Steven D. Eppinger

Bio: Steven D. Eppinger is an academic researcher from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: New product development & Design structure matrix. The author has an hindex of 48, co-authored 121 publications receiving 19686 citations. Previous affiliations of Steven D. Eppinger include University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Product Design and Development

Abstract: Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Development Processes and Organizations Chapter 3 Product Planning Chapter 4 Identifying Customer Needs Chapter 5 Product Specifications Appendix Concept -Scoring Matrix Example Chapter 6 Concept Generation Chapter 7 Concept Selection Appendix A Concept-Screening Matrix Example Appendix B Concept-Scoring Matrix Example Chapter 8 Concept Testing Appendix Estimating Market Sizes Chapter 9 Product Architecture Chapter 10 Industrial Design Chapter 11 Design for Manufacturing Appendix A Material Costs Appendix B Component Manufacturing Costs Appendix C Assembly Costs Appendix D Cost Structures Chapter 12 Prototyping Chapter 13 Robust Design Appendix Orthogonal Arrays Chapter 14 Patents and Intellectual Property Appendix A Trademarks Appendix B Advice to Individual Inventors Chapter 15 Product Development Economics Appendix A Time Value of Money and the Net Present Value Technique Appendix B Modeling Uncertain Cash Flow Using Net Present Value Analysis Chapter 16 Managing Projects Appendix Design Structure Matrix Example

A Model-Based Method for Organizing Tasks in Product Development

Abstract: This research is aimed at structuring complex design projects in order to develop better products more quickly. We use a matrix representation to capture both the sequence of and the technical relationships among the many design tasks to be performed. These relationships define the “technical structure” of a project, which is then analyzed in order to find alternative sequences and/or definitions of the tasks. Such improved design procedures offer opportunities to speed development progress by streamlining the inter-task coordination. After using this technique to model design processes in several organizations, we have developed a design management strategy which focuses attention on the essential information transfer requirements of a technical project.

Integration analysis of product decompositions

Abstract: This paper describes a methodology for the analysis of product design decompositions The technique is useful for developing an understanding of the "system engineering" needs which arise because of complex interactions between components of a design This information can be used to define the product architecture and to organize the development teams The method involves three steps: 1) decomposition of the system into elements, 2) documentation of the interactions between the elements, and 3) clustering the elements into architectural and team chunks By using this approach, development teams can better understand the complex interactions within the system, thus simplifying the development process for large and complex projects arranged in chunks The choice of product architecture has broad implications for product performance, product change, product variety, and manufacturability Product architecture is also strongly coupled to the firm's development capability, manufacturing specialties, and product strategy Selecting the proper architecture of the product is an extremely influential decision which must be made during the concept development and system-level design phases of the project; the architecture defines the sub-systems upon which the team will work for the bulk of the development effort In product development, analysis of the product decomposition provides valuable insight into the structure of the problem and the choice of architecture The integration analysis presented in this paper considers the interactions which occur between the elements of the decomposition The building blocks (called chunks) which result from integration analysis can be used to define the product architecture and to structure the development teams Examples of architecture and team structure can be found in any highly engineered product In the automobile industry, development programs include hundreds or thousands of team members It would be impractical to design the entire vehicle at once (too complex); nor would it be possible to develop the thousands of components one at a time (too slow) The vehicle is decomposed into a few major systems: body, powertrain, chassis, interior, climate control, electrical, and trim Each of these major systems is in turn decomposed into a large number of sub-systems, resulting in hundreds of interconnected pieces with names like: passenger restraint system, fuel delivery system, remote entry system, etc Finally, these sub-systems are decomposed into component parts which are designed and tested individually and together The decomposition of the vehicle into sub-systems and components facilitates the rapid development of the individual pieces, yet this strategy does not address the needs for integration of the components' functions during the development process

Design Structure Matrix Methods and Applications

Abstract: Design structure matrix (DSM) is a straightforward and flexible modeling technique that can be used for designing, developing, and managing complex systems. DSM offers network modeling tools that represent the elements of a system and their interactions, thereby highlighting the system's architecture (or designed structure). Its advantages include compact format, visual nature, intuitive representation, powerful analytical capacity, and flexibility. Used primarily so far in the area of engineering management, DSM is increasingly being applied to complex issues in health care management, financial systems, public policy, natural sciences, and social systems. This book offers a clear and concise explanation of DSM methods for practitioners and researchers.

The Misalignment of Product Architecture and Organizational Structure in Complex Product Development

Abstract: Product architecture knowledge is typically embedded in the communication patterns of established development organizations. While this enables the development of products using the existing architecture, it hinders the organization's ability to implement novel architectures, especially for complex products. Structured methods addressing this issue are lacking, as previous research has studied complex product development from two separate perspectives: product architecture and organizational structure. Our research integrates these viewpoints with a structured approach to study how design interfaces in the product architecture map onto communication patterns within the development organization. We investigate how organizational and system boundaries, design interface strength, indirect interactions, and system modularity impact the alignment of design interfaces and team interactions. We hypothesize and test how these factors explain the existence of the following cases: (1) known design interfaces not addressed by team interactions, and (2) observed team interactions not predicted by design interfaces. Our results offer important insights to managers dealing with interdependences across organizational and functional boundaries. In particular, we show how boundary effects moderate the impact of design interface strength and indirect team interactions, and are contingent on system modularity. The research uses data collected from a large commercial aircraft engine development process.

Supply Chain Coordination with Contracts

Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the supply chain coordination with contracts. Numerous supply chain models are discussed. In each model, the supply chain optimal actions are identified. The chapter extends the newsvendor model by allowing the retailer to choose the retail price in addition to the stocking quantity. Coordination is more complex in this setting because the incentives provided to align one action might cause distortions with the other action. The newsvendor model is also extended by allowing the retailer to exert costly effort to increase demand. Coordination is challenging because the retailer's effort is noncontractible—that is, the firms cannot write contracts based on the effort chosen. The chapter also discusses an infinite horizon stochastic demand model in which the retailer receives replenishments from a supplier after a constant lead time. Coordination requires that the retailer chooses a large basestock level.

The Role of Product Architecture in the Manufacturing Firm

Abstract: Product architecture is the scheme by which the function of a product is allocated to physical components. This paper further defines product architecture, provides a typology of product architectures, and articulates the potential linkages between the architecture of the product and five areas of managerial importance: (1) product change; (2) product variety; (3) component standardization; (4) product performance; and (5) product development management. The paper is conceptual and foundational, synthesizing fragments from several different disciplines, including software engineering, design theory, operations management and product development management. The paper is intended to raise awareness of the far-reaching implications of the architecture of the product, to create a vocabulary for discussing and addressing the decisions and issues that are linked to product architecture, and to identify and discuss specific trade-offs associated with the choice of a product architecture.

Research methods in social relations

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Series elastic actuators

Abstract: It is traditional to make the interface between an actuator and its load as stiff as possible. Despite this tradition, reducing interface stiffness offers a number of advantages, including greater shock tolerance, lower reflected inertia, more accurate and stable force control, less inadvertent damage to the environment, and the capacity for energy storage. As a trade-off, reducing interface stiffness also lowers zero motion force bandwidth. In this paper, the authors propose that for natural tasks, zero motion force bandwidth isn't everything, and incorporating series elasticity as a purposeful element within the actuator is a good idea. The authors use the term elasticity instead of compliance to indicate the presence of a passive mechanical spring in the actuator. After a discussion of the trade-offs inherent in series elastic actuators, the authors present a control system for their use under general force or impedance control. The authors conclude with test results from a revolute series-elastic actuator meant for the arms of the MIT humanoid robot Cog and for a small planetary rover.