The function analysis diagram: Intended benefits and coexistence with other functional models

Abstract

Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0890060413000255How to cite this article: Marco Aurisicchio, Rob Bracewell and Gareth Armstrong (2013). The function analysis diagram: Intended benets and coexistence with other functional models. AbstractUnderstanding product functions is a key aspect of the work undertaken by engineers involved in complex system design. The support offered to these engineers by existing modeling tools such as the function tree and the function structure is limited because they are not intuitive and do not scale well to deal with real-world engineering problems. A research collaboration between two universities and a major power system company in the aerospace domain has allowed the authors to further develop a method for function analysis known as function analysis diagram that was already in use by line engineers. The capability to generate and edit these diagrams was implemented in the Decision Rationale editor, a software tool for capturing design rationale. This article presents the intended benefits of the method and justifies them using an engineering case study. The results of the research have shown that the function analysis diagram method has a simple notation, permits the modeling of product functions together with structure, allows the generation of rich and accurate descriptions of product functionality, is useful to work with variant and adaptive design tasks, and can coexist with other functional modeling methods.

Design for invention: annotation of functional geometry interaction for representing novel working principles

“…We see this encouragement to think beyond prior art as the opposite to design fixation (Jansson and Smith 1991). It has been suggested that FAD needs a better developed syntax in order to be consistent and reliable (Aurisicchio et al 2013). Our use of domain-specific ontologies in FAD?…”

“…Figure 5 shows the cross section detail of a 1952 patented can end design in which a felt Shield (label 21) protects the Raw cutting edge when the Score line (label 15) is broken, and it also serves as a Reclosure element for the can. Figure 6 shows conventional FAD applied to the 1952 patent following the procedure outlined in (Aurisicchio et al 2012). Features of the invention are represented in the boxes where feature names and functional interactions use the phrases stated in the patent and only useful functional interactions are shown in the figure.…”

Using functional analysis diagrams for production cost optimization

“…To enhance the ability to abstract and cross-functional communication, the Value Analysis method aims to represent each function simply by the combination of an active verb and a measurable noun. The 'active verb' represents the action performed, and the 'measurable noun' represents the object upon which such action impacts [5,18].…”

“…The demand for immediate technological advance and the rise of systems engineering and computer programming, were some of the reasons dictating the development and use of a method allowing us to understand and control complex systems [18]. The active verb -measurable noun taxonomy introduced by Miles [16] was later adapted by the majority of Functional Modelling methods.…”

“…Generally, Functional modelling methods are visual representations of decomposed systems, providing the space and a set of simple rules to perform functional analyses on systems. Unlike the majority of the functional modelling methods such as Function Tree, Function -Structure and FAST [19], FAD is a form-dependent functional modelling method [18], better assisting the functional analysis of existing systems [9]. Methodology…”