Six Sigma Methodology

Passive solar design is a building design strategy that uses a building's components—walls, floors, windows, and orientation—to collect, store, reflect, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. Unlike active solar heating systems, it does not involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.

A design methodology where 'X' represents a specific product life cycle objective. DFX encompasses a collection of guidelines and techniques aimed at optimizing a product's design for a particular goal, such as manufacturability (DFM), assembly (DFA), reliability (DFR), or sustainability (DfS). This proactive approach addresses potential issues early in the design phase, reducing costs and improving quality.

To address the inability of different CAD systems to share data, neutral file formats were created. The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES), developed in the late 1970s, was an early attempt. It was later superseded by the more robust and comprehensive STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product model data, ISO 10303), which can represent full 3D models, assembly structure, and metadata.

ISO 9001 is the world's most recognized standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS). It provides a framework and a set of principles that ensure a common-sense approach to the management of an organization to consistently satisfy customers and other stakeholders. It is based on seven quality management principles, including a strong customer focus and a process-based approach.

LCA system boundaries define which life cycle stages are included in the assessment. A "cradle-to-grave" analysis covers the entire product life, from raw material extraction through manufacturing, use, and final disposal. In contrast, a "cradle-to-gate" assessment is a partial LCA that ends when the product leaves the factory gate, excluding the use and disposal phases.

Viral marketing describes any marketing strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. Like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message from person to person. It is a form of amplified word-of-mouth, often facilitated by the internet.

The use of computer systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. CAD software allows product designers and engineers to create precise 2D and 3D models, replacing manual drafting. This technology dramatically increases productivity, improves the quality of design, and facilitates better communication through detailed visualizations and simulations.

Solid modeling in CAD represents objects as unambiguous, voluminous 3D shapes. Two primary techniques dominate: Boundary Representation (B-rep), which defines a solid by its bounding surfaces (faces, edges, vertices), and Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG), which builds complex shapes by applying Boolean operations (union, subtract, intersect) to simpler primitive solids like cubes, spheres, and cylinders.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management philosophy where all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products, services, and the culture in which they work. It aims for long-term success through customer satisfaction. TQM integrates quality-discipline into the culture and activities of a company, moving beyond simple product inspection to a holistic, organization-wide approach.

Concurrent engineering, also known as simultaneous engineering, is a design philosophy that emphasizes the parallelization of tasks. Instead of a sequential process where design is completed before manufacturing is considered, it involves a team-based approach where designers, manufacturing engineers, and other stakeholders work together from the outset. This overlap significantly reduces product development time and improves design quality.

Parametric modeling is a CAD paradigm where designs are defined by parameters and constraints rather than just geometric shapes. Dimensions and relationships between features (e.g., parallelism, tangency) are stored as parameters. Modifying a parameter value automatically updates the entire model, maintaining the defined constraints. This approach facilitates design iteration, automation, and the creation of design families.

Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a systematic methodology for evaluating the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life. This "cradle-to-grave" or "cradle-to-cradle" analysis considers raw material extraction, processing, manufacturing, distribution, use, repair, maintenance, and final disposal or recycling. It quantifies inputs like energy and raw materials and outputs like emissions to air, water, and soil.

The three pillars of sustainability, also known as the triple bottom line, is a framework that posits true sustainability requires balancing three main dimensions: environmental, social, and economic. Environmental sustainability focuses on preserving natural resources and ecosystems. Social sustainability addresses equity, community well-being, and human rights. Economic sustainability ensures long-term financial viability without compromising the other two pillars.

The functional unit is a critical concept in LCA that defines the quantified performance of a product system for use as a reference unit. It ensures that comparisons between different systems are made on a fair and equivalent basis. For example, when comparing paint, the functional unit might be 'to protect 1 square meter of wall for 10 years'.