Mechanisms and coherences of robust design methodology: a robust design process proposal

Although robust design (RD) methods are recognised as a way of developing mechanical products with consistent and predictable performance and quality, they do not experience widespread success in industry. One reason being the lack of a coherent RD process (RDP). In this contribution we analyse commonly used RD methods to identify their mechanisms and coherences and propose a RDP that is connected to the actual design tasks of the design engineer.

The presented RDP comprises four main activities: (1) design and modification of the conceptual design solution, (2) measuring and modelling the robustness of the design, (3) processing and evaluation of the robustness data and (4) scaling of the design to optimise parameter and tolerance values. For each of the activities, the set of relevant RD methods is presented.

The main objective of the RDP is to provide the design team with a better overview and understanding of the RD toolbox and to support the application of RD continuously throughout the product development by providing a sequential description of when to apply the methods and how they affect the robustness of the design.