Engineers Notebook The engineers notebook is a record

Engineer’s Notebook • The engineer’s notebook is a record of design ideas and details of each step of the process. • It should combine a narrative of the progress, concept sketches, engineering calculations, pictures of prototypes, test procedures, and more. • The most important things to record are the decisions made, and the reasoning behind these decisions.

Engineer’s Notebook • An engineer’s notebook should serve as a roadmap such that any outsider can follow the designer’s process, understand the choices made by the designer, and end up with the same result. • If an engineer gets transferred to a different team in the middle of a project, someone else should be able to read his or her engineering notebook and pick up right where they left off.

Engineering Design Process • The engineering design process is a systematic problem-solving method for generating and developing ideas and solutions. • Not always a linear process. • No formal standard process, however the design process is a guiding principal in engineering and is always clearly documented.

Design Process • Start out by identifying the need for your project. Instead of asking "what do we want to design? “, ask "why do we want to design that? " and "what problem and or need will our design ultimately be solving? “ • Identify the target population, which is the group of people who will benefit from your project. • Identify the project's requirements and constraints. • Generate ideas. • Select a possible solution, design, etc. • Create prototype, model, etc. • Reassess, modify, change.

Types of Design Requirement for Products • A cost target is almost always a design requirement • Cost to purchase • Cost to use • Cost to repair Aesthetics (how it looks) • Style (art deco, Victorian, modern, medieval) • Color • Fit and finish (Is it built with care and attention to detail? ) Geometry • Size, overall dimensions • Curvature Capacity (how many and how big are things it can work with) Inputs • Energy consumption • Fuel consumption • Labor Outputs • Product produced • Power • Pollution • Undesirable side effects

Physical characteristics • Weight • Density • Melting, boiling point • Color • Transparency • Reflectance • Surface texture (polished, rough) • Elasticity • Hardness • Ductility (ability to be drawn into a wire) • Magnetic properties • Electrical properties (resistance, impedance, etc. ) • Impact resistance • Bending strength • Viscosity (the thickness and stickiness of a fluid) Performance characteristics Accuracy • Strength • Reproducibility, repeatability (Does it always do the same thing given the same input? ) • Speed • Acceleration • Deceleration, braking • Rolling resistance • Friction • Adhesion • Absorbency • Permeability (Do things leak through it? ) • Resolution • Flammability (ability to set on fire) • Insulation value

Manufacturing considerations • Difficulty of making • Equipment or manufacturing techniques required to build the invention (You don't want to build something from metal if all you have is a woodworking shop. ) • Number of component parts • Labor requirements • Means of shipping or delivery Environmental requirements How does it hold up? Service requirements Ease of repair Reliability Lifespan Disposability User requirements Ease of use Ease of learning Operator training • Operating temperature range • Storage temperature range • Water resistance • Resistance to corrosion • Compatibility with ______ • Ability to withstand radiation (called radiation hardness)