The Design Process (EDP)
The first step of the EDP where you identify the "Who, What, When, and Why."
Define the Problem
The process of disassembling a product to understand how it functions in order to improve it.
Reverse Engineering
The standard system of measurement used in international engineering (using mm, cm, kg).
The Metric/SI Metric System
A force that SQUEEZES a material together (often causing buckling).
Compression
The government agency responsible for enforcing workplace safety standards.
OSHA
During this phase, "Quantity over Quality" is the rule to generate wild ideas.
Brainstorming
Creating a completely new product (like the first telephone) vs. improving an existing one (like the iPhone).
Invention vs. Innovation
The standard file extension for an AutoCAD drawing file.
.dwg
A force that PULLS a material apart (like a cable).
Tension
The number one priority for any engineer, above money or fame.
Public Safety
A restriction on a design, such as budget, time, or materials.
A Constraint
This tool uses a scoring system to objectively compare different design ideas against specific criteria.
A Decision Matrix
In an Orthographic drawing, the Top View is always placed directly above this view.
The Front View
This shape is used in trusses because it is the only polygon that cannot change shape without bending a side.
A Triangle
These protective shields are installed on machinery to cover moving parts and blades, and must never be removed.
Machine Guards
This concept describes the cyclical nature of design—testing, analyzing failure, and redesigning repeatedly.
Iteration
When reverse engineering, we use this sketching method to show the Top, Front, and Right views of a part.
Orthographic Projection
The main advantages of using CAD software over hand sketching.
Precision/Speed/Editability
The distance between two bridge supports (the length the bridge must cross).
The Span
The immediate action required if you notice a frayed wire or damaged tool in the lab.
Report it to the Teacher
A specific standard or rule that a design must meet to be successful (e.g., "Must hold 50 lbs").
Criterion/Criteria
Engineers keep this legal document to prove when they had an idea and to record their observations during reverse engineering.
An Engineering Notebook
This concept refers to the ratio between the drawing size and the actual object size (e.g., 1:4).
Scale
The state where the sum of all forces acting on an object is Zero (it is not moving).
Equilibrium
The button used to instantly cut power to a machine in the event of an emergency.
The E-Stop/Emergency Stop