Conceptual Design of Mechatronic Systems Based on Function/Means Tree

Abstract

This paper reports a research on the design methodologies of mechatronic systems, addressing some common challenges faced when using the traditional methods. A design process based on the use of Function/Means trees is proposed, where the design team is encouraged to think about several solutions and technological principles to accomplish the desired functions, stimulating the creativity and inspiring the creation of innovative concepts. The use of morphological matrices in each level of the Function/Means tree increases the assertiveness in the proposal of possible solutions, reducing the margin of error due to incompatibility of the means. Moreover, by using an evaluation chart to select a possible solution provides a solid set of information for the selection of the best solution based on the design requirements. Therefore, this approach is capable to explore several design conceptions using a systematic approach, providing guidelines to transform the abstractions of the user requirements into a conceptual mechatronic structure.