ENGINEERING DESIGN

CEN 4997
(CAPSTONE PROJECT)
Definitions of Engineering
1) The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. (ABET)
provides the following definition of engineering as a profession:
Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical
and natural sciences, gained by study, experience, and practice, is
applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the
materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind.
2) Alternatively, engineering as an activity might be defined as follows:
An innovative and methodical application of scientific knowledge and
technology to produce a device, system or process, which is intended to
satisfy human need(s).
Attributes That an Engineer Should Possess
1. Problem-solving skills Engineers must be able to
■ identify and define the problem to be solved
■ develop alternative design solutions
■ implement the solution finally selected
2. Effective communication skills Engineers must be able to convey
ideas effectively in both written and oral form.
3. Highly ethical and professional behavior Engineers must be able to
recognize and resolve ethical dilemmas, and behave in a professional
manner at all times and under all circumstances.
4. An open mind and positive attitude If engineers are to be successful
in solving challenging technical problems, they must be both
imaginative and optimistic that their efforts will bear fruit.
5. Proficiency in math and science Engineers must be adept in
mathematical techniques and knowledgeable about science.
6. Technical skills Engineers must acquire the appropriate set of
technical skills if they are to perform well in their chosen profession.
7. Motivation to continue learning Given that both technology and
scientific knowledge are expanding at an incredibly rapid rate,
engineers must be willing and able to acquire new skills and knowledge
in their areas of expertise.
8. Knowledge of business strategies and management practices
Engineers must be familiar with such strategies and practices if they are
to succeed in industry.
9. Computer literacy Engineers must be familiar with the latest
computer technology if they are to use it in effective ways in various
engineering applications.
10. Understanding of world affairs and cultures It is critical to
understand cultural differences if one is to work in harmony with
others from around the world, as today’s engineers often do.
Engineering as a Profession

Engineering is a service profession. Virtually all engineered products

and processes are responses to people’s needs. A significant amount of
engineering thought and effort can (and should) be devoted toward
improving even such relatively common products as wheelchairs.
Each of us in this profession seeks to serve or assist others by providing
them with a safer, happier, and more productive lifestyle.
Engineering can be divided into many distinct (but often overlapping)
disciplines in which a particular problem focus or application area is of
primary interest.
However, it is also important to recognize that a problem or application
area often overlaps several different engineering disciplines, thereby
requiring engineers from various fields to pool their expertise in order
to design and develop a viable solution.
Engineers seldom work alone and seldom work only with people from
their particular discipline. Every engineer should develop the skills
necessary to communicate and work with people from other
engineering disciplines and professions.
The Engineering Design Process
Engineers focus on problems for which there are many practical
solutions. In other words, they seek the best solution from among
these many alternatives.
Of course, in order to determine the best solution from among a set of
alternatives, engineers must first be able to recognize and develop each
of these alternatives.
To perform this task in an effective and efficient manner, engineers
often follow a procedure known as the engineering design process.
Figure 1 shows this process
divided into five principal
tasks or phases, as follows:
1. Needs assessment
The need for a solution is
first established.
■ Identify the objective(s)
to be achieved by a
solution.

■ Identify who will benefit from the solution. In what way(s)? How do
you know?
■ Begin with the end in mind; know where you are going.
2. Problem formulation
The “real” problem to be solved is defined in the form of design goals
that are to be achieved by any viable solution.
■ Ask if the real problem differs from the problem as initially perceived
or presented. In what way(s)?
■ What or who was the source of the original problem statement? Did
this source bias the statement in some way because of a unique
perspective? If so, is the statement then incorrect or incomplete?
In what way(s)?
■ Structure the search for a solution. Identify as many different
pathways leading to possible solutions as you can. Know where you are
going and direct your search by pruning those paths that will (probably)
not lead to a solution.
■ Acquire and apply technical knowledge as appropriate. In order to
formulate the problem correctly and completely, and to structure the
search for a solution, one must make informed—that is,
knowledgeable—decisions
■ Identify the design specifications (both explicit and implicit
constraints or boundaries within which the solution must lie).
■ Identify the resources (time, money, personnel) that will be needed
to obtain a solution.
■ Prioritize the design goals; continually review this list and modify it as
needed during the remainder of the design process. Be aware that your
initial prioritization may be incorrect. Be open to change in your goal
list. Focus primarily on those goals deemed most important, but
recognize that all goals should be achieved by the final solution.
3. Abstraction and synthesis

