Working on an International Product
In the fall of 2008, I received an opportunity to attend an "Engineering Design Project" course. For the course, we were presented with a problem and was expected to come up with a practical solution. In my particular case, I was presented with a problem from MEDRAD, an international company centered around Pittsburgh that specializes in Medical Imaging. My team, composed of two undergraduates and three graduate stuents, was tasked with creating a component in their newest product. As coordinator of the team, I led the team through several steps until we created a final prototype. Updates were given every few weeks with presentations in class and meetings with the company representative. Below are some of the steps taken over the duration of the project:
- Problem Definition
- Goal Tree
- Metamorphasis/Pugh Chart
- Research and Analysis
- Prototype Design
- Experimentation
- Final Protype and Report to MEDRAD
Problem Definition
Upon going to MEDRAD and talking with the engineers and designers of their latest product, we were introduced to what was expected from the component we were to design. Taking the objectives and restrictions we created a problem statement that concisely defined what we were to design and build.
Goal Tree
A goal tree was created that dileneated what things we were required to have, what would be nice to have, and the constraints to the project. We defined constraint as a goal that must be met, or the product is a failure. From this, we were able to prioritize what needed to be done.
Metamorphasis Chart/Pugh Chart
A metamorphasis chart was used to brainstorm the different means of meeting our goals. The essense of a metamorphasis chart is to list out our goals, then find as many ways of achieving the goal as possible. From there, we can use a pugh chart to compare the means to see which mean is the most efficient and best suited for our purposes.
Research and Analysis
Different components to the product were carefully researched until we decided which ones were best suited for our means. Because of our effort into doing this component research we used up less than half our budget for this project.
Prototype Design
Several design iterations were taken concerning different parts of the prototype. We had many ideas about how to accomplish our goals, but until we had actual experimental data, we were only able to predict which systems worked most efficiently. Albeit, from physical and engineering knowledge we were able to choose what we believed to be the best design.
Experimentation
An experimental protocol was created for the sake of uniformity and with this we were able to test the efficiency of our design. This stage usually led back to the design iteration stages when new problems were encountered.
Final Prototype and Report to MEDRAD
When experimental data yielded good results, we drafted a final prototype design and created a physical prototype to be given to MEDRAD. Along with the prototype, we wrote a detailed 42 page design report that dilineated everything that went into creating the physical prototype. In addition, as project leader, I editted and assembled the report, adding an executive summary and appendices.