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Fundamentals of Product Development

Module name (EN):
Name of module in study programme. It should be precise and clear.
Fundamentals of Product Development
Degree programme:
Study Programme with validity of corresponding study regulations containing this module.
Mechanical and Process Engineering, Bachelor, ASPO 01.10.2019
Module code: MAB_19_PE_5.08.GPE
SAP-Submodule-No.:
The exam administration creates a SAP-Submodule-No for every exam type in every module. The SAP-Submodule-No is equal for the same module in different study programs.
P241-0257
Hours per semester week / Teaching method:
The count of hours per week is a combination of lecture (V for German Vorlesung), exercise (U for Übung), practice (P) oder project (PA). For example a course of the form 2V+2U has 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of exercise per week.
2SU (2 hours per week)
ECTS credits:
European Credit Transfer System. Points for successful completion of a course. Each ECTS point represents a workload of 30 hours.
2
Semester: 5
Mandatory course: yes
Language of instruction:
German
Assessment:
Project (in a 2-person team) with a short paper.
Written individually.
Submission by end of semester (March 31st)

[updated 29.08.2025]
Applicability / Curricular relevance:
All study programs (with year of the version of study regulations) containing the course.

MAB_19_PE_5.08.GPE (P241-0257) Mechanical and Process Engineering, Bachelor, ASPO 01.10.2019 , semester 5, mandatory course, Specialization Product Development
Workload:
Workload of student for successfully completing the course. Each ECTS credit represents 30 working hours. These are the combined effort of face-to-face time, post-processing the subject of the lecture, exercises and preparation for the exam.

The total workload is distributed on the semester (01.04.-30.09. during the summer term, 01.10.-31.03. during the winter term).
30 class hours (= 22.5 clock hours) over a 15-week period.
The total student study time is 60 hours (equivalent to 2 ECTS credits).
There are therefore 37.5 hours available for class preparation and follow-up work and exam preparation.
Recommended prerequisites (modules):
MAB_19_M_4.04.MK2 Engineering Design (with Project)


[updated 21.07.2025]
Recommended as prerequisite for:
Module coordinator:
Prof. Dr. Bernd Heidemann
Lecturer:
Prof. Dr. Bernd Heidemann


[updated 21.07.2025]
Learning outcomes:
After successfully completing this course, students will be able to explain, characterize and differentiate technical products in terms of their benefits and sustainability.
Students will be familiar with the typical technical terms used in a product development process.
Students will be able to organize a product development process using a basic methodical approach and work through it accordingly.
 
Using the methodological approach, students will be able to develop a product and present and justify it as a sound concept.
 
SoK: Students will be able to formulate questions in front of a group and present and defend both procedural and solution-related technical ideas.


[updated 29.08.2025]
Module content:
The technical product - Definitions, demands and requirements, individual benefits and sustainability.
 
The product development process and its sub-phases.
 
Basic activities of a methodical approach.
The general working methodology as a basis for a planned procedure.
 
Clarify the task, develop requirements and compile them in a structured list.
Conception: Identify and formulate overall function and sub-functions.
Develop and vary functional structures.
Create an ordering scheme (morphological box) for functions and solutions.
Identify solutions (intuitive-creative, systematic).
Research and vary solution properties.
Reduce solution variety: Selection and evaluation of solutions and total solutions
Combining (partial) solutions to create complete solutions
 
Present (visualize) and explain the overall solution as a concept


[updated 29.08.2025]
Teaching methods/Media:
Interactive seminar-style teaching and accompanying exercises (project work) in teams of two students to apply the product development procedures to their own product ideas. The product idea should be developed in advance.
 
The project will be worked on in teams and documented in an individual report, based on a written guide that will be discussed at the beginning of the course. Supervision of the project takes place within the framework of the course.

[updated 29.08.2025]
Recommended or required reading:
Pahl/Beitz: Konstruktionslehre - Methoden und Anwendung erfolgreicher Produktentwicklung. Springer Vieweg, Heidelberg
Pahl/Beitz: Engineering Design - A Systematic Approach. Springer-Verlag, London
Ehrlenspiel, K.; Meerkamm, H.: Integrierte Produktentwicklung - Denkabläufe, Methodenein-satz, Zusammenarbeit. Carl Hanser Verlag, München


[updated 13.10.2024]
 
[Sun Aug 31 06:54:05 CEST 2025, CKEY=mgp, BKEY=m2, CID=MAB_19_PE_5.08.GPE, LANGUAGE=en, DATE=31.08.2025]