The engineering process is the set of steps that engineers must follow to develop and create products. There are a variety of models of the engineering process with some or all of the steps, but they all follow the same pattern. In this article we will review a 9-step engineering design process that engineers use to tackle specific problems.
The first step in the engineering design process is to define the problem. This is a critical step since failing to completely and clearly define the issue can stall projects later in the design process. Most often, the solution to a specific issue will naturally appear during this step. When students were asked to think of the best way to attach their school lunch hooks to the bottoms of their desks They came up with a simple hook.
In the next step, the requirements analysis is carried out to determine the specifics of the client’s requirements and the resources available. This allows you to develop a detailed list of project requirements and limitations. If a customer wants an item that can support 20 pounds of weight The engineer will determine the maximum weight the system can handle and the size of the hook to ensure that it can hold the full lunches for all students.
The next phase, called design synthesizing or design planning, is where the specifics are set and the design for the final product is created. This involves the creation of interfaces, outputs, and inputs of the different modules that form the whole system. The tools used during this phase include Gantt and Pert charts as well as spreadsheets for loading resources sketchbooks, drawings, and proof-of-concept models.
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