Functional jet-engine component: concept and evaluation
Abstract: Today customers want to have added value when buying new products. To obtain
added value the product has to give the customer something positive that was
not expected. The question for companies becomes to identify the real
customer need for added value and then bring these into properties and
functions to offer the customers. Volvo Aero Corporation has recognized the
importance of added value and tries to find their way to a successful
solution.
“By creating value for our customers, we create value for our shareholders.”
One of the Volvo Group’s mission
statements
In this thesis it is investigated if there are possibilities to work with a
functional approach instead of traditional design principles and product
definitions. Another issue is to see what properties must be represented in
a concept design model in order to evaluate concepts in consideration of
added value.
One way to increase the added value is to increase the contents of the
product. Besides the contents of the product shorter lead-time and greater
flexibility can be a way for increasing the added value. Contents of the
product do not only need to be more or less hardware features, it can
consist of leasing offers and services like education, support and
maintenance. Companies need to offer all this to be successful and create a
win-win situation.
Taking a functional perspective on products makes it is possible to think
wider in the creative concept phase. A functional break down divides the
problem into smaller areas and makes it easier to find new types of means
(solutions) to solve the function requirement. When the means realize the
functions it is also easier to see new means or change old on existing
concepts. The functional way of thinking can be applied on both hardware and
service.
A functional brake down is described here for an intermediate case (IMC), a
component in a jet-engine. For a functional break down it is important to
see the problem from an abstract point of view and then formulate the
problem. It is then possible to transform the problem formulation to an
overall function that can be broken down into sub-functions. The IMC is a
static component and is a part of the “skeleton” in a jet engine. An
abstract problem formulation for the IMC can be:
“Support surrounding parts, keep two air flows separated and
transfer the thrust from the engine to the airframe.”
Abstract formulation of the Intermediate case tasks
In this thesis a functional break down is used to define a modular
representation of the IMC. The modular representation can then be used in
the creation of the product structure.
Besides the hardware it is useful to describe properties of product that
match different types of costs, maintenance requirements, weight, structural
stiffness, endurance etc. in a concept design model. The properties are used
to do the important evaluation process for picking the best concept.
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