Question

1. There are many definitions of engineering design. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) defines engineering design as: "Engineering design is the process of devising a system, component, or process to meet desired needs. It is a decision-making process (often iterative), in which the basic sciences, mathematics, and the engineering sciences are applied to convert resources optimally to meet these stated needs...". Identify three important words or phrase from the above definition and for each of them explain their importance with respect to engineering design. (10 marks)

Answer 1

Hello, my dear student, I hope you will understand the steps and important terms related to this topic if you have any doubts feel free to ask me.

First of all, I will describe engineering design and steps for doing this design then after I will conclude with the exact terms.

What is the Engineering Design Process?

The engineering design process is a series of steps that engineers follow to come up with a solution to a problem. Many times the solution involves designing a product (like a machine or computer code) that meets certain criteria and/or accomplishes a certain task. This process is different from the Steps of the Scientific Method, which you may be more familiar with. If your project involves making observations and doing experiments, you should probably follow the Scientific Method. If your project involves designing, building, and testing something, you should probably follow the Engineering Design Process. This diagram shows the steps of the engineering design process, and the table below describes each step in more detail:

Define the Problem Do Background Research Specify Requirements Brainstorm, Evaluate, and choose Solution Develop and Prototype Solution Based on results and data, make design changes, prototype, test again, and review new data. Test Solution Solution Meets Requirements Solution Meets Requirements Partially or Not at All Communicate Results

Engineers do not always follow the engineering design process steps in order, one after another. It is very common to design something, test it, find a problem, and then go back to an earlier step to make a modification or change to your design. This way of working is called iteration, and it is likely that your process will do the same!

Steps of the Engineering Design Process

1. Define the Problem

The engineering design process starts when you ask the following questions about problems that you observe:

What is the problem or need?

Who has the problem or need?

Why is it important to solve?

[Who] need(s) [what] because [why].

Finding an idea for your engineering project requires you to identify the needs of yourself, another person, or a group of people. The act of looking at the world around you to identify these needs is called need finding.

To help you find an idea for your engineering project:

Create a list of all the things that annoy or bother the people around you. Record this bug list in your Design Notebook.

Mind Map possible design problems, ideas, or areas of interest to you.

Once you have found an idea for your engineering project, describe the problem by writing a problem statement. Your problem statement must answer three questions:

What is the problem or need?

Who has the problem or need?

Why is it important to solve?

The format for writing a problem statement uses your answers to the questions and follows these guidelines:

Who need(s) what because why.

_____ need(s) _________ because _______

2. Do Background Research

Learn from the experiences of others — this can help you find out about existing solutions to similar problems, and avoid mistakes that were made in the past. So, for an engineering design project, do background research in two major areas:

Users or customers

Existing solutions

Background research is especially important for engineering design projects because you can learn from the experience of others rather than blunder around and repeat their mistakes. To make a background research plan— a roadmap of the research questions you need to answer -- follow these steps:

Identify questions to ask about your target user or customer.

Identify questions to ask about the products that already exist to solve the problem you defined or a problem that is very similar.

Plan to research how your product will work and how to make it.

Network with other people with more experience than yourself: your mentors, parents, and teachers. Ask them: "What should I study to better understand my engineering project?" and "What area of science covers my project?" Better yet, ask even more specific questions.

3. Specify Requirements

Design requirements state the important characteristics that your solution must meet to succeed. One of the best ways to identify the design requirements for your solution is to analyze the concrete example of a similar, existing product, noting each of its key features.

4. Brainstorm Solutions

There are always many good possibilities for solving design problems. If you focus on just one before looking at the alternatives, it is almost certain that you are overlooking a better solution. Good designers try to generate as many possible solutions as they can.

5. Choose the Best Solution

Look at whether each possible solution meets your design requirements. Some solutions probably meet more requirements than others. Reject solutions that do not meet the requirements

6. Develop the Solution

Development involves the refinement and improvement of a solution, and it continues throughout the design process, often even after a product ship to customers.

7. Build a Prototype

A prototype is an operating version of a solution. Often it is made with different materials than the final version, and generally, it is not as polished. Prototypes are a key step in the development of a final solution, allowing the designer to test how the solution will work.

8. Test and Redesign

The design process involves multiple iterations and redesigns of your final solution. You will likely test your solution, find new problems, make changes, and test new solutions before settling on a final design.

9. Communicate Results

To complete your project, communicate your results to others in a final report and/or display board. Professional engineers always do the same, thoroughly documenting their solutions so that they can be manufactured and supported.

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

In engineering, mathematical and computational representations of established relationships and principles are an integral part of the design. For example, structural engineers create mathematically based analyses of designs to calculate whether they can stand up to the expected stresses of use and if they can be completed within acceptable budgets. Moreover, simulations of designs provide an effective testbed for the development of designs and their improvement.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Engineers analyze data collected in the tests of their designs and investigations; this allows them to compare different solutions and determine how well each one meets specific design criteria—that is, which design best solves the problem within the given constraints. Like scientists, engineers require a range of tools to identify the major patterns and interpret the results.

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

Engineers use investigation both to gain data essential for specifying design criteria or parameters and to test their designs. Like scientists, engineers must identify relevant variables, decide how they will be measured, and collect data for analysis. Their investigations help them to identify how effective, efficient, and durable their designs may be under a range of conditions.