Decision-Making Platform for Design Optimization by Integrating Linear Programming and House of Quality

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a systematic approach that captures customer requirements and translates them, through house of quality (HOQ), into technical characteristics of the product. An important activity in constructing a HOQ is to determine improvement ratios for the technical characteristics, based on the collected customer requirements, with a view to achieving a high level of overall customer satisfaction. Traditional methods for this planning process are mainly subjective, and often result in a non-optimal or sub-optimal solution, especially with many customer requirements and technical characteristics. This paper presents a goal programming approach to QFD planning. We first present a generic goal programming model for QFD. We then propose a genetic algorithm for linear and nonlinear goal programming models in QFD. Computational experiments show that the proposed approach is effective.

The approach to concurrent design described in this chapter is motivated by the observation that, despite the progress made by ‘design for X’ approaches, engineering designs are ultimately evaluated with respect to many criteria. We assert that the design process should be driven by simultaneous consideration of multiple criteria, rather than evaluation of a single criterion at each stage of the design process with modification along the way. Recognizing the need to satisfy the ultimate evaluator of designs, the customer, Cook defines quality as ‘net value of product to society’ (1991a). Cook (1991b) and Cook and DeVor (1991) construct a model for evaluating the quality of a product based on the value to the customer as well as cost. By listening to the ‘voice of the customer’, the ‘house of quality’ approach attempts to integrate customer desires into the design process (Hauser and Clausing, 1988). The voice of the customer defines certain design criteria, or attributes, to be considered. These attributes are related to the engineering domain as performance criteria through quality function deployment (Sullivan, 1986; Clausing and Pugh, 1991). Further analysis of these desired performance criteria leads to identification of relevant decision parameters over which designers have direct control. For example, the customer attribute of ‘quieter car’ may be translated into the performance goal of low engine noise.

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a vital role in the Indonesia economy, contributing over 60% to GDP and employing nearly 97% of the workforce. Competitiveness can be improved through packaging that protects product, strengthens brand identity, and attracts consumers. Putri Srikandi, a traditional peanut sauce (bumbu pecel) producer, still uses simple plastic packaging, limiting its market appeal. This study redesigns the packaging using Quality Function Deployment (QFD) through House of Quality (HoQ) to translate consumer preferences into technical specifications. Data from 112 respondents identify 13 key attributes, with readable font color (A3) and eco-friendly packaging (A5) scoring the highest (4.13), while attractive packaging design (A1) and hygiene (A12) scored the lowest (3.96). Benchmarking shows the product underperforms compared to competitors. HoQ analysis produces 13 technical responses, with top priorities are clear producer information (A6, RW = 7.75; NRW = 9%), and brand/logo visibility (A8, RW = 7.71; NRW = 8%). The final design integrates modern aesthetics, local identity, spiciness-based color coding, and eco-friendly materials to enhance competitiveness and consumer trust.

This paper presents the application of QFD in design process involving designers and customers of Digital Electronics industry. After acquiring and prioritizing the customer requirements, QFD method is used to integrate the different stages of system design, to enhance the performance of design and development of systems. Process mapping with customer requirements is employed to formulate the “House of Quality”. A case study is conducted on, PALMCHIP Corporation, to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed framework in analyzing the effectiveness and efficiency on performance. This paper explains the QFD method and all the required steps. This model can, ultimately, help in design optimization and a better system development in digital Electronics industry.

During a conceptual design effort we find we are making the most far-reaching decisions on product and process form and robustness, while under great pressure to quickly definitize the product. Success is a function of how well we optimize to market needs and producibility, among other constraints. In this paper we focus on implementation of optimization early in the design process, within the structured environment of the House of Quality. Using a normalized weighting format for parameter correlations and relationships, several formulations are presented and discussed, each with its own appropriate use. Using mathematical programming techniques, opportunities exist to greatly reduce the rank of the matrix, facilitating early design iteration and optimization. We present several new roles for the correlation matrix, or roof of the house of quality, which to date has been underutilized in product optimization. Formulations are proposed to employ design information contained in the roof to facilitate concurrent design optimization and management of complexity at the early stages of design.

