Generating (re)design requirements for cast products (parts)

Abstract

The PAD is a product developed specifically for the elicitation of design requirements for EDS. It is a Powerpoint document that contains various different slides (or pages). Each slide depicts a different design requirement type and method for requirement elicitation. The PAD offers a means to elicit all relevant design requirements in the analysis phase of EDS; no additional design requirements or errors arise during later phases of product development. The costs for fixing errors increase exponentially in each subsequent phase of product development. About 40% of the errors found, come from design requirements. Therefore it is essential to establish the main design requirements right at the start of product development. EDS-castings is a company that (re)designs castings for industrial manufacturers. The main problem at EDS is that there often is insufficient information to be able to fully design a product (part) The Product Analysis Document (PAD) is a PowerPoint® document containing 37 slides. Each slide depicts a different design requirement type or method for requirement elicitation. The main benefit of the PAD is that it is able to both elicit and store design requirements needed for the redesign of cast parts. Instead of being a specialized tool that elicits specific design requirements, it is able to elicit the full range of possible design requirements. This is needed because EDS-projects are diverse and contain a multitude of vital design requirements. The PAD not only provides a complete analysis phase for the (re)design of parts but is also able to generate plausible cast products through it. The PAD has already proved its worth in twelve design projects and will continue to do so in the future.