TASC Engineering Design flashcards
TASC Engineering Design · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Iterative design loop
- A repeating cycle of define, generate, select, model, prototype, and test in which later evidence can send the team back to any earlier stage.
- Verification versus validation
- Verification confirms the design meets its written specification; validation confirms the specification actually satisfies the intended user need and operating context.
- Design review gate
- A scheduled checkpoint with documented exit criteria that must be satisfied before the project is authorized to advance to the next design phase.
- Requirements traceability matrix
- A table linking each requirement to the design element that satisfies it and the test that proves it, exposing orphan requirements and untested features.
- Verifiable requirement
- A requirement written so that a defined test, measurement, or inspection can objectively demonstrate compliance, including a threshold and its units.
- Constraint versus criterion
- A constraint is a non-negotiable boundary that eliminates noncompliant concepts; a criterion is a weighted preference used to rank concepts that pass all constraints.
- Functional requirement
- A statement of what the system must do, expressed as an action on an object with a measurable condition of acceptance.
- Interface requirement
- A requirement governing exchange across a system boundary, such as mounting geometry, power level, data protocol, or human handoff.
- Morphological chart
- A table listing subfunctions against alternative working principles; selecting one principle per row yields candidate concept combinations.
- Pugh matrix
- A screening tool comparing concepts against a datum concept using plus, minus, or zero scores per criterion; highest net plus count advances.
- Weighted decision matrix
- A scoring method where each concept's rating per criterion is multiplied by the criterion weight and summed; weights must total one.
- TRIZ contradiction
- A situation where improving one engineering parameter degrades another, resolved by applying inventive principles such as segmentation, nesting, or inversion.
- Free-body diagram
- A sketch isolating one body and showing every external force and moment acting on it, used as the basis for equilibrium equations.
- Safety factor
- The ratio of failure strength to applied stress; the required minimum is set by the applicable code and loading uncertainty.
- Worst-case tolerance stack
- A stack-up method that sums all component tolerances directly, giving the largest possible variation regardless of statistical likelihood.
- Root-sum-square stack
- A statistical tolerance stack-up computed as the square root of the sum of squared tolerances, assuming independent and centered distributions.
- Mesh convergence check
- Refining a finite element mesh repeatedly until results change by less than a chosen percentage, showing the solution is mesh-independent.
- Low-fidelity prototype
- A quick, inexpensive model such as foam or cardboard used to test form, ergonomics, or concept feasibility rather than final performance.
- Gauge R and R
- A measurement system study separating repeatability and reproducibility; variation small relative to tolerance indicates an acceptable gauge.
- Design of experiments
- A structured test method that varies multiple factors together so main effects and interactions can be isolated with fewer trials.
- Test acceptance criteria
- Predefined measurable thresholds and conditions written before testing that determine whether a specimen passes or fails.
- Model-test correlation
- Comparison of measured prototype results against analytical or simulated predictions; a mismatch beyond a set band triggers revision of the model.
- Specific stiffness
- Young's modulus divided by density; a material index used to rank candidates for lightweight, stiffness-driven structural members.
- Material index
- A derived combination of material properties, obtained from the design objective and geometry, used to rank materials in a selection chart.
- Tooling amortization
- Spreading one-time mold or die cost across production volume; it dominates unit cost at low volume and becomes small at high volume.
- Design for assembly
- Reducing part count, fasteners, and handling difficulty so that assembly time, error, and cost decrease without losing function.
- Hierarchy of controls
- Risk reduction ordered as elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment last.
- Risk priority number
- In failure modes and effects analysis, the product of severity, occurrence, and detection ratings; higher values are addressed first.
- Standard versus code
- A standard is a consensus technical document; a code is a standard adopted into law, making its provisions legally enforceable minimum requirements.
- Lockout tagout
- A procedure isolating and marking hazardous energy sources before maintenance so equipment cannot be re-energized while a person is exposed.
- RACI matrix
- A chart assigning each task a responsible doer, one accountable owner, consulted advisers, and informed recipients to prevent orphaned work.
- Revision control
- Assigning version identifiers and change logs to documents and drawings so all team members work from the same released configuration.