| Genuine Design |
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The physical world abounds in both good and bad designs. Of course, all are a consequence of genuine engineering. Sadly products that form a part of basic lifestyle and living are worst created. Neither is money invested, nor is talent retained and excited to improve these. All problems in engineering can be classified in two distinct types: those pertaining to performance analysis and those pertaining to design synthesis. Solution to the former kind lies in analyzing the behavior of products or systems that have been already synthesized (whether systematically or not). Since the existing world has plenty to offer, worksheets composed of these exercises form a major part of curriculum in engineering departments. Problems of design synthesis are critically distinct from their analytical counterparts. This dividing line is more severe and strict in some disciplines than in others. While designing in cases pertaining to these branches, the failure of our first trial to meet the specifications tells us which way to move to vary the parameters. Most likely, we optimize accurately, converging systematically and predictably, even though through the use of linear approximations, on to a final, best design. Mechanism synthesis falls in the other, difficult-to-invert group. It is easy to start from scratch and design a ‘nearly required’ mechanism; till this closeness, some reversal of theory of mechanisms as taught in the classes is useful and even usable. Fine tuning is achieved by inventiveness, intuition, creativity and elegance on the part of the designer .This explains why the eccentric inventor, cut-and-try draughtsman, back-room model builder, mechanno-player, ingenious mechanism assembler often enters the hall of fame, at least in the domain of mechanical science! To summarize then, tools, techniques and most importantly the attitudes of mind required to tackle the two different kinds of problems in engineering are clearly alike. Gentek Consult commits an innovative genuine design to promote motion! |
