Design And Product Development: Design Problem And Design Brief

Executive Summary

• Present and write the design problem of the project. Design problem is important for design and product development. The design problem is the input for writing the design brief.

• Write the design brief for the product based on the proposed design problem.

Design and Product Development is a key for any product that is meant for potential selling in the market. The project presents the design and product development for the product, remote control boat. The project of design and product development of the remote control boat project is completed by our group, after allocation of the tasks to each of the member.

The overall and final result of the DPD remote control project is a detailed design of the remote control boat along with the blueprint of design for development of the product. At the end of the design product and development, the project should have completely created virtually. And after the DPD, only the material development has to be done to see the final project. The remote control boat has to be created with all its design and development aspects.

Working alone sure will not give the 5 fold learning that we all the group members have got with the group coordination performing all the tasks of the project and mutual share of knowledge. Coordination among the group to perform the tasks and share the knowledge and learning is an unforgettable and worthy experience that each graduate must get.

Remote control boat is multi-scale project, in terms of functionality. There are different types of remote control boats, like fun sport, sailboats, racing power boats, racing sailboats, combat and tug boats. The design problem comes first is that which kind of remote control boat has to be made. With the potential of building any kind of robot can be made by the team, the market has to research for the most interesting and most used boat.

Another design problem associated with the remote control boat is that the design of the boat has to be made to look attractive. The design should include the effective units and components to make the final product so that the device becomes robust and reliable. The device is to be long lasting with the perfect development of the product.

An important challenge for the remote control boat is that the price of the boat has to be moderate, though reliable assembly units and components are used along with the advanced technology for the product.

Design Problems, Design Brief, PDS

Finally, the remote control boat is to be designed in such a way that the device looks very attractive externally. The internal requirement of the design is to make the boat strong with reliable and long lasting operation, by choosing and using reliable component and strong external assembled cover units. Finally, the design of the remote control boat has to be made in such a way that the boat looks attractive, operates long lasting and at the same time, the product should be made available to the customers with moderate cost.

Step 1: Customer needs and interpretations

Sno	Customer Requirement	Feature
1	Product Life Span	Long
2	Life in service	Reliable and fully operative
3	Target Cost	Reachable and worthy for the product
4	Reachability	International users
5	Packaging	Attractive, features listed, promising statements
6	Size	Bigger size for effective boat experience
7	Weight	Should not be very heavy
8	User	Wide range of users, in terms of age
9	Safety	Safe anywhere and anytime and anyhow
10	Materials	Safe, healthy

Step 2: Interpretation of the needs from customer needs

SNO	Customer Requirement	Feature
1	Product Life Span	10 years, +  spare parts for 15 years minimum, + operation for at least 5 years
2	Life in service	Every day and rough handling
3	Target Cost	Less than or equal to $500
4	Reachability	National first and then international
5	Packaging	Make it attractive with list of features and colors
6	Size	Design it bigger
7	Weight	Use light weight components, reliable ones
8	User	5 to 40 year hobbyist
9	Safety	Safe in water and non-water surface
10	Materials	Healthy

Step 3:  Prioritization of the needs and metrics

SNO	Customer Requirement	Feature
1	Product Life Span	In the market for at least 10 years, available spare parts for 15 years minimum, uncompromised operation for at least 5 years with general way of handling
2	Life in service	Withstands use of boat every day, at least for one hour during its life, invariable operation at every usage
3	Target Cost	The cost of the product should not be more than $500 for the end user, no more than $250 manufacturing cost, packaging and shipping cost must be no more than 15% of manufacturing cost.
4	Reachability	Initially, boat to be available within country and make reachable to international users after 2 years of release of the product.
5	Packaging	Packaging of the boat must be attractive, fast eye catching, with the model and all features displayed on the package.
6	Size	Bigger size for effective boat experience
7	Weight	Should not exceed 1000 grams for easy carrying
8	User	User can age from  5 years to 40 year hobbyist
9	Safety	The product is to be safe enough for use in water or accidental use on non-water surface.
10	Materials	Material used must be waterproof, durable and non-toxic

METRIX

Low Manufacturing Cost

Able to Use Another Boat

Battery Life

Better Pulling Force

Retention of same hull

Appeal

Less assembling time

10+ 5 years

Less Weight

Big size

Material used

International

Life

x

Speed

x

Reliability

x

Reachability

x

Price

x

Thrust

x

x

Size

x

Ease of use

x

Weight

x

Aesthetic

x

x

Safety

x

Legal

x

Function Analysis

Step 1: Using the mind-mapping techniques to prepare the inputs, outputs and functions.

Step 2: Expressing the overall function for the design in terms of the conversion of inputs into outputs.

