1. Design Constraints Written Report Format

2. Product Design Constraints and Requirements
Design Engineers must consider a multitude of technical, economic, social, environmental, and political constraints when they design products and processes.
There must be clear evidence in your design project that you have addressed the constraints that are relevant to your project.

3. Effect of Constraints Better Designs Constraint Limits Design Changes

4. Functional Constraints
Overall Geometry – size, width, space, arrangement
Motion of parts – type, direction, velocities, acceleration, kinematics
Forces involved – load direction, magnitude, load, impact
Energy needed – heating, cooling, conversion, pressure
Materials to be used – flow, transport, properties
Control system – electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, pneumatic
Information flow – inputs, outputs, form, display

5. Safety Constraints Operational – direct, indirect, hazard elimination
Human – warnings, training
Environmental – land, sea, air, noise, light, radiation, reaction, transport

6. Quality Constraints Quality assurance – regulations, standards, codes
Quality control – inspection, testing, labeling
Reliability – design life, failures, statistics

7. Manufacturing Constraints
Production of components – factory limitations, means of production, wastes
Purchase of components – supplier quality, reliability, quality control, inspection
Assembly – installation, foundations, bolting, welding
Transport – material handling, clearance, packaging

8. Timing Constraints Design schedule – project planning, project control
Development schedule – design detailing, compliance tests
Production schedule – manufacture, assembly, packing, transport
Delivery schedule – delivery date, distribution network, supply chains

9. Economic Constraints $
Marketing analysis – size of market, distribution, market segments
Design costs – design team computing, information retrieval
Development costs – design detailing, supplier costs, testing costs
Manufacturing cost - tooling, labor, overhead, assembly, inspection
Distribution costs - packing, transport, service centers, spare parts, warranty
Resources – time, budget, labor, capital, machines, material $

10. Ergonomic Constraints
User needs – type of operation, instructions, warnings
Ergonomic design – man-machine relationships, operation, height, layout, comfort, lighting
Cybernetic design – controls, layout, clarity, interactions

11. Ecological Constraints
General environmental impact – impact on natural resources, social resources
Sustainability – political and commercial consequences, implications for following generations
Material selection –solid, liquid, gas, stability, protection, toxicity
Working fluid selection – fluid, gas, flammability, toxicity

12. Aesthetic Constraints
Customer appeal – shape, color, texture, form, feel, smell, surprise and delight features
Fashion – culture, history, trends
Future expectations – rate of change in technology, trends, product families

13. Life-Cycle Constraints
Distribution – means of transport, nature and conditions of dispatch, rules, regulations
Operation – quietness, wear, special uses, working environments
Maintenance – servicing intervals, inspection, exchange and repair, cleaning, diagnostics
Disposal – recycle, scrap

14. Legal/Ethical Constraints
Regulations – OSHA, FAA, FDA
Ethics – public safety, health, welfare and integrity
Intellectual Property – patents, trademarks, copyrights

15. Project Reports
MidTerm report
Oral report
Final Report

16. MidTerm Report Should describe MidSemester progress
Think of it as a start on your final report
Introductory and background material and project description material will remain the same

17. Technical Communication Format (MAE 451)
“Double Five”
Include technical discussion
Include business topics as appropriate

18. Report Format Summary The Problem Scope and Goals Solution Results
Conclusions
References

19. Summary Summarize the project and your work Don’t summarize the report
Briefly introduce the problem
Summarize the solution and conclusions
Typically half a page in length

20. The Problem (Introduction)
Introduce the design problem here
Background information on the company or research/laboratory area
What is the project?

21. The Problem (Introduction)
Introduce the design problem here
Background information on the company or research/laboratory area
What is the project?
Why is it of interest?
What are constraints or requirements that the solution must satisfy
Briefly highlight the contents of the report

22. Scope and Goals
Very specific description of your design project and expectations
What specifically was to be accomplished?
Are you part of a team?
Are you continuing a project?
What is needed to finish the project?

23. Solution Select Titles and Subtitles for your project
This is the place to describe the details of your work process and issues encountered
Discuss constraints and your management of them - a special subsection would be best
Include figures, graphs and photos
Large amounts of information should be in an appendix at the end of the report

24. Results
Describe the results of your work including your resulting design
Include figures, drawings etc. as appropriate
Comment on the quality of your technical results and design

25. Conclusions Have you achieved the goals of your design?
Is the problem completely solved?
Is there continuation after the semester ends?
Will the project have to be continued by another group?
If more work is needed, describe it carefully and suggest a completion schedule.

26. References References make your work credible
Back up all of your facts with references
Indicate references for any previous work on your design project
Indicate references for similar projects by others
Use references for any technical approaches used in your solution
State your references completely

27. Report Format Summary The Problem Scope and Goals Solution Results
Conclusions
References

28. Comments on Figures Figures are best inserted directly in the text
Insert figures right after they are discussed
Clearly number each figure and be sure to discuss the figure by number
As an alternate - place all the figures together at the end of the report

29. Just to Summarize
Think about CONSTRAINTS and report on their effect on your design
Make your report professional
Think of the MidTerm report as a start on your final report
Make use of the suggested report format