A Compromise Decision Support Problem for Axiomatic and Robust Design

Abstract

Compromise Decision Support Problems (DSPs) are used to model engineering decisions involving multiple trade-offs. In this paper, we focus on how to use such decision models to perform both axiomatic and robust design simultaneously. A compromise DSP is presented and solved for the concurrent achievement of the functional requirements, Suh’s independence axiom and his information content axiom. A model for the selection of the principal design parameters from a set of design parameters is included in this compromise DSP. Taguchi’s signal-to-noise ratio is used as a metric for the reduction of the information content and increasing the robustness of the design. As an example, a compromise DSP for designing an electrical network is presented.