the anticipated TP(s), operation of the TS(s), and
its manufacture likely to be economical?
3. Timeline: Is the available time sufficient? Can and should the product be
first to be marketed?
4. Environmental and social factors: Are any hazards foreseeable?
An ideal can never be reached, a suitable level of meeting the stated requirements
should be satisfactory. The process of evaluation is intended to enable a comparison
with the requirements, and to point out deficiencies that must or should be corrected.
(1f ) Important Information Areas: Engineering designers must know the state of
the art about their TS-sort, the development of the branch with its conditions and
causes, the market situation and current competitive products (TP and TS) and patents.
Information about other areas of engineering, social and cultural aspects, at least at
the level of awareness, is also useful, and can help to avoid introducing failures in
ones own area for problems that have already been overcome in other areas [572].
Question about possibilities of realization needs well-founded information about (new
and existing) materials and manufacturing techniques. An excursion into the sphere of
economics, organizations, and management is necessary for designers. Engineering
designers are responsible for about 80% of the manufacturing and whole-life costs
(see Figure 10.4), they must have information about production, life cycle assessment
and engineering [62,160,186,237,244,582], costs and cost management, and so forth.
The designed TP(s) and TS(s) must also conform to all applicable laws, standards
and codes of practice. This is a further field of information with which designers must
become familiar.
(1g) Available Methods and Resources: Checklists are a resource for processing
the task definition that offer systems of questions and hints, and can deliver new
inspiration. An interdisciplinary team is usually an advantage (see Chapter 10). Full
records (minutes) of meetings should be kept, especially of any decisions reached.
Individual specialists (including engineering designers) will have their own duties to
perform between the meetings [247].
(1h) Form of Representation: The list of requirements (design specification) can
be formalized and unified for a specialty, and used as masters or pro forma (see
Section 9.5). Masters and other paradigmatic representations have proven useful
in practice, other developments are possible and likely. A graphical representa-
tion has been suggested [503], in which the individual requirements (subclassified
as product characteristics, functional requirements, constraints, and performance
metrics) are coded for importance, and linked into a hierarchical network, prefer-
ably in column-and-row format, to improve visualization and understanding of the
design problem. The area of quality assurance offers benchmarking, QFD, and other
methods for comparisons with competitive products and company procedures. The
feasibility study method is usable in this stage of designing.
(1i) Remarks: This stage demands cooperation with stakeholders, for example,
sales department, and manufacturing, so that the established data corresponds to
their ideas, or a consensus is reached.