Cooling fan - Research Paper Example

? Product Design Product Design: Cooling Fan Introduction This is a process of creating new products to be sold by an enterprise or business to its customers. The process of product design aims at effective and efficient generation of ideas through processes, which lead to new products. The process of product design evaluates and conceptualizes ideas, making them tangible via a systematic approach. The process entails a combination of science, technology, and art to create three dimensional goods. In the recent past, the evolvement of digital tools, facilitate communication between designer, analysis of ideas, and their visualization, thus empowering the dynamism of the process. Educationalist should not confuse product design with industrial design. Industrial design entails the artistic process, whose usability and form associates with craft design in mass production (Takashi, 2009). This is a product design report of a describing the external factors, that impinge on a product design, and ultimately affect the manufacturing process. It is a challenge to keep a team of engineers working smoothly without conflicts, as they keep crossing each other’s ways. The report targets the manufacturing process of a fan; it expounds on research carried out on different external factor affecting its manufacturing. In the recent past, it is evident that the products are getting complex, as the data turns to be expansive. This is also a challenge facing the engineering industry as a result of the overall growth. Designs suggested by top products designers and engineers have come to lose market share. All in all, teams of engineers are implementing other strategies to cope with the prevailing situations, such as teaming up to make a product design project. The ideas are taking effect, and ides are getting to admirable levels by teams from different environment merging up to design a new product. As designers and engineers claim that they leap cost benefits from globalization of product design, the process will get more complex that before as designers are adopting new design strategies. Among other significant external factors affecting the process of product design are competition, business environment, and technological dynamisms. All in all, some of these factors enhance creativity and innovations as individuals’ engineers will aim at giving the best of their capability. An external factor such as technology is challenging design processes as it requires the designers to keep track with its changes. This aspect calls for keenness and caution in identifying the prevailing demands in the global market (Takashi, 2009). A fan is a crucial simple machine used in different spheres of life, which include homes, vehicles, and machines among others. The general design of a fan entails blades of vanes which act on a fluid. In most cases, he fluid is air; it is at times designed in a housing case or the air. The dictation of such as aspects depends on the functionalities of the fan. The design of the case aims at directing the flow of air to prevent damages. An electric motor powers ordinary fans; for complex fans, solar energy, hydraulic motors, and internal combustion engines suit the purpose. The general design of a fan has never changed since 1890. However, slight changes occur when designing fans to serve various needs (Takashi, 2009). The need of integrated product raised in the beginning of the last two decades. This keeps designers awake so as to be up-to-date with the demands of the customers; however, the extent of the dynamism of a product depends on the functionalities of the individual product. Items such as machinery, clothing, and electronics are dynamic because the users want to identify themselves with monopoly and uniqueness. However, the production industry of fans is different as it the structure of the fun is easy, unlike that of other components. From different market research, we can conclude that the market needs of for the fan constricts to its functionalities other that class and fashion. From this evaluation on the fan, it becomes difficult for various external factors to affect the manufacturing processes of the fan. Another factor that may bar external factors from affecting the design, and manufacturing processes of the fan is the fact that most funs act as compliments of other finished products. In this case, we refer to items such as electronics and vehicles among other. The manufacturing process of fans results to a wide range of designs. It is common to find a fan placed on a table in various homes, other hanged on the ceiling, placed below the window, chimney, wall, and many others. Some designs cool electronics such as computers, and other appliances such as space heaters and hair dryers in the process of meeting customers demand. In all these utilities, it is evident to state that a fan design uses the basis of air-conditioning system. The designs of these fans determine the directing air current, hence the purpose of the fan. Fans designed for comfort will create a wind chill, meaning that they do not lower the temperature directly. On the other hand, fans designed to fit in electronics such as computers, will create a breeze, thus cooling by induction. In summary, the three main cooling fan designs are axial, tangential (cross flow), and radial. Below are illustrations showing the three main designs of fans. Axial-flow fan Centrifugal fan Cross flow fan Fans are not among the expensive appliances; the average cost of a fan is $22 depending on the purpose of the fan. Computer cooling fans are a little more expensive that other fans. The cost a fan hardly changes because it uses absolute knowledge. The work of designers it fan manufacturing a fan it to design a design that will fit in the targeted appliance, other than thinking of how to make a new model of a fan. This is different from what happens in other manufacturing industries, where products design relates to the prevailing designs. It is evident from the manufacturing theory, that the cost of a law material has a massive effect on the cost of the subsequent product. Following this ideology, fan’s law materials are few, and their respective cost also minimal. The aspect leads to the overall cost of the fan to be as low as $20. A fan’s manufacturing process encompasses an ordinary assembly of components. This is as a result of the simplicity of the product in relation to other complicated products. A fan has three main components; the motor, blades and the casing in reference to the functionalities. The manufacturing process of the fan is not different from other manufacturing procedures. This is because it entails assembly of material just like any other assembly products. Most of fans manufacturing processes assemble items designed by leading manufacturing companies. This is the most suitable mode of production in relation to assembled products, as producer combine quality materials from various industries (Takashi, 2009). Fan's power source is electric motors. The motor can either extend behind the fan’s hub or within the fan’s centre hub. Three-phase asynchronous motors are common for industrial fans, where its location is near the fan propelling it via belts and pulleys. Shaded pole AC motors or brushless DC motors powers small fans. DC powered fans use low voltage while the AC-powered fans use mains voltage. For computer equipment, cooling fans at all times use brushless DC motors. This is because they generate electromagnetic interferences compared to other types. In machinery with rotating parts, the fan's connection is direct to the machine other than separate powering. An instance is motor vehicles with internal combustion engines. The drive shaft connects the fan through belts and a pulley. A common configuration used is the dual-shaft motor, where both ends perform tasks. One hand has a fan connected to it to cool the motor while the other end drives a mechanism. In case; there is no electrical energy, fans function using other techniques. Small turbines can run on high pressure gases like steam. A pelton wheel can run on high pressure liquids (Takashi, 2009). There are different kinds of designs and patterns for fans. Manufacturing companies are incorporating the most advanced technologies to match the growing demand for high-end fans. Their design is in different sizes shapes and styles. These shapes and sizes of fans are in unique forms. Customer attraction is the first priority for manufacturers. Tailoring a fan to meet the customer’s specifications is essential in its design. Designers and engineers have a role to keep products in line with the demands from the customer. The advancement in technology is one of the external factor affecting production designs of various production. From the above report, we can learn that the extent of external factors affecting the design and the manufacturing process hugely depends on the functionalities of the product. Fans act as complements of different appliances and thus, the cost of the material hardly affects many factors. The structure and the components used in manufacturing the items also has effects on the cost of the product, this is evident from the discussion the report. All in all, designers should struggle to ensure that there are minimal factors affecting the manufacturing process of the products. Reference Takashi, I. and Voigt, E., 2009. Product design review: a method for error-free product development. USA: Productivity Press. Read More