Question

Methodical process for design and design evaluation

So how can engineering systems fail with faulty designs? Discuss how it could be from missing one of the key features noted in the methodical process for design and design evaluation. What if the process seemed to be followed to the letter, could a system still fail?

Answer 1

In real time scenarios, engineering systems fail with faulty designs. Failures are defined as unwanted outcomes of a product. In other words, the product fails to perform as required. The cause of the failures might be due to several reasons like prioritization of safety issues, ability to foresee risks, new technology and its functionalities, etc. Though the engineering process is highly systematic and structured, the reality is that some of the engineering systems which was assumed by engineers would be successful has led to failures. A classic example is the crashes of two Comet jets in 1954. The crash was due to metal fatigue which could not be assessed during the engineering process and design phase. The failure analysis led to improved design of aircraft mainframes. This has increased the reliability and safety in engineering system in the aviation industry.

The evaluation activity within the conceptual design phase in the engineering process is meant to be a fool-proof method to develop products that would not fail. A product that has passed through the stages in the Conceptual Design Evaluation Method (CDEM) has failed because the relative importance of a particular design characteristic might not remain the same throughout the entire design and evaluation process. This specific characteristic varies as more knowledge insight is gained during the process. This variation is missed in the engineering process which leads to failure of the product to function as per the specifications. Though subjectively, the process seemed to be followed to the letter, these missing factors would lead to failure of the systems.