An Introduction to Design Engineering

Design is the central starting point to all the advances in engineering and technology. It consists of two major activities-ideas generation which is essentially a creative activity and design engineering that transforms the ideas into a physically realizable design. This book presents on overview of these two major activities, expanding, however, in more detail on the engineering activity that plays a greater role in ensuring the well-being of modern industry. The book addresses the typical student of mechanical engineering who learns a wide variety of engineering and management sciences without, however, being able to appreciate their relevance to the creative aspects of engineering. The initial chapters deal with engineering products, their life cycle and how they are designed. Discussions follow on how user expectations, materials of construction, manufacturing processes, environmental considerations and cost expectations influence product design. The importance of analysis, access to relevant data, standardization and quality are then brought out individually. A discussion on the process of product design and development attempts to connect up the various factors.