Real income = Real Input – Real Output

Inputs	Processes	Output
Capital	Converted into product	Boat
Material	Manufacturing and assembling
Equipment	To aid in manufacturing and assembling
Labour Efforts	Manual processes
Supplier	Supply the material
Knowledge	Blueprint
Time	Processing the time

Figure: Functional Diagram

Step 3: Breaking down the overall function into a set of essential sub-functions.

There are various functions operating in the way that each of the function has its own sub-function, as a single function can be achieved by the combination of the sub-function.

• Inputs – There are various inputs needed for the manufacturing and assembling of the remote control boat. So, the various inputs required for the product are
  • Capital
  • Material for the boat
  • Equipment to assemble the product
  • Facilities for the product development
  • Labour involved in processing the tasks of production
  • Suppliers for the supplying of the raw material
  • Knowledge needed to develop the blueprint of the boat
  • Time invested to complete the product
     
• Process – The process involves various tasks, where the inputs are transitioned into the outputs. Processes are also influenced by the external environment and internal environment. So, various processed involved to develop the remote control boat are the following.

• Procurement of the raw material
• Processing, which includes the manufacturing and assembling to make the final product
• Assembling the hull and circuitry
• Packaging with colourful packages
• Inspection of each of the item for quality assurance
• Transportation to the warehouse
• Storage in the warehouse
• The influence of the environment will there, like for customers, suppliers, competitors, regulations, economy and technology, though these are not done with direct efforts
• Monitoring and control also do affect the processes indirectly, in terms of quality

Step 4: Drawing a functional diagram with logical information flows in which the block diagram shows logically the interactions between sub-functions.

Function	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3	Option 4	Option 5
Boat	Power Racer Boat	Sailing Boat	Normal Boat
Support of the Boat	Track	Air Cushion	Wheels	Sliding blades
Propulsion	Driving Wheels / Blades	Moving Cable	Air Thrust
Power	Electric	Battery	Propane	Diesel
Transmission	Belts	Cable	Wireless	Gears
Steering	Rails	Turning wheels	Air thrust
Stopping	Brakes	Ratchet	Rev. Thrust
Lifting	Screw	Chain	Hyd. Ram	Rack /Pini on
Operator	Needs special operating guidelines	No need for special operating guidelines	Layman	Expert
Life	10 Years running	Running more than 5 years	Running 15 years
Speed	20 mph	40 mph	60 mph	80 mph
Reliability	Own blueprint	New blueprint from experts	Available blueprint from open source	Recruit dedicated personnel	State-of-the-art technology blueprint
Reachability	Local	National	International
Price	$200	$300	$500	$1200	$1000
Size	Larger hull body	Smaller hull body	Lengthy hull	Not more than 50x20x20 cm
Aesthetic	Attractive	Elegant	State-of-the-art	Real boat structure	Engineering effect
Safety	No toxic material usage	Protected toxic material

After filtering the concept designs multiple times, the final design that is considered for finalization is with the following functions and solutions for the remote control boat.

• Support of the boat is to be taken from the Wheels.
   
• Propulsion is to be performed by the driving wheels or blades
   
• Power is to be charged by the AC electric power and supported by the battery power while running for longer operation
   
• Transmission of the signals is to be done wireless, using the remote control
   
• Steering is to be performed by the turning wheels or blades
   
• The boat should be able to stop with the brakes.
   
• Lifting the device can be done through the screw
   
• The operator needs no special training, except having the ability to use the remote control buttons to control.
   
• Life of the boat is expected to be designed with 10 year life span
   
• The speed of the boat is chosen to be 60 mph, which has to be achieved by the state-of-the-art technology used for the blueprint
   
• The boat is to be made available for the local, national and international users.
   
• Price is kept a bit higher, $1000 as the state-of-the-art technology blueprint is used for the design and development of the boat.
   
• Size is considered to be
   
• Dimension of the boat is considered to be around 50 x 20 x 20 cm.
   
• Aesthetic of the body is considered with real boat structure
   
• Safety is to be ensured with no toxic material usage

The detailed design of the remote control boat is sketched to be as below, with the near structure plan.

The following architecture of the product is expected.

Figure: Basic architecture of the boat

The boat is designed to be flat with the key function of running with great speed. The components and apparatus of the boat are configured to make it a fast running power boat to participate in the power boat racing.

The important configuration of the boat is the following.

• The structure looks like deep V
• Powerful brushless RTR
• Compact size
• Great look
• Brushless water cooled motor for long power and long durability
• Motor is of 1800KV

The power racer remote control boat is designed with the following apparatus that are integrated to become the overall product architecture.

1. Radio controller with four transmission channels
2. Receivers mounted for the four transmission channels
3. Rod that is mounted to the stern of the boat
4. Reel to be mounted to the rod

The powered control here means that the it is used to arranged to engage the rudder, motor and line for cutting means.

