CONCEPT GENERATION

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CONCEPT GENERATION

• Sources Ullman, Chapter 7 and Ulrich and
  Eppinger, Product Design and Development,
  McGraw-Hill, 1995

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Concept Generation

• goal generate many concepts
• numerous techniques
• use functional decomposition, then generate
  concepts from function
• concept combinations
• analogies
• related, unrelated stimuli

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Concept Generation Process

• Clarify the Problem
• Problem Decomposition
• External Search
• Lead Users
• Experts
• Patents
• Literature
• Benchmarking
• Internal Search
• Individual Methods
• Group Methods
• Systematic Exploration
• Classification Tree
• Combination Table
• Reflect on the Process
• Continuous Improvement

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Functional Decomposition

• Function WHAT the product must do
• Form (Shape, or Structure)) HOW the product will
  do it
• Form follows function

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Functional Decomposition

• System Flow Diagram
• Energy, Material, Information (Signal) System
  Flow Diagram

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Functional Decomposition

• Step 1 Find the overall function that needs to
  be accomplished
• Step 2 Create subfunction descriptions
• Step 3 Order the subfunctions
• Step 4 Refine subfunctions

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Concept Generation ExerciseVegetable Peelers
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Peeler System Flow Diagram
Input
Output
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Peeler Functional Decomposition
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Concept Generation ExamplePower Nailer
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Problem Decomposition Function Diagram
INPUT
OUTPUT
Energy (?)
Energy (?)
Hand-held
Material (nails)
Material (driven nail)
nailer
Signal (?)
Signal (tool "trip")
Store or
Convert
accept
energy to
Energy
external
translational
energy
energy
Apply
Isolate
Driven
Store
translational
Nails
nail
nails
nail
energy to nail
"Trip" of
Sense
Trigger
trip
tool
tool
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Functional Decomposition
Example Refinement showing subfunctions
(Hand-Held Nailer)
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Functional Decomposition(Summary)

• Step 1 Find the overall function that needs to
  be accomplished
• Step 2 Create subfunction descriptions
• Step 3 Order the subfunctions
• Step 4 Refine subfunctions

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Function Trees

• An elementary approach to developing a functional
  description of a product
• Decompose prime function hierarchically into
  subfunctions
• Iterate down to functions of simple features
• Fast and simple, but interconnecting links
  between subfunctions not considered

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The FAST Method

• FAST - Function Analysis System Technique
• A top-down approach
• Used to display functions in a logical sequence,
  prioritize them, and test their dependency

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The FAST Method

• First step - brainstorm all functions the product
  will serve in the eyes of the customer
• Ask what the product does, not what the
  product is
• Use simple noun-verb / verb-noun structure
• produce torque, generate light, shape material

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The FAST Model

• Construct two vertical dashed lines - one left
  (How ? ), one right (? Why )
• define scope of product development objective

How ?
? Why
Basic Function
Secondary Function
Secondary Function
Basic Function
Method
Goal
Domain of Project Study
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The FAST Model

• Horizontal direction orientation
• How ? Why (left to right on diagram)
• Start with function - ask How that function is
  performed develop subfunctions in moving left to
  right
• How ? Why (right to left on diagram)
• Moving right to left abstracts the problem to a
  higher level

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FAST Example - Cannister Vacuum Cleaner w/ Pwr
Head
How ?
? Why
Provide Power
Brush Surface
Pwr Head Attachments
Move Air
Loosen Dirt
Scrape Surface
Clean Surface
Remove Dirt
Entrain Dirt
Convey Dirt
Store Dirt
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Generating Concepts From Functions

• Concepts are the means of providing function
• Concepts can be represented as sketches, block
  diagrams, textual descriptions, models, etc.
• Morphological technique a widely used technique
• morphology Þ study of form or structure

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Generating Concepts From Functions

• Step 1 Develop concepts for each function
• Step 2 Combine concepts

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Generating Concepts From Functions

• Step 1 Developing concepts for each function
• Goal generate as many concepts as possible
• First For each function, develop as many
  alternative functions as possible
• Second For each subfunction, develop as many
  means of accomplishing the function as possible

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Generating Concepts From Functions

• Step 2 Combining concepts
• Method Select one concept for each function and
  combine those selected into a single design
• Cautions
• May generate too many ideas
• Erroneously assumes that each function is
  independent and each concept satisfies only one
  function
• results may not make sense

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Internal SearchHints for Generating Many
Concepts

• Suspend judgment
• Generate a lot of ideas
• Infeasible ideas are welcome
• Use graphical and physical media
• Make analogies
• Wish and wonder
• Solve the conflict
• Use related stimuli
• Use unrelated stimuli
• Set quantitative goals
• Use the gallery method
• Trade ideas in a group

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Intuitive Techniques

• Imagery
• Brainstorming
• Analogy

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üImagery

• Relax
• Ask your intuition for an image
• Accept whatever images emerge
• Make the image vivid
• Look for qualities in the image

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üAnalogy

• Similarity between things that are otherwise
  dissimilar
• Makes the familiar strange and the strange
  familiar
• Goes hand in hand with imagery

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üBrainstorming

• Define in neutral terms
• Record all ideas - even wild ones
• Suspend judgment
• Stretch for ideas
• Encourage embellishments
• Select at a separate time

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Linear Techniques

• Osborns Idea Spurring Questions
• Forced Association
• Matrix/Morphological Analysis

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üOsborns Idea Spurring Questions

• Substitute (What other process, material?)
• Combine (Combine units, purposes, ?)
• Adapt (What else is like this, ?)
• Modify (New twist? Change form, function?)
• Put to other uses (New/other ways to use?)
• Magnify, Minify (Add to, subtract from,..?)
• Reverse (Transpose input, output?)

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üForced Association

• Force a relationship between dissimilar items
• Discover ideas for one area in the context of the
  other

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Generating Concepts From Functions
Concept Combination Table
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Generating Concepts From Functions
Concept Combination Table
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Generating Concepts From Functions
A solenoid compresses a spring and then releases
it repeatedly in order to drive the nail with
multiple impacts.
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Generating Concepts From Functions
Concept Combination Table
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Generating Concepts From Functions
Multiple solutions motor with a transmission, a
spring, and a single impact.
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Generating Concepts From Functions
Concept Combination Table
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Generating Concepts From Functions
Motor with transmission, a spring, and multiple
impacts. The motor repeatedly winds and releases
the spring, storing and delivering energy over
several blows.
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Generating Concepts From Functions
Concept Combination Table
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Generating Concepts From Functions
A linear motor, a moving mass, and a single
impact. Linear motor accelerates a massive
hammer, accumulating kinetic energy which is
delivered to the nail in a single blow.
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External SearchHints for Finding Related
Solutions

• Lead Users
• benefit from improvement
• innovation source
• Benchmarking
• competitive products
• Experts
• technical experts
• experienced customers
• Patents
• search related inventions
• Literature
• technical journals
• trade literature

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Summary
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Concept Generation Process

• Clarify the Problem
• Problem Decomposition
• External Search
• Lead Users
• Experts
• Patents
• Literature
• Benchmarking
• Internal Search
• Individual Methods
• Group Methods
• Systematic Exploration
• Classification Tree
• Combination Table
• Reflect on the Process
• Continuous Improvement

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END