Page 366 - Design for Six Sigma a Roadmap for Product Development

336 Chapter Nine

such as a health club or a library. This is the approach of increasing the
number of useful functions.

Techniques to decrease the costs
Trimming

■ Delete redundant functions
■ Delete redundant parts
■ Replace parts with cheap substitutes
■ Combine several parts into a single part
■ Perform part function by already existing substance resourses

Example 9.32. Self-Feeding Liquid A pump feeds colored liquid to a clear-
ance between transparent plates in the roof of a greenhouse, forming a thin
translucent sheet. The clearance thickness and opacity of the liquid sheet
serve to control solar radiation entering the greenhouse. The function is ade-
quate, but the hydraulic equipment increases the cost of operating the
greenhouse.
To reduce cost, it is proposed to eliminate the hydraulic system. An
expandable liquid is placed in the roof cavity. As the temperature inside the
greenhouse rises, the liquid expands. The roof cavity becomes filled with
fluid, preventing excessive solar energy from entering the greenhouse. The
auxiliary function (the hydraulic equipment) is eliminated and the cost of
the whole technological system is reduced.

Sun rays
Colored liquid (1)
Hothouse
1 2
Pump

Pump (2)

Sun rays
Colored liquid (1)

Hothouse
1

Heating