A Proposal to Integrate TRIZ Into the Product Design Process

Research work is being undertaken at the Center for Innovation and Product Design at the Monterrey Institute of Technology (Mexico), looking for the integration of different design tools and methodologies to increase product design effectiveness and productivity. This paper describes the integration of TRIZ and “Classical” Design Methodologies as Morphological Matrix during the design process at the conceptual and at the embodiment design stage. As TRIZ is not originally a tool that belongs to the “classical” product design methodologies, its place in the product design process has to be identified in order to increase its effectiveness. The proposed approach has been tested and improved during several years at the course Product Analysis and Design (M99-235) of the Master Program in Manufacturing Engineering at ITESM Campus Monterrey. The course is based on the strategy of Project Oriented Learning, focused on enhancing creativity and inventive skills of the students and its ability to create virtual 3D-Parametric CAD models of the products being designed. Students work in teams solving real world product design projects from Mexican manufacturing enterprises on a contractual basis. This allows the evaluation of the used approach from the point of view of its usefulness for solving real world product design problems as also from the point of view of its friendliness for learning and use.