V. Summary and "golden nuggets"

The focus of this chapter is concept embodiment, the stage of product development where concepts are transformed into physical realizations. A number of basic and advanced methods are available to aid in this transformation process. Yet, even with these methods, concept embodiment is a highly nonlinear, iterative, and complex process. It requires sound engineering skills, ranging from modeling and experimentation to manufacturing, assembly, and tooling design. Because of these characteristics, the remainder of this book is devoted to the topic of concept embodiment. Techniques and applications are developed in these chapters to help us understand and exercise the skills that are required.

Golden nuggets that can be derived from this chapter include the following:

• Concept embodiment requires the input of a creative and feasible conceptual design. A great embodiment of a poor concept will result in a product that fails in the market.

• To realize a product concept, the focus should be on the combined concepts of customer quality and engineering quality.

• Engineering quality is equivalent to the implicit or "expected quality" that customers assume will exist in a product (at low relative cost).

• Concept embodiment must consider the entire life cycle of a product, not merely the delivering of a product to the retail market.

• Systems modeling is a skill that must be honed and applied during concept embodiment. Through systems modeling, products may be studied and refined using physical insights into a product's operation.

• Design principles, based on past designs and physical principles, should be consciously applied during embodiment design. Through conscious application, a product's functions may be added to or modified, and its layout will change. The result will be a more robust offering.

• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is essential to create products that are robust and ethically responsible.

• Design for manufacturing and assembly must be considered before and during concept embodiment. It is thus important to understand the manufacturing and assembly principles that govern any possible process choices for a product.

• The nature of concept embodiment is complex and nonlinear. Thousands upon thousands of parameters and decisions must be systematically contemplated.

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