case study of one patent from the product design point of view
Abstract
Starting in August 2004, the Hong Kong government began sponsoring a deployment of TRIZ to a cluster of eight local companies. Over the course of the next 15 months, each company was invited to assemble a team of between 5 and 8 engineers and designers each of whom would be exposed to a series of six three-day TRIZ education and utilisation sessions. The aims of the programme were for each company to realise new products, patents and tangible financial benefits, and to measure the extent to which TRIZ allowed companies to accelerate their rate of innovation. This paper describes a collection of some of the success stories emerging from the programme.
1.0 Introduction
Over the past ten years TRIZ has been applied in many multi-national corporations. Highly innovative companies such as Samsung, Hitachi, Siemens and 3M have begun to report significant successes having applied TRIZ to various parts of their businesses. [1, 2] SMEs have also been reporting significant benefits from the application of TRIZ [1]. To date, however much of the TRIZ activity has been concentrated in the United States and Europe.
This project looked at applying the method specifically to SMEs located in Hong Kong (SAR).
In the context of Hong Kong, innovation and creativity have recently been much talked about as strategic weapons in the battle to gain and maintain competitive advantage. This is highlighted by the recent migration of local businesses from OEM manufacturing to higher value ODM and OBM manufacturing. Many small and medium sized companies however, are not aware of methodologies for assisting in such activities.
In order to gauge the actual response to the methodology on a practical level, prior to the commencement of the project, a number of public events were staged. In total, more than 300 engineers, designers and managers received introductory lectures and seminars from HKPC consultants. An education programme was also carried out with some 80 students from undergraduate and post-graduate programmes from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the City University of Hong Kong being introduced to TRIZ. The positive feedback received from both industry and academia suggested a keen local interest in TRIZ and its reported benefits. The feedback underlined the relevance of TRIZ to Hong Kong industries needs and as a result the project being reported here was developed.
1.2 Objectives
The objectives of the project were:
a) To introduce and promote the TRIZ method to local industry
b) To strengthen the innovative potential of Hong Kong’s SMEs through training and mentoring in the use of structured problem analysis and methods for generating breakthrough ideas
c) To improve the local awareness of Intellectual Property and how to use it as a key business driver
d) To disseminate best practice use of the customized methodology to industry throughout Hong Kong
e) To enable companies to quickly learn the basics of the methodology and to efficiently implement it into their working practices
f) To generate a number of real case study examples of successful application of the methodology within the eight companies.
2.0 Programme Structure
Due to the number of companies interested in the programme a list of selection criteria was developed by the overseas expert and HKPC consultants. Eight companies were selected to participate in the programme having been assessed against the following criteria:
– A Hong Kong registered manufacturing company
– A portfolio of products with innovative content or a desire to shift from OEM to ODM/OBM
– Significant design input in the products
– A clear desire to develop new innovative products
– The use of, or a desire to use, intellectual property in the future business strategy
Having selected the eight pilot companies, each company was asked to put together a project team of 4 to 5 members. The companies were encouraged to construct teams that had a mix of expertise from engineering, marketing and management functions.
Each team was asked to assign a project leader. The project leaders were responsible for reporting the progress of the teams and championing TRIZ within their companies.
In order to objectively quantify the outcome of the programme a number of success factors were defined prior to commencement of the programme. These success factors were used to assess the effectiveness of the TRIZ method specifically for Hong Kong SMEs. The specific success factors developed by the overseas expert and the HKPC consultant team were:
– No of patentable ideas generated
– No of patent applications submitted
– HK$ savings resulting from TRIZ activities
– HK$ additional business generated as a direct result of the TRIZ activities
– HK$ cost benefits from solving an on-going company problem
The pilot programme introduced TRIZ to the eight pilot companies through intensive taught sessions and hands-on workshops over a period of nine months. The sessions were run by the overseas expert and HKPC consultants. Each company received three, three-day training sessions covering Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced level TRIZ based on the content of . These sessions were separated by a period of around one month. Delegates were expected to conduct ‘homework’ projects during the period between each session.
