Lecture 5

Product Design Specification

 PDS in Design Process

Recognition
of Need

Becoming
Informed
 Market analysis
 Background study

Problem
Definition

Product Design
Specifications

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 PDS

 Proposed by Pugh
 It is NOT the final specifications/achievements
 It is a control document of what designers try to
achieve
 It acts like a design checklist and applicable to all
design applications
 It is dynamic rather than static – can be
improved, changed to suit design requirements
 It defines the constraints/boundary of the
design.

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 Elements of PDS

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 PDS

 Performance – target, attainable values

 Environment – effects on product during manufacture  use, effects on
environment
 Life in service – 7 days/week, 24hrs/day, @ X years
 Maintenance – maintenance philosophy, need for special tools, ease of
maintenance
 Targeted production cost
 Competition – data from benchmarking, IP, info search
 Shipping – delivery method, lifting capability
 Packing – cost & method of packing
 Quantity – will affect other costs such as tooling, processes
 Manufacturing facility – in-house or vendor, support system, machinery

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 PDS (cont’d)

 Size – affects user, cost, shipping & handling

 Weight - affects user, cost, shipping & handling
 Aesthetics – user perception or acceptence
 Materials
 Product Life Span – life in production line
 Standard and Regulations – government, BS/ISO/MS/DIN
 Ergonomics
 Customer – target customer
 Quality & Reliability – subjected to standards (BS, ISO, etc)
 Shelf Life – storage risks and problems
 Processes – processes involved, in-house facility/vendor
 Time-scales – period to complete the design

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 PDS (cont’d)

 Time-scales – time needed to complete the development

 Testing – methods, facility, requirements/standards
 Safety – safety requirements
 Company Constraints – house, facility, cost
 Market Constraints – local conditions, full market knowledge
 Patents, literature & Product data – clash & IP laws
 Political & Social Implications – social unrest, rejection
 Legal – product liability legislation (product defects, defects of
manufacture, defects of design, etc)
 Installation – assembly consideration (stand alone, subsystem)
 Documentation – manual, user instructions, etc
 Disposal – environment.

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 Writing PDS Document

 It is a control document
 Should be clearly written
 Use sharp and definitive statements, NOT is
essay form
 Try to quantify parameters or estimate a figure
 Vary your starting point
 Date and put your issue number
 Clearly document amendments

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 Format of PDS

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 Assignment 2

 Carry out your information analysis of the car jack

design based on your information analysis plan.
 Develop your PDS based on your information
analysis.
Due 3rd July 2003

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