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Unit 2: Product and Service Design

Notes

Did u know? GM and IBM began work in the sixties to develop a system of Computer
Aided Design (CAD); today, it has become a commonly used tool.
Originally, CAD was envisaged as a sophisticated drafting system. Today, final analysis and
verification is conducted through computer analysis and simulations. Complete and detailed
drawings and production documents are then generated.
Prototypes are used to establish the detailed engineering design before the details are finalized.
In some cases, especially in defense related products or products whose unit value is extremely
high, prototypes are often virtual prototypes.
In 1986, I was a member of a team from India that was invited to Brazil to witness the
demonstration of an armored vehicle. When we arrived in Sao Paulo, we expected to see the
physical testing on the vehicle to demonstrate its capabilities. Instead, we were taken to the
main computer center of the firm and the entire sequence of attack and defense, and its
consequences were played out on the computer. Sitting in the laboratory, we were able to assess
the damage to the vehicle, the parts that had failed and the impact of enemy shells on the body
amour.

2.4.5 Physical Evaluation

Concurrently with the development of detailed engineering design, physical evaluation is
carried out. This includes:
1. Fabricating a working prototype of the product.
2. Testing and evaluation to confirm that it represents the solution.
Figure 2.4: Product Design Cycle

Very often, the duration of this stage can be reduced if certain tasks are done simultaneously by
the organization fully utilizing the benefits of cross-functional thinking. Computer simulations
often precede physical evaluation. In currently available CAD systems, the designer can view
the part in any orientation, any scale or any cross section. The parts and the product can be seen
in the form of three dimensional images, rotated, moved, and the response to different stress
patterns seen visually on the computer screen, without building a physical prototype.

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