ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS

ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Lecture 2: Develop Conceptual Design and

Functional Specification
Class: Industrial Mechatronics
By : Eli Kipchirchir Koech
Definition of key terms
 Electro mechanics: In engineering, electro mechanics is a
system that combines processes and procedures drawn from
electrical engineering and mechanical engineering
2.1 Determination of research
problem
 A research problem is a statement about an area of concern, a
condition to be improved, a difficulty to be eliminated, or a
troubling question that exists in scholarly literature, in
theory, or in practice that points to the need for meaningful
understanding and deliberate investigation. In some social
science disciplines, the research problem is typically posed in
the form of a question. A research problem does not state
how to do something, offer a vague or broad proposition, or
present a value question.
The purpose of the problem
 A research problem is the preliminary step in conducting a
research study. It helps you understand the research procedure in a
better manner.
 In actual the purpose of the research problem is to determine the
objective and intention of the research; in the absence of an aim or
objective you cannot determine the research methodology.
 The research problem should have great clarity since the research
process in itself generates more questions. In the absence of a clear
and well-defined research problem the researcher can become
confused.
 The research problem should have to be manageable within your
resources, otherwise it will become difficult for you to undertake
[Link] should know about the time, energy and money that you
have in order to design a manageable research.
 A literature review does the following;
 it situates your research focus within the context of the wider academic community in a
particular field
 it reports critical review of the relevant literature
 it identifies a gap within that literature that your research will attempt to address
Moreover, the literature review enables one to understand the topic, interpret and analyze
relevant literature, and show skills on clear thoughts and argumentation
The seven critical steps one should follow in writing a literature review are;
i. Narrow your topic and select papers appropriately
ii. Search for literature
iii. Read the selected articles thoroughly and evaluate them
iv. Organize the selected papers by looking for patterns and developing subtopics
v. Develop a thesis or purpose statement
vi. Write the paper
vii. Review your work
Carrying out Brainstorming on ideas
and solution
Brainstorming is a method used to generate ideas to solve clearly defined problems.
The process itself can boost morale, enhance work enjoyment, and improve team dynamics.
The suggested brainstorming guidelines include;
• Focus on quantity- capture as many ideas as you can, even if they seem silly
• Withhold criticism- make sure you do not criticize any of the ideas
• Encourage wild ideas- with a bit of reworking and refinement, wild ideas usually
lead to the most innovative designs
• Record all ideas-During a brainstorming session it is helpful to designate a
person on your team to write down each idea as it is thrown out.
• Combine and improve ideas- In the midst of brainstorming, try to build upon the
ideas of others. Think of your brainstorming session as a snowball rolling down a "mountain
of ideas."
• Stay focused on the topic- Although brainstorming is meant to be creative and
free flowing, make sure you focus your ideas on the topic at hand
• Set a time limit
• Stay visual – Diagrams and Post-Its help bring ideas to life and help others see
things in different ways
2.4 Formulation of different solutions (or subsets of
solutions) and one direction in which to take the design is
adopted
 It may seem obvious what you have to do to address the problem. It is
important to identify possible alternatives, and this is where creativity
comes in.
 Write down all the solutions you have in mind.
 Once a number of ideas have been generated, you need to assess each of
them to see how effective they might be in addressing the problem.
Consider the following factors;
I. Impact on the organization
II. Effects on public relations
III. Impact on employees and organizational climate
IV. Cost
V. Legality
VI. Ethics of actions
VII. Whether this course is permitted under collective agreements
Some individuals and groups avoid
making decisions.
 Not making a decision is in itself a decision. By postponing a
decision, you may eliminate a number of options and
[Link] lose control over the situation. In some
cases, a problem can escalate if it is not dealt with promptly.
For example, if you do not handle customer complaints
promptly, the customer is likely to become even more
annoyed. You will have to work much harder to get a
satisfactory solution.
Determination of electromechanical
operational life cycle
 Strategic asset management should start with understanding
of the life cycle of an electromechanical asset.
 Equipment and machinery won’t last forever, so its
important to have an understanding of where each asset
resides within the cycle to avoid unplanned asset downtime.
With this, you will be able to see at a glance which
equipment you should prioritize for replacement and budget
accordingly
 The four asset life cycle stages include;
i. Planning- take observations of the current state of equipment
and [Link] may also verify the resources needed to
move forward with replacing an asset. This stage determines the
current state of the equipment and the most cost-effective
means of moving forward.
ii. Purchase and acquisition- in this stage define all costs and
requirements associated with purchasing the asset. The end goal
is to make the acquisition as cost effective as possible. Find the
best supplier and negotiate the best price possible. Finally, the
asset will be installed and added to the organization’s fixed asset
registry
iii. Operation and maintenance- it is the longest and most
substantial portion of an asset’s useful life. In this stage,
operation and maintenance activities are performed and
tracked. Assets should be monitored to ensure that repairs,
parts replacements and adjustments are done in a timely
manner to ensure ideal functionality.
iv. Renew or dispose- as long as the asset is functioning correctly, it
us within its useful life. But there will come a time when the asset’s
performance significantly deteriorates. Assets that are approaching or
exceeding their expected life expectancy will experience age-related
wear and tear or outright failure. Equipment that fails to meet
production quotas or efficiency standards ultimately impacts an
entire organization’s success. In this situation, it is time to renew or
dispose of the asset.