Figure: Final remote control power racer boat design

Design Problems

The final design documentation of the power racer remote control boat can be described with the architecture and function of the power racer boat.

Initially, the remote controller transmits the signals from the transmitter and then is received by the antenna arranged in the receiver. The receiver is mounted in the hull of the boat. An additional rod is arranged with the fly reel. A red plate is arranged to make it readily visible to the operator, who is in the shore. On the other hand, the rod also can be made with visible color with red.

Another controller is used to operate the rudder through the transmission channel. It is used to power and activate the fly reel. Another third transmission channel is used to operate the line cutter. The final transmission channel is used to control the boat speed.

Power source of the boat is the AC mains power supply to recharge the battery. In the absence of the mains power, the battery is needed to be used and the power source is to be automatically shifted, when the battery runs out of charging. The battery used is the 12V battery. Battery is needed to power the motor that runs with 12V and also for driving the propeller, which is about 3 inches. The complete charged battery is going to power and run the boat for more than 8 hours of duration for operation on the surface of water.

There are four servomotors used in the power racer boat. The basic servomotor is used to drive the boat on the water. Another kind of servomotor is used to operate the line cutter. This servomotor is controlled by one transmission channel. Another servomotor is used for operating the fly reel and this is also controlled by the transmission channel. The last servomotor is used to control the rudder movements, which is again taken the support from the transmission channel.

The top of the hull can be covered with either plastic or wood. Alternatively, the cover can be made by either metal or fiber glass.

Figure: Remote control for the boat

Operating steps of the boat

1. The boat has to be powered on.
2. Boat is to be kept on water surface and wait until it is steady.
3. Take the remote and press the start button.
4. Press the arrow buttons or trackball to change the angle of the movement
5. Press accelerating button to control the speed of the boat.
6. Switch off the system after operation.

The critical operating steps of the power racer remote control boat are as follows.

1. The entire system must be complete and must be able to operate according to the desired functions for which it is designed for.
2. Battery must be operational in order to initiate the operation of the boat.
3. Motor must be functional so that the boat can start moving.
4. Remote controller must be operative to control the boat.
5. Transmitter in remote controller must transmit the signals to the aerial in the boat.
6. The receiver in the boat has to receive the signal.
7. Switches must be operative in the remote controller.
8. Circuit must be operative.

Item	Function	Failure mode	Failure cause
Battery	Power supply	Fails to provide power	Depleted battery
Motor	Mechanical event to move	Fails to operate	Motor opened or shorted
Circuit	Desired boat movement	Partial Operation	Circuit breakdown
Remote Controller	Wireless communication with boat	Remote controller not operative	Remote controller inoperative
System	Boat to move in water	System is incomplete	System is incomplete and inoperative
Transmitter	Transmit signals to the boat	Transmitter inoperative	Boat is not in control
Receiver	Receives signals from remote controller	Receiver inoperative	Boat is not in control
Switches / Buttons in Remote Controller	Operation of the remote controller	Switch failure	No response in the boat

Item	Function	Failure mode	Failure cause	Severity	Occurance / probability	Detection	Priority	Recommended action	Responsible person
Battery	Power supply	Fails to provide power	Depleted battery	7	6	Boat is not operated	1	Replace battery	Service Engineer
Motor	Mechanical event to move	Fails to operate	Motor opened or shorted	7	5	Boat does not move	1	Replace battery	Service Engineer
Circuit	Desired boat movement	Partial Operation	Circuit breakdown	5	5	Boat does not operate in its way	2	Send to service department	Service Engineer
Remote Controller	Wireless communication with boat	Remote controller not operative	Remote controller inoperative	4	5	No control of the boat	2	Send to service department	Service Engineer
System	Boat to move in water	System is incomplete	System is incomplete and inoperative	2	8	No operation at all	1	Send back to quality department as defective part	Quality Personnel
Transmitter	Transmit signals to the boat	Transmitter inoperative	Boat is not in control	5	4	No control of boat	3	Change the transmitter	Service engineer
Receiver	Receives signals from remote controller	Receiver inoperative	Boat is not in control	5	4	No control of boat	3	Change the receiver in the boat	Service Engineer
Switches / Buttons in Remote Controller	Operation of the remote controller	Switch failure	No response in the boat	5	7	Cannot control the boat	4	Replace switch or battery	Service Engineer

Conclusion

The Design and Product Development remote control boat project report is initiated with the design problems associated with the boat. The design brief are extracted from the design problems and from there detailed product design specification is listed. Concept is designed from mind mapping, selection of the desired and optimal process is chosen and the evaluation, through function analysis. Based on the requirements, embodiment and detail design of the remote control boat is developed. Finally, after the blueprint is developed and decided, product safety and liability is considered to develop through the failure modes and effects analysis.

Design Brief

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