Develop abstract (general) concepts or approaches through which the

problem could be solved, and then generate detailed alternative
solutions or designs for the problem.
■ Recall related solved problems or experiences, pertinent theories,
and fundamental approaches (if any exist) to solving this type of
problem.
■ Expand your thinking as to what is possible and what is not possible.
■ Seek to develop solutions that are fully acceptable to all involved.
What approaches can be taken to solve the problem? Which of these
approaches is most valid? Why?
■ Reconsider the problem statement: Is it still valid or must it be
modified?
■ Be creative; use established and appropriate techniques for
generating as many detailed solutions as possible.
■ Combine ideas for achieving each of the individual design goals into
total solutions. Seek to make the whole (i.e., the complete design)
greater than the sum of the parts (i.e., the individual ideas or sub-
solutions).
■ Once again, expand your thinking as to what is possible and what is
not possible. Be adaptable.
■ Again reconsider the problem statement: Is it still valid or
must it be modified? Does your goal list need to be modified? If so, in
what way?
4. Analysis
Compare and evaluate alternative designs.
■ Choose a basis for comparing your alternative design solutions by
establishing objective evaluation criteria.
■ Be critical of your work. Try to see your designs objectively and
recognize each of their weaknesses or shortcomings (as well as their
strengths).
■ Consider fabrication/implementation requirements for each
solution—for example, raw materials and standard parts (“off-the-
shelf” components) to be used; manufacturing processes needed to
shape the raw materials into final form; the impact that production,
distribution, operation, and disposal of the fabricated design may have
upon the environment, etc. Compare and contrast the requirements for
each proposed design.
■ Are each of the proposed solutions ethical in concept and operation
(safe, environmentally responsible, etc.)?
■ Eliminate alternatives that do not satisfy critical design goals (i.e.,
those goals that must be satisfied for the problem itself to be solved).
■ Anticipate and avoid failure by eliminating weaknesses in your
designs; focus upon others and their needs and expectations. Are there
any inherent hazards in your designs? Can these hazards be eliminated
or minimized?
■ Does each design alternative satisfy appropriate ergonomic
requirements (human-machine system design goals and specs)? If not,
why not? Improve and refine each of your proposed designs, if
possible.
■ Construct prototypes of the most promising designs (if possible) and
test/evaluate/refine these solutions.
■ Select the best alternative from among those designs that remain as
viable solutions to the problem.
■ Revise and refine this best design as appropriate; eliminate or
minimize weaknesses and shortcomings of the design. Can this “best”
design be improved by combining it with elements from any or all of
the other (rejected) alternatives?
5. Implementation
Develop the final solution and distribute it to your intended
clients/customers/user(s).
■ After successfully fabricating, testing and evaluating a design
prototype (if such testing is possible), proceed with full production.
■ Distribute to user population and obtain feedback for the next-
generation design.
6. Reflection ( might be included)

During this step, one contemplates the lessons learned and the
knowledge acquired as a result of the just-completed design effort.
A period of formal reflection can be immensely helpful in clarifying
those aspects of the experience that can be used to perform future
tasks in a more effective manner. It is particularly valuable if all
members of the design team can share their final thoughts and
reflections about a project once it has been completed, thereby
encouraging each person to identify and assess the benefits of the
experience.
Iteration in Engineering Design
Engineering design is a naturally iterative process. As indicated in Figure
1, iteration can occur between any and all of the stages in the design
process.
One does not necessarily complete the entire design cycle (traveling
from needs assessment through implementation) before returning to
one of the earlier stages of the process to correct and modify earlier
results.
For example, the engineer may acquire a deeper understanding of the
problem as he or she evaluates a set of alternative solutions during
stage 4 in the process. Recognizing that the real problem to be solved is
far different from the one originally described in the problem
statement (during stage 1), the engineer revises both the problem
statement and goal list to correctly reflect this new insight. With this
now appropriate target (a correct problem statement and goal list) at
which to aim, the engineer is more likely to be successful.
Iteration also may occur as a result of tests on various design
prototypes, resulting in a gradual refinement of the basic solution
concept.
Nth-Generation Designs
Engineering design does not end with an optimal solution. There is no such thing as
a “perfect” solution to an engineering problem because of the compromises that
one usually must make in order to resolve conflicts among the design goals. For
example, maximizing the durability of a design while minimizing its production
costs can be very difficult to achieve fully, in which case the engineer strives to
obtain an acceptable balance between these two goals.
As a result, the search for a better Nth-generation design solution to a problem
may continue endlessly (e.g., once a product is marketed, feedback about the
design is collected from the users, and the product then undergoes redesign to
better meet the users’ needs). Thus, the design process is repeated again and again
as new and better solutions are developed.
Current Practices in Engineering Design
Engineers change the world and in turn are affected by the very changes that they
wrought. As a result, engineering is an extremely dynamic profession, continuously
undergoing change in response to a changing world. Many current engineering
practices were neither widely recognized nor followed only twenty years ago;
among the most important of these practices are:
1) Life-cycle design
2) Practical design
3) Faster design cycles (more alternatives)
4) Engineering without walls ( Companies working together)
5) Sustainable design