TABLE OF CONTENTS The industrial engineer's functions in the general field of product development, along with the teamwork process among the various factory functions during the actual design and development phase of a product, are the contents of this chapter. Consideration of the customer's wants and needs, the company's position in relation to the competition, and the relative costs and producibility of the various options are key elements. Rapid prototyping techniques allow design concepts to be produced quickly in support of product development and may aid in production start-up prior to availability of the planned "hard" tooling.
It is not enough today for a product to only perform its intended function this is the minimum expected! The product must also be capable of being produced of the required quality, cost, rate, and in the time available with features as demanded by customers. Between 70 and 90 percent of the final product cost and difficulties in production are a direct result of design decisions. To ensure that the processes dictated by the design are repeatable and controllable, the manufacturing system must be developed concurrently with the product development.
In an increasing number of companies around the world, both the product designer...
