Nuts & Volts - April 2005

In The Trenches

may or may not be stated directly. Often, the lowest bidder will be awarded the contract. Often, the engineer (or his company) is barred from contacting the RFQ client to obtain additional details or answer questions. This is done to provide for “fair” competition, but clearly, this can create difficulties for the engineer. Who knows if the client really wants an LCD or LED display? The cost and performance are different. Which is better? In cases like this, you just do your best.

Engineering contests (like SERVO Magazine’s Hack-A-Sapien) are a form of RFQ. In these cases, originality is an important factor in winning. Sometimes, contest goals are very specific, like “self-navigate from Point A to Point B in the shortest time.” Sometimes, they are vague, like “most outrageous hack.” Nevertheless, these contests are really RFQs in disguise.

else that is needed to define the product.

If this sounds like a lot of work, it is, but this step is often critical to the success of the project. This paper design can uncover fundamental problems that must be corrected. It’s clearly better to fix a paper design than to rework hardware. This also helps everyone understand all the aspects of the whole project rather than just their own small part of it. As I recall, the paperwork for the B-1 bomber weighed more than the bomber itself.

It is not unheard of to create two paper designs and let the customer decide which is best. If you really have a great idea that doesn’t match what the client has stated, but you think he’ll like it, this may be the way to go.

You can provide your design along with the design that matches the client’s specifications. Placing two

proposals side by side and showing the client how one is better than the other is often a good way to sell your idea.

Occasionally, this stage includes “proof of concept” hardware (or software). If you are proposing a solution that is unique or controversial, it is very helpful for the client to see the idea in action. This gives you — and your idea — credibility and helps the client understand the principles of the approach. This hardware does not need to be a finished product. It only has to demonstrate that the idea is workable.

Design Review

This is when you sit down with the client again and go over your paper design. You show him the good and bad points of the design, and always tell the client about the bad points up front. There are two rea-

Paper Design

The next step is to consolidate all the information you got from the client (or RFQ) and decide which approach is the most appropriate for the client. Always remember that you are working for the client and you want to make him happy. While you may enjoy designing, you must always put the client’s needs first.

You should have a number of possible approaches. Within an engineering company, meetings are often held to decide the good and bad points of each idea. If you are consulting on your own, you should always examine several different ways to satisfy the customer. If you set your mind to a fixed solution, it often causes problems later.

Once the approach is determined, a comprehensive paper design is created. This includes a complete schematic, physical dimensions, parts list, production cost estimate, testing fixtures, special assembly details, theory of operation, computer simulations, and anything