THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CYCLE
• The product development cycle is a structured, repeatable process that
transforms an idea into a market-ready product.
• It is a framework used for managing the development of the Product.
• PDLC can be further divided into 7 Stages.
Stage 1: Develop the idea.
The first thing in PDLC (Product Development Life Cycle) is about developing
the idea. This step involves a lot of discussions between the various group
members to decide what product they want to develop.
Stage 2: Validate the idea.
By the end of the first stage, the team will have a long list of product concepts.
The goal now is to narrow the list to one product or feature worth pursuing. There
are several ways of screening ideas to learn which are the most viable.
Stage 3: Build a prototype
A prototype is the physical expression of an idea, an important step in product
development. That is, it takes the conceptual product design and brings it into the
real world.
Stage 4: Create the messaging.
In parallel with building and sharing the prototype, the product team will be
working with the marketing department to create the product’s market strategy.
Stage 5: Build the product.
After gathering focus-group feedback about its prototype or mockup, the team is
now ready to build a minimum viable product (MVP).
Stage 6: Release the product.
After developing and testing its MVP, the company is now ready to launch it to
the public.
Stage 7: Improve the product.
Finally, the product team will take real-world feedback from its early users to
improve the product.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SPIRAL
The spiral model is a cyclic development approach that integrates risk
management into every cycle.
It features repetitive phases of planning, risk analysis, engineering, and
evaluation.
• 1. Planning: Defining objectives, alternatives, and constraints for the specific
loop.
• 2. Risk Analysis: Identifying and resolving potential risks, often through
prototyping.
• 3. Engineering & Development: Developing and testing the product
increment for that loop.
• 4. Evaluation & Review: Stakeholder evaluation of the current product
version and planning the next spiral
CAD
Computer-Aided Design (CAD) is the use of computer systems to create, modify,
analyze, or optimize digital 2D and 3D models of physical objects.
Advantages of CAD
• Faster Design Process
• Improved Accuracy
• Cost Efficiency: Minimizes material wastage and eliminates the need for
expensive physical prototypes.
• Enhanced Visualization
• Easy Modification
CAD Hardware
• High-Performance Workstation/CPU
• Graphics Processing Unit (GPU
• Monitor
• Input Devices (Mouse/Keyboard/Graphics Tablet)
• Storage (HDD/SSD
• Plotter/Printer
CAD Software (Examples)
• AutoCAD
• SolidWorks
• Autodesk Inventor
• CATIA
• Fusion 360
• Siemens NX
• Rhino 3D
• SketchUp
GEOMETRIC MODELLING
Geometric modelling in CAD is the mathematical representation of of an object
generated by computer software. This model contains graphical and non-
graphical data. A database stores this information and displays it as a picture. This
model can be edited and analyzed in various ways.
Geometric modelling techniques in CAD
Main Types of Geometric Modelling
• Wireframe Modelling:
Represents objects using only lines and curves (edges), forming a skeletal
3D structure. It is lightweight but lacks surface or volume information,
making it ambiguous.
• Surface Modelling
Defines the skin or boundary surfaces of an object, ideal for complex, free-
form, or aerodynamic shapes. It provides more information than
wireframes but does not represent internal mass.
• Solid Modelling:
Offers the most complete and unambiguous representation, defining the
entire volume, mass properties, and density of an object. It uses techniques
like Boolean operations (union, subtraction, intersection) to create complex
parts from basic primitives (blocks, cylinders, cones)
ENGINEERING ANALYSIS
Engineering analysis is defined as the process of determining the behavior of an
existing system by calculating its response to specified inputs.
Types of Engineering Analysis
• Structural Analysis (Strength/Failure): Evaluates stress levels,
deformations, and structural integrity of components using mechanics of
materials or finite element analysis (FEA).
• Fatigue Analysis: Assesses the behavior of materials under cyclic loading
to predict lifespan.
• Thermal Analysis: Investigates heat transfer, temperature distribution, and
heat dissipation within a system.
• Fluid Dynamics (CFD): Analyzes flow fields, pressure drops, and heat
transfer in fluids around or inside systems.
• Dynamic/Vibration Analysis: Evaluates how systems respond to time-
varying loads, identifying resonance or instability.
• Functional/Ergonomic Analysis: Determines if the design performs
intended functions and fits user interaction needs.
• Economic Analysis: Assesses costs, ROI, and feasibility of different
design choices.
DESIGN REVIEW AND EVALUATION
Design review is defined as systematic, structured assessments of a product
design, conducted to ensure whether it meets requirements, specifications, and
quality standards before full production.
These are systematic assessments of design work.
In a design review, a group of reviewers or stakeholders evaluates a
design whether the design concept aligns with project goals and requirements.
Design evaluation in product development is a cyclic process that assesses
design concepts, prototypes, or final designs against customer needs, technical
specifications, and manufacturing constraints.
RAPID PROTOTYPING
Rapid prototyping is a method used to quickly create models of a product or
part to test and validate the design.
It is a group of techniques used to quickly fabricate a scale model of a physical
part.
The most common approach is additive manufacturing or 3D printing.
It is a cyclic process of designing (CAD), building a model, testing it, and refining
the design based on feedback.
Rapid prototyping technologies are categorized by their raw material state—
Liquid, Solid, or Powder—to create 3D objects layer-by-layer from CAD data.
Liquid Based Systems
These systems use liquid monomers (photopolymers) that solidify when exposed
to UV light (photopolymerization).
Examples
• Stereolithography (SLA): A UV laser scans and cures a layer of resin in a
vat, building the part bottom-up.
• Solid Ground Curing (SGC): Uses a photomask to cure an entire layer at
once.
Solid Based Systems
These systems use solid materials, such as wire, laminate, or filament, to build
parts through cutting, gluing, or melting.
• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM): Melts and extrudes thermoplastic
filament, laying it down layer-by-layer.
• Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM): Layers of sheet material (like
paper or plastic) are bonded together and cut into shape using a laser or
knife.
Powder Based Systems
These processes use heat sources (lasers or electron beams) to fuse powder
particles, often removing the need for support structures.
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): A laser sinters plastic, metal, or ceramic
powder in a heated bed.
• Electron Beam Melting (EBM): Uses an electron beam to melt metal
powder, commonly for high-density metal parts.
STEREOLITHOGRAPHY
The stereolithography process is one of the Rapid Prototyping processes in which
liquid polymer is used as material for layer-by-layer 3-D part building.
Stereolithography involves the layer-by-layer additive fabrication of 3D objects
using a liquid photopolymer resin that solidifies when exposed to ultraviolet (UV)
light. The process starts with a 3D digital model of the object to be produced. The
digital model is then sliced into thin layers (cross-sections) using specialized
software. Each layer represents a physical cross-section of the final object. The
Stereolithography machine has a platform that is submerged in a vat of liquid
photopolymer resin. The platform is lowered slightly, and a laser beam is directed
onto the surface of the liquid resin according to the cross-section of the object.
Wherever the laser strikes, the resin solidifies. After a layer is solidified, the
platform is lowered by a small amount, and the process is repeated for the next
layer. This continues until the entire 3D object is built layer by layer.