Asset life cycle data is important because; it defines your assets and
their conditions, support a proactive approach to maintenance,
support regulatory compliance in the organization, and prioritize
equipment and machinery replacements.
Preparation of requirement document to
translate all notes, concepts and scope
A requirement document should act as the starting point for a
product; outlining its purpose, who will use it, and how to use
it.
It is an essential precursor to design and development.
After releasing a product and get feedback from users, you can
decide what additional features to add on the product. But
while writing the requirements document, clear your head of
all those potential future features and just define those that will
be included in the first version of the product.
The suggested sections for a
requirements document are;
• Goals- shows the developer why the/she is building, what problem he/she will
solve, and the product vision
• User personas- shows the actual audience. Thinking about the background of
these users will improve your ability to create a product that suits their needs
• User stories- are short descriptions of a feature, told from the perspective of one
of your newly created end user profiles.
• Sitemap- once your main user stories are defined, you should have a solid idea of
what pages or screens your application will page. A good sitemap should include; a
comprehensive list of all pages or screens, the hierarchy between these pages.
• Page descriptions- define what will be on each page
• Wireframes- are simple page layouts that outline the size and placement of
elements, features pm a page. They are generally devoid of color, font styles, logos or any
design elements.
• Risks- if there are any significant, known risks that the project faces, it is a good
idea to document them
• Future iterations
2.7 Development of flow charts

The design of a process algorithm contributes to a better understanding when

there is a problem in a process, or there is a need to determine how a process can
be improved.
A flowchart is a graphical tool that is useful for breaking down a process, it
identifies the key elements of the process and separates any steps which are
unessential or extreme. All steps in a flowchart should be shown as specific shapes
(flow chart symbols), and the process flow is presented through arrows that
connect the objects.
When using the flow charts to simplify the operational life cycle, the following
factors should be considered;
• Whether there are all aspects of the process
• Whether it will reduce the costs or time if you delete a process
• If there are other more effective ways to construct a process
• If the whole process is obsolete and if it needs to be redesigned
• If it should be abandoned completely
2.8 Establishment of technical
specifications
Technical specifications define the procurement requirement,
deserves special attention for its important role in
procurement, especially for complex equipment and new
technologies.
These are specifications that define the technical and physical
characteristics and/or measurement of a product, such as
physical aspects (for example, dimensions, color, and surface
finish), design details, material properties, energy
requirements, processes, maintenance requirements and
operational requirements.
They are used when functional and performance characteristics
are insufficient to define the requirement
The process of developing the technical
specification involves;
i. Planning and analysis-define the requirements and then
approach the industry to see what us available to meet the
needs
ii. Consultation and information gathering
iii. Writing the specification
iv. Vetting the specification and obtaining approvals
v. Issuing the specification, as part of the invitation to
offer process
vi. Managing amendments to the specification
vii. Revising and storing the specification
2.9 Establishment of Quality, safety
and operational
In establishing quality, safety and operational standards the objective is always to mix
covering many aspects of the organization’s governance and operations.
A quality management system documents processes, procedures, and responsibilities for
achieving quality policies and objectives
A safety management system documents processes, procedures, and responsibilities for
achieving safety policies and objectives
Below are five ways in which QHSE systems can be implemented in the corporations;
• Generate and implement the right strategy
• Emphasize of the important organizational risks
• Communication is fundamental- once the system is implemented, it is important
to get feedback on the same
• Regular internal audits and reviews should be carried out to ensure effective
QHSE management system
• Constant leaning and training- updates with the new trends in the industry