The eight pilot companies all received three additional, three-day hands-on problem solving sessions. Each company received one copy of the CREAX Innovation Suite 3.1 software to assist them in the case study generation and reporting process.
Through these sessions the pilot companies were taught the TRIZ theory and then allowed time to apply the theory to their own in-company products and problems. Guidance was provided at all stages from the overseas consultant and the HKPC consultant team. Regular presentation sessions were scheduled to allow each pilot company to share their experience and solutions with the other teams. For a list of the companies involved and a more detailed description of their background and involvement, see [4].
2.0 Case Studies
Reference [4] also includes a feature description of one of the case studies generated by the companies, in which over $3M of additional revenue was shown to have been generated by the company involved. Other case studies generated during the programme include the following:
• resolution of manufacture quality problems in a paper manufacturing company, utilising the contradiction elimination part of the TRIZ toolkit
• identification and then evolution of a novel technology-leap from a consumer audio-equipment company, using a combination of knowledge database searches and the TRIZ trends and Evolution Potential tools
• identification and then evolution of a novel technology-leap from a consumer electronics company, using a combination of knowledge databases and the TRIZ contradiction elimination tools
• application of a variety of TRIZ tools to design patent-free design solutions in a computer hardware products manufacturer
• conceptualisation and realisation of a novel air-conditioning control system using a combination of Contradiction and Evolution Potential tools In this next section we examine two of these case studies in more detail. A final section of the paper will then draw together some of the overall conclusions reached during the programme.
2.1 Case Study 1 – Improved Packaging Design
This project was instigated by the Orient Power Group (OP). OP is a global supplier of consumer electronics products. The principal activities of the Group are development, manufacture, sales and distribution of audio and video products for automobiles and the home. OP joined the TRIZ programme to learn new methods for developing innovative AV products and accessories. OP also wanted to solve a number of packaging related problems to decrease fixed costs and increase profits.
Due to the high percentage of products shipped overseas (approximately 95% of all products produced in 2004) the OP team decided to look at improving the existing bulky packaging methods used on their AV products. Figure 2 illustrates the functional analysis model of the current packaging method completed by the team.
The current method of packaging places the AV product, along with its user manual, in an unsealed polythene bag. Two impact absorbing expanded foam sections are attached to two ends of the product and the assembled item is placed into a printed cardboard box. As the expanded foam sections are cut to fit a specific product a new set (both left and right) is often required for new products. The expanded foam sections are bulky, consume valuable volume inside standard shipping containers, and are not environmentally friendly.
The specific problem was defined as:
The generation of a new packaging method that reduced the current packaging cost, maintained or improved the protection of the product, improved the volume of the packaged product and maintained the current packaging weight and ease of use. The functional analysis diagram of the current packaging solution focused the team on the expanded foam sections. Through an analysis of the functional model, the “Knowledge/Effects” and “Trends” TRIZ tools were suggested as appropriate tools for improving the current method.
The team first looked around at other alternative packaging solutions currently available in the market. Solutions identified included the use of product specific compression molded recycled paper and cardboard to replace the expanded foam. Such solutions were seen as improvements in terms of their environmental impact, however in terms of cost, energy absorption and volume did not provide significant benefits. The solutions are also not flexible, with a new design and mold being required for each new product.
Inflatable packaging is also currently available on the market (ref: Inflatable Packaging Inc.) The manufacturer places the product in a sealed plastic bag that is inflated around the product, suspending it and protecting it. This solution is extremely light and provides improved flexibility, allowing the same bag to be used on a wide range of different products. This solution however is expensive, not environmentally friendly, requires an additional operation (inflating), and if the bag fails in use provides no protection to the product. The team, therefore, wanted to develop a solution that had all the advantages of the two aforementioned packaging methods without any of the negative aspects.
The team used the evolutionary potential tool on the identified compression molded cardboard solution to assist in developing new solutions.
Case Study Of One Patent From The Product Design Point Of View Pdf
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