Huangao Zhang

The Technology Maturity of Product and Its Mapping

Technology maturity (TM) of product is a crucial index for enterprises. But the existing methods of technology maturity mapping do not always work. By integrating some fruits of Altshuller and Darrell Mann, a technique of mapping technology maturity of product based on patent analysis was put forward. The product lifecycle was subdivided, and the algorithm and approaches of mapping TM were discussed. On the basis of above technique the software named TMMS was developed. As an illustration the TM of butterfly valve was mapped by TMMS.Copyright

Technique of product technology evolutionary potential mapping based on patent analysis

Intellectual property rights are an important driver of innovation and productivity in the knowledge-based economy. And the intellectual property rights in the form of patents provide a source of technological information that can be used by researchers and inverters to find new solutions to technical problems. Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) is a systematic approach that developed on the basis of patent information currently being applied internationally to find innovative solutions for technical problems. The patterns and lines of technology evolution that summarized from patent analysis of TRIZ are applied to identify evolutionary potential (EP) of a technical system and help decision-makers to make strategic decisions for product development. A searching method for EP is put forward and the method to construct the plot structure of EP is introduced. A sequential process of evolutionary potential mapping of product based on patent analysis is then formed. As an illustration, a butterfly valve case study shows the application of the process.

A method of technology roadmapping based on TRIZ

As a source of national development and progress, innovation has become the national developing strategy for most modern countries. Technology Roadmaps is a useful and flexible approach to technology management and strategic management, which will finally lead to important technology innovation. TRIZ is the worldwide theory of inventive problem solving, which can help the engineers realize technology innovation. This paper provides an integration of Technology Roadmaps and TRIZ at the point of technology maturity mapping and technology evolution.

An Approach on Optimization, Upgrade, Renewal of Product Platform

Product platform working as the foundation of product family design and manufacture, its ability for deriving variants mainly depends on its capability. In order to improve the stability and capability of the product platform, TRIZ is introduced to optimize the resource on which the product platform is built. Based on Kano Model the essential for product platform evolving with time is discussed. Based on analyzing the conversion of product familys modules, two types evolution of the platform is defined. An approach of TRIZ aided evolution of product platform is put forward. The laws of evolution of need is introduced to cultivate the function of the product family, the technology maturity of product family is used as the criterion for product platform management, the patterns and lines of technological system evolution are applied to forecast and select substituted technology on which the substituted platform is built. As an illustration a product platform built for butterfly valve is discussed

Idea Generation for Fuzzy Front End Using TRIZ and TOC

Mini-problems are a kind of problems, which should be solved for incremental innovation for existing products. The major method to solve them is to find the contradictions, technical or physical, existed in a product, and to solve them. The current reality tree (CRT) and conflict resolution diagram (CRD) of theory of constraints (TOC) are good at finding contradictions. Theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) is applicable for solving them. It is reasonable to integrate TOC and TRIZ to form a process from finding them to solving them. It is core function to generate ideas for the solving contradictions for the fuzzy front end. A four-step process model for that function of FFE is developed

Improved MRP system of OKP enterprise based on product platform

OKP is a typical production pattern by which products ordered within a specific product domain can be developed and produced. The main characteristic of OKP enterprises is indefinite variability of product and production plan, which prolong production lead time. Traditional MRP system draw up a production plan after the design of the whole product is completed, which result in delay of delivery time in OKP enterprises because the design of customized components will postpone the beginning of drawing product plans. The variability in plan can be partly controlled by fixing parts of components or parts of their product. Product platform is a good approach to constitute and manage a common framework for similar productspsila design and manufacture. A product platform management system (PPMS) and a network plan development model (NPDM) are introduced and integrated into MRP system to form improved MRP system in which PPMS form and manage modules of product and NPDM decide the time of input and output of modules. As an illustration, the approach is applied in an OKP enterprise for improving their production efficiency and profitability.

A process model for application of TRIZ

The theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) is mainly applied to developing substituted technology with higher performance than current one. It usually starts from problems or forecasting. TRIZ provides several powerful tools based on knowledge for solving problems, but it lacks of a systematic programming for the application of these tools in an enterprise. This paper provides a systematic framework for the application of TRIZ, which divides the application into two levels: strategic level and tactical level. The technology maturity is used as the main criterion for casting a strategy. The Level of Solution is used as a framework for integrating tools of TRIZ. A process model is put forward as a guideline for the application of TRIZ from views of strategy and tactics. As an illustration the process model is applied to a company for improving performance of butterfly valve.

A Process Model for Product Platform Design

A good way to achieve mass customization is to build a set of robust product platform that integrate common items of a set of product. A well-defined product platform could provide as much variety as possible for the market with as little variety as possible between products. Because the similarity is the foundation of commonality, similarity between individuals is an essential condition for a set of products to build a common platform. After discussed the similarity between products, the hiberachy architecture of a set of product platforms is discussed. To build a set of product platforms with hiberachy architecture a process model is developed. The steps with applicable methods and tools are also discussed. Considering QFD may have effect on implementing most of steps in the process model, some special process and algorithm is developed to adapt QFD for that purpose. As an illustration the process model implemented by QFD is applied to product platform design for Arm Faced Conveyer

A Reasoning Process for Armored Face Conveyor Platform Design

Armored Face Conveyor (AFC) is a kind of typical customized product. Different AFCs are similar in function, structure and parameter. In order to obtain new products more efficiently and effectively, it is essential for the AFC to implement Mass Customization. Product platform is common items shared by a set of products and a good way to achieve Mass Customization. Most methods and processes of designing product platform discussed in relative references are processes that common items are found, developed or redesigned. If differentiae of a set of similar products are identified, those parts associated with those differentiae will be customized parts that need to be redesigned each time, and the rest will be integrated into a platform. From that point a reasoning process of designing platform for AFC is put forward. The fishbone diagram, reverse fishbone diagram and a matrix method are introduced, and the analyzing process and steps are discussed.© 2006 ASME

A Process Model of Product Platform Building for the Products With the Same Function Structure

Product platform is a good way to achieve Mass Customization. The ability of deriving variants of a product platform depends on its configuration, which ultimately is determined by voices of customer. The nature of product platform building is to identify the common parts from the object product family. According to the similarity of a set of products the product platform divided into two cases: similar function with close parameters and same function with different parameters. Based on E-QFD a process model of product platform building for the last case is put forward that start from analyzing customers’ demands. And the steps according to the process model are discussed. As an illustration the model is applied to build the product platform for armed face conveyer.