ME 2212 Chapter : Design Chapter 4
Document Summary
Although the design process can be somewhat lengthy, it can be broken down into six phases to help focus on individual steps. Discovery, project planning, product definition, conceptual design, product. It is important to focus on the early phases, especially when major decisions and quality are involved, to prevent costly errors. It is much easier and cheaper to fix a problem in the early phases of the mechanical design process instead of trying to fix something as it approaches its final stages. Communication, documentation, and good data are key to detecting problems and solving them before it s too late. As these phases are repeated again and again, new products will emerge from technological advances, market influences, and the ever-changing product. Many products may hit the drawing board at this time, especially amongst large engineering teams, but methods such as the pro-con or swot analysis can help decide which product to develop.
