Concurrent Engineering

Rule Based Methods :- Axiomatic Design

Lecture Session 02

Eng. K.C Wickramasinghe

BSc(Hons), AMIESL
Dept. of Mechanical & Manufacturing
Engineering,

Faculty of Engineering,
University of Ruhuna.

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Axiomatic Design
Axiomatic design is a general methodology that helps designers
to structure and understand design problems, thereby facilitating
the synthesis and analysis of suitable design requirements,
solutions, and processes.

Axiomatic design was developed by Nam Suh.(1990)

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Steps in design process

Establish design objectives to satisfy a given set of customer
attributes
Generate ideas to create solutions
Analyze the solution alternatives that best satisfies the design

objectives
Implement the selected design
Decisions are made at each of these steps To facilitate
Axiomatic Design Theory
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Key Concepts
Exists four domains in the design world

The whole design process involves the continuous processing of

information between and within four distinct domains.
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Key Concepts
Solution alternatives are created by mapping the requirements specified in one domain
to a set of characteristic parameters in an adjacent domain.

{CN}

The mapping process can be mathematically expressed in terms of the

characteristic vectors that define the design goals and design solution.
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Key Concepts
The output of each domain expressed in a top-down or
hierarchical manner

Hierarchical decomposition in one domain cannot be performed

independently of the other domains, i.e., decomposition follows
zigzagging mapping between adjacent domains.

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Key Concepts

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An example : for a parachute

FR1:
FR2:
FR3:
FR4:

The parachute will slow down a descent to prevent injury

When not in use it will be easily carried by a user
Reliability will be greater than 1 failure in 20000 users
The user will be able to redirect the descent vector

DP1: Material chosen for chute- weight and strength

DP2: Length of cords between rider and chute
DP3: Number of cords between rider and chute
DP4: Area of chute
DP5: Vents in chute
DP6: Packing and release methodology

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Key Concepts
Two design axioms provide a rational basis for evaluation of
proposed solution alternatives and the subsequence selection of the
best alternative.
Axiom 1 (independence axiom): maintain the independence of the FRs.

It focus on the nature of the mapping between what is required

(FRs) and how to achieve it (DPs).
A good design maintains the independence of the functional
requirements.

In the physical domain - Mapping between FRs and DPs (Needed

minimum set of independent Functional Requirements - two or more
dependent FRs should be replaced by one equivalent FR)
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Key Concepts
Axiom 2 (information axiom): minimize the information content of the design.
Establishes information content as a relative measure for evaluating and
comparing alternative solutions that satisfy the independence axiom.
The mapping between functional, physical domains and process domains
To satisfy the Independence Axiom, matrix [A] and [B] must be either
diagonal or triangular

FR ADP

DP BPV
Diagonal :- each of the FR can be satisfied independently by means of one
DP : Uncoupled design
Triangular :- independence of FRs can guarantee if the DPs are changed in a
proper sequence : Decoupled design
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Key Concepts
A designs information content is calculated according to the following
logarithmic expression.

1
I log 2
P

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Key Concepts
System Range

I log 2
Common Range

I total I i
i 1

If there are n functional requirements

The second axiom says that when two or more alternative
designs satisfy the first axiom, the best design is the one with
the least information.

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Example
Designs which do not satisfy the Independence Axiom are called

coupled. An everyday example is a typical water faucet. The two FRs

are "control the temperature" and "control the flow rate." The two DPs
are the hot- and cold-water handles. This design is coupled because it

is impossible to adjust either DP without affecting the other FR: Each

handle affects both temperature and flow rate.

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Example
In the above example, the two FRs- "control the temperature" and
"control the flow rate" are independent. One DP does not effect the
other so this design is uncoupled.

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