Product Development: A Structured Approach to Design and Manufacture

Design and manufacture of new products has always been a team effort; but lately the team has been expanding. No longer can companies afford to keep the product design team working in isolation from the production and manufacturing team, not to mention the financial and accounting team For today's product development team has to comprise an integrated group of professionals working from the very beginning of new product planning on through design creation and design review and then on to manufacturing planning and cost accounting. Even when a product is conceived and goes into preliminary design, thought must be given to how easily or not it will be manufactured, how difficult or not it will be to assemble and disassemble for the end-use-customer and how much it will cost in materials, production and maintenance. This new book will guide both engineering professionals as well as graduate level students in mechanical and industrial engineering and general manufacturing management in how to develop such a holistic, integrated team approach to product development. Written by leading academic authorities'who also have extensive industrial experience'this instructional reference work can be used in the traditional classroom, in professional continuing education courses or for self-study.

First text/reference to cover product development from initial product concept and engineering design to design specs, manufacturability and product marketing

Reviews the precepts of Product design in a step-by-step structured process

Helps the reader to understand the connection between initial design and interim and final design, including design review and materials selection

Offers insight into roles played by product functionality, ease-of'assembly, maintenance and durability, and their interaction with cost estimation and manufacturability