Product Development - Concepts and Design

After participating in the module “Product Development - Concepts and Design", the students are able to • recite and describe important product development methods for different stages of the development process, • apply those methods to develop a desired product, • analyze technical problem descriptions and elicit tangible requirements, • evaluate the results and choose further procedure accordingly, and • develop technical solution concepts and detail them in embodiment designs.

The module Product Development - Concepts and Design teaches a systematic approach to solving technical problems. The starting point is a technical problem formulation. To develop a technical solution, the procedure is taught using the Munich Product Concretization Model. The model supports the systematic consideration of the requirements space, function level, working principles and embodiment level. Methods for concept development are taught for the individual concretization levels, such as functional modelling (function level) or the morphological box (working principle level). In order to detail the design, supplementary methods of the "Design for X" approach are taught, such as principles of design for manufacturing.

Machine Elements 1 and 2

The fundamentals of a systematic approach to product development from requirements to functions, working principles and embodiment design are taught in a lecture. The application in a development team is taught and practised through the group work. The group work is encompassed by exercises which demonstrate the application of the methods. The exercises give the students the opportunity to practise the methods on several examples. Moreover, the students are supervised by tutors who can answer questions on the exercise examples and on the group work.

The module examination takes the form of an exercise consisting of six written assignments and a final presentation (duration 10 min), which must be completed during the semester. As a rule, the tasks should be completed as part of group work. Each student receives an individual sub-task that includes a technical problem formulation. The completion of these tasks should demonstrate that the student can systematically develop technical solution concepts and detailed designs based on the analysis of a technical problem formulation. In addition, methods for clarifying requirements and finding solutions at functional, active and construction level should be applied. All submissions are graded, the module grade is calculated from the average of the individual submissions. The presentation is graded as pass/fail.

Ponn, J.; Lindemann, U.: Konzeptentwicklung und Gestaltung technischer Produkte: Optimierte Produkte – systematisch von Anforderungen zu Konzepten. Berlin: Springer 2008. Lindemann, U.: Methodische Entwicklung technischer Produkte. Berlin: Springer 2007 (2. Auflage). Ehrlenspiel, K.: Integrierte Produktentwicklung - Methoden für Prozeßorganisation, Produkterstellung und Konstruktion. München: Hanser 2003.

After participating in the module “Product Development - Concepts and Design", the students are able to • recite and describe important product development methods for different stages of the development process, • apply those methods to develop a desired product, • analyze technical problem descriptions and elicit tangible requirements, • evaluate the results and choose further procedure accordingly, and • develop technical solution concepts and detail them in embodiment designs.

The module "Product Development - Concepts and Design" teaches a systematic approach to solving technical problems. The starting point is a technical problem formulation. To develop a technical solution, the procedure is taught using the "Munich Product Concretisation model". The model supports the systematic consideration of requirement space, function level, working principle and embodiment level. Methods for concept development are taught for the individual concretisation levels, such as functional modelling (function level) or the morphological box (working principle level). In order to detail the design, supplementary methods of the "Design for X" approach are taught, such as principles of design for manufacturing.

Machine elements 1 and 2

The fundamentals of a systematic approach to product development from requirements to functions, working principles and embodiment design are taught in a lecture. The application in a development team is taught and practised through the group work. The group work is encompassed by exercises which demonstrate the application of the methods. The exercises give the students the opportunity to practise the methods on several examples. Moreover, the students are supervised by tutors who can answer questions on the exercise examples and on the group work.

The module examination takes the form of an exercise consisting of six written assignments and a final presentation (duration 10 min), which must be completed during the semester. As a rule, the tasks should be completed as part of group work. Each student receives an individual sub-task that includes a technical problem formulation. The completion of these tasks should demonstrate that the student can systematically develop technical solution concepts and detailed designs based on the analysis of a technical problem formulation. In addition, methods for clarifying requirements and finding solutions at functional, active and construction level should be applied. All submissions are graded, the module grade is calculated from the average of the individual submissions. The presentation is graded as pass/fail.

Ponn, J.; Lindemann, U.: Konzeptentwicklung und Gestaltung technischer Produkte: Optimierte Produkte – systematisch von Anforderungen zu Konzepten. Berlin: Springer 2008. Lindemann, U.: Methodische Entwicklung technischer Produkte. Berlin: Springer 2007 (2. Auflage). Ehrlenspiel, K.: Integrierte Produktentwicklung - Methoden für Prozeßorganisation, Produkterstellung und Konstruktion. München: Hanser 2003.