Engineering Design, 4th edition

The maritime industry faces growing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, reflected in the progressive adoption of stricter international energy regulations. Wind-Assisted Propulsion Systems (WAPS) offer a promising solution by significantly contributing to decarbonization. This paper presents a versatile simulation and optimization platform that supports the conceptual design of WAPS-equipped vessels and evaluates the viability of such investments. The platform uses a steady-state force equilibrium model to simulate vessel performance along predefined routes under realistic weather conditions, incorporating regulatory frameworks and economic assessments. A multi-objective optimization framework identifies optimal designs across user-defined criteria. To demonstrate its capabilities, the platform is applied to a bulk carrier operating between China and the USA, optimizing for capital expenditure, net present value (NPV), and CO2 emissions. Results show the platform can effectively balance conflicting objectives, achieving substantial emissions reductions without compromising economic performance. The final optimized design achieved a 12% reduction in CO2 emissions, a 7% decrease in capital expenditure, and a 6.6 million USD increase in net present value compared to the reference design with sails, demonstrating the platform’s capability to deliver balanced improvements across all objectives. The methodology is adaptable to various ship types, WAPS technologies, and operational profiles, offering a valuable decision-support tool for stakeholders navigating the transition to zero-carbon shipping.

Jaloe Kayoh is a traditional canoe used by Aceh's fishing communities to catch fish in downstream rivers and shallow waters. The current Jaloe Kayoh design does not meet ergonomic aspects, especially in the user's seat position component. It is known from the results of distributing the Nordic Body Map (NBM) questionnaire at the initial stage of the study which was distributed to 30 respondents, that 9 out of 27 fisherman's body parts were in the "very high" complaint score. This complaint is also supported by data on the user's sitting position by bending the legs to form an angle of 70°, while the ideal sitting position is with the body upright and bending the legs at an angle of 90°-135°. Because this can lead to complaints that have an impact on the risk of long-term injury such as Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) so this study aims to design a seat for Jaloe Kayoh users according to anthropometric measurements to avoid the risk of long-term injury. The design of the Jaloe Kayoh stand was carried out using the anthropometric approach of Acehnese fishermen and the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method as a reference for researchers to determine the design according to the wishes of the user. The anthropometric dimensions used in this design are popliteal height (PH), buttock-popliteal length (BPL), hip breadth (HB), backrest height (BH), elbow rest height (ERH), and shoulder breadth (SB). Data Calculation from anthropometry produces the 5th, 50th and 95th percentile measurements, which will be used in designing the seat position for Jaloe Kayoh users. The three percentile values result in a new measure of the design; PH is 39.31 cm; BPL of 48.43 cm; HB is 40.31 cm; BH is 61.37 cm; ERH of 100o; SB is 52.26 cm. So based on the QFD method produced by the house of quality, it produces a design for the Jaloe Kayoh seat position that is in accordance with what the user wants

When a customer selects a product from a product family, the attributes of the components for selection are usually technical parameters instead of customer-familiar characteristics of the product. In this paper, an optimization method for components selection is proposed based on quality function deployment (QFD) to minimize the difference between the customer’s expectation and the selected product. The model is converted into an equivalent linear integer programming model to facilitate the solving approach. Fuzzy customer requirements are also considered in this model. A practical example from applying this model is presented to prove the feasibility and effectiveness of the model. The computation result shows that the mapping relations among the customer requirements, technical attributes, and component attributes are developed by matrices of house of quality (HoQ), and that the optimal solution corresponds reasonably with the customer requirements.

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a customer-driven approach, widely used to develop or process new product in order to maximize customer satisfaction. Last researches used linear physical programming (LPP) procedure to optimize QFD; however, QFD issue involved uncertainties, or fuzziness, which requires taking them into account for more realistic study. In this paper a set of fuzzy data is used to address linguistic values parameterized by triangular fuzzy numbers. The proposed integrated approach includes analytic hierarchy process (AHP), QFD, and LPP to maximize overall customer satisfaction under uncertain conditions and apply them in the supplier development problem. The fuzzy AHP (FAHP) approach is adopted as a powerful method to obtain the relationship between the customer requirements (CRs) and engineering characteristics (ECs) to construct the house of quality (HOQ) in QFD method. LPP is used to obtain the optimal achievement level of the ECs and subsequently the customer satisfaction level under different degrees of uncertainty. The effectiveness of proposed method will be illustrated by an example.

