A flowchart for the design process.

(Adapted from Ref. Used by permission of Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co.)

TABLE 1.1   Design Checklist

1.         Function:

A simple statement of the objective

2.         Detailed functional requirements:

Required performance stated numerically

3.         Operating constraints:

Power supplies Operating procedures Maintenance procedures

4.         Manufacturing constraints:

Manufacturing processes available

Development facilities available

Permissible manufacturing cost

Other manufacturing constraints

5.         Environment

Ambient temperature

Ambient pressure

Climate

Acceleration

Contaminants

6.         Other constraints:

Applicable governmental regulations Legal requirements—patents

Life

Reliability

Other operating constraints

Labor available Delivery program Number required

Installation limitations

Expected operators

Effect on other parts of the parent system

Vibration

Other environmental factors

Applicable standards Possible litigation

SOURCE: Adapted from Leech [1.14].

1.8       STANDARD HANDBOOK OF MACHINE DESIGN

TABLE 1.2  Example of Information Provided on a Design Specification Form

1.         Product or job identification number

2.         Modification or change number and date

3.         Function: In basic terms, what is the function to be performed by the item when

designed?

4.         Application: Include the system requiring this application.

5.         Origin: When, how, and by whom was the requirement made?

6.         Customer’s specification: Identify the customer’s specification and note whether it is in

writing or was oral. If oral, who made it, who in your organization received it, and when

was this done?

7.         General related specifications: Identify all general specifications, definitions, standards,

or other useful documents and information that contribute to the design specifications.

8.         Safety: Identify standard and special safety precautions or requirements to be included in

design considerations, manufacture, marketing, or usage.

9.         Governmental regulations and standards applicable: Identify and list

10.       Environment: Identify and list the environmental specifications required using the items

included under “Environment” in Table 1-1 as guidelines.

11.       Number required and delivery schedule.

12.       Desired cost or price information

13.       Functional requirements:

Life      Performance requirements with acceptable tolerance

limits

Reliability        Servicing, maintenance, or repair restrictions

Unacceptable modes of failure     Any other functional requirements

14.       Additional relevant information:

Limitations of manufacturing facilities

Special procedural requirements

Any other relevant information

15.       Action required: For example, preparation of proposal, preparation of detail drawings,

manufacture of prototypes, or manufacture of full production quantity.

SOURCE: Adapted from Leech [1.14].

uct Safety Act). Litigation has also provided additional emphasis on including safety considerations in design. Even so, the question of how safe a product has to be is very complex and ultimately can be answered only in the courts.

Including safety considerations in the design of a product requires knowledge of the types of hazards that can occur and the application of good design principles to the product involved. One of the appropriate considerations for including safety in design is to recognize that the product will ultimately fail. If this is done, then the product can be designed in such a way that the location and mode of failure are planned and the failure and consequences can be predicted, accommodated, and controlled.

Hazards can be classified as human-caused or non-human-caused. The listings in Tables 1.3 and 1.4 are not meant to be complete or all-inclusive, but they do provide a guide for designers to hazards that they should know, appreciate, and consider in any project. To reduce the effect of these hazards in designing a product, the designer should consider the possible modes of usage; the users, operators, or bystanders; the environment of use; and the functions or requirements of expected use.

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