Product design on the basis of fuzzy quality function deployment

Matrix methods such as the House of Quality are useful as a first step in organizing the information relating product attributes to engineering parameters. However, they frequently result in a large number of elements, making it very difficult to focus attention on elements that bring maximum benefits. This paper presents a method for reducing a large set of engineering parameters to a more efficient subset. The method proposed first quantifies the values in the relationship matrix using indifference statements. A set of rules is then applied to the relationship matrix to redefine, separate, combine and eliminate some engineering parameters and to account for the controllability and quantifiability of engineering parameters. These adjusted values are then used in an integer programming formulation to identify the subset of engineering parameters that offers the greatest potential for cost control. This is where product development, experimental and optimization efforts should be focused. An example of a new air pollution control system illustrates the method. The most efficient set of engineering parameters are identified, which are then defined as decision variables in a cost-minimization model. The optimal design identified by the method significantly reduces cost, compared with both the original product configuration and with the configuration resulting from a reasonable (but ad hoc) attempt at reducing the number of engineering parameters in the original House of Quality.

The largest and most important fluid system in an aircraft is the fuel system. Obviously, future aircraft projects involve the design of fuel system to some degree. In this project design methodologies for aircraft fuel systems are studied, with the aim to shortening the system development time. This is done by means of illustrative examples of how optimization and the use of matrix methods, such as the morphological matrix, house of quality and the design structure matrix, have been developed and implemented at Saab Aerospace in the conceptual design of aircraft fuel systems. The methods introduce automation early in the development process and increase understanding of how top requirements regarding the aircraft level impact low-level engineering parameters such as pipe diameter, pump size, etc. The morphological matrix and the house of quality matrix are quantified, which opens up for use of design optimization and probabilistic design. The thesis also discusses a systematic approach when building a large simulation model of a fluid system where the objective is to minimize the development time by applying a strategy that enables parallel development and collaborative engineering, and also by building the model to the correct level of detail. By correct level of detail is meant the level that yields a simulation outcome that meets the stakeholders’ expectations. The experienced gained at Saab in building a simulation model, mainly from the Gripen fuel system, but also the accumulated experience from other system models, is condensed and fitted into an overall process.

After exhausting all pollution prevention pays opportunities, further efforts towards environmental protection often engender some type of cost to the manufacturer. Then, designers must weigh tradeoffs between environmental impacts and equally pressing needs to reduce rests, improve product quality and reduce cycle time. This paper presents a computer aid for making these tradeoffs. Qualitative House of Quality (HOQ) information is used as a starting point to derive a mathematical programming formulation for multiobjective optimization. An integer linear program is formulated in a user-friendly spreadsheet. A general formulation of the problem for printed circuit board assembly is provided. The conflicting objectives include cost, size, weight, quality, cycle time, disassembly time and solvent VOC's. The decision variables relate to number of layers, board width, board type and types of components.

In this paper we present bio-inspired smart structures which exploit the actuation of flexible ionic polymer composites and the kirigami design principle. Kirigami design is used to convert planar actuators into active 3D structures capable of large out-of-plane displacement and that replicate biological mechanisms. Here we present the burstbot, a fluid control and propulsion mechanism based on the atrioventricular cuspid valve, and the vortibot, a spiral actuator based on Vorticella campanula, a ciliate protozoa. Models derived from biological counterparts are used as a platform for design optimization and actuator performance measurement. The symmetric and asymmetric fluid interactions of the burstbot are investigated and the effectiveness in fluid transport applications is demonstrated. The vortibot actuator is geometrically optimized as a camera positioner capable of 360° scanning. Experimental results for a one-turn spiral actuator show complex actuation derived from a single degree of freedom control signal.