# Presentation: 077413

## Improving Innovation Through TRIZ

- To the Microgravity Project Managers Work Group
- 10/4/04
- By
- Kelly McEntire/DDR

## Why Innovation???

**Who remembers what our Quality Policy is and what is says?**

**Our commitment to continuous improvement and **_**innovation **_**ensures quality products, excellent services, and satisfied customers.**

## Why Innovation???

**This is an easy answer today with current programs getting cut and OExS looking to be the mega program of the future.  **
**In our full cost environment and the strong emphasis to contract out, we must be innovative if we want to stay relevant and keep funding coming in.**

## What is TRIZ (pronounced trees)?

**TRIZ stands for:**
**“****Teorija Rezbenija Izobretatelskih Zadach”**
**Translated means”**
**“****Theory of Inventive Problem Solving”**

**So why are we talking about a problem solving methodology using a Russian name?**

##   TRIZ originated in former USSR where it was developed by Genrich Altshuller (1926-1998).  He began developing this method after WWII and continued till he died.  

**  ****At the close of WWII, the Soviet Government agreed to give the German Patent Library to the US in exchange for various pieces of industrial equipment.  Altshuller claimed equipment will be worthless in 20 years, but the patents would remain valuable.**
** ****He was critical of this decision and sent a letter to Stalin stating so.  He was arrested by the KGB and sentenced to 25 years for anti-soviet propaganda.**
** ****He was imprisoned in Siberia for 4 years in the early 50’s where he would have died had Stalin not died first.  Many including Atshuller were released from prison.  He continued the development  for 40 years.  But not till the collapse of the iron curtain did the method see the outside of the USSR when TRIZ experts immigrated or lectured.**

##   TRIZ is considered an Algorithm.  It is considered a empirical method of innovation, because it is a step by step process that can lead to innovation.  It is based upon an exhaustive patent search that was conducted by Altshuller.

**  ****Its premise is that innovation can be taught. **
**  ****This goes contrary to popular opinion, because most feel innovation is emotionally based.  It happens when we get a Eureka! moment.  It cannot be structured.  You must be gifted with a creative mind.**
**  ****TRIZ is catching on in many companies and throughout the world.  Most companies involved in development know that innovation is critical to their bottom line.**
**  ****TRIZ works to reduce the number of trial and error iterations by circumventing much of the solution set thereby getting to the solution quicker.**

## Why TRIZ?

**There are several methods for increasing innovation.**
**	****Brainstorming**
** ****	****Synectics**
** ****	****Lateral Thinking**
** ****	****Neurolinguistic Programming**
** ****	****Mind Mapping**
**These are all emotionally based.**
**TRIZ is empirically based!!**
**It is designed to overcome Psychological Inertia.  Psychological Inertia is based upon habits, our education, paradigms, internal processes, past successes, past failures and “we have always done it that way”.**
**TRIZ directs the solution path based on an empirical approach to the problem resolution.**

## From this month’s CAD/CAM Monthly email newsletter.

**“****It is astounding to think that the manufacturing industry averages only one product success for every 3,000 ideas generated. Even more astounding is the fact that this proportion has remained virtually unchanged over the past four decades. An upshot of this is that companies waste approximately half of their development budgets on products that never reach the consumer or that fail after commercialization.**
**These are incredible odds for manufacturers! The issue is not a lack of ideas. The dilemma is capitalizing on ideas.**
**Studies indicate that innovation is the key to product development success. It's innovation that enables a company to bring products to market that meet customer requirements. **
**TRIZ attempts to circumvent the many mediocre solutions to problems and get directly to the best solution faster.**

## Slide 9

## Benefits of TRIZ?

**  ****Problem solving based on fixed algorithm**
**	****Easy algorithm to follow, repeatable**
**  ****Better and more innovative solutions**
**	****Enhances credibility, wins more proposals**
**  ****Reduces the number of trail and error solutions.**
**	****Saves time, money and reduces risk**
**  ****Works on any type of problem**
**	****New products, failure prediction, analysis**

## TRIZ’s Basic Premise

**  ****Problems may be coded, classified, and solved methodically**
**  ****The evolution of technology is predictable using patterns and trends repeated many times**
**  ****TRIZ uses knowledge engineering based upon over 200,000 patents searched in the former USSR**

## Definition 1

**IFR – Ideal Final Result**
**It is the imagined ultimate solution**
-   Eliminates the deficiencies of the original system
-   Preserves the advantages of the original system
-   Does not make the system more complicated
-   Does not introduce new disadvantages
**Create using imagination not knowledge**
**Change the problem to an assertion**
-   Declare the future possibility without proof

## Definition 2

**Ideality**
- A metric to measure progress towards the IFR

- Improvement is to increase Ideality
-  increasing benefits
-  decreasing costs
-  decreasing harm

## Fundamentals of TRIZ

- General Problem

- Specific Problem

- Solution to Specific
- Problem

- General Solutions

- Abstraction

- Analogy

- 1

- 2

- 3

- 4

## Algorithm for Problem Solving

**2) Create Ideal Final Result (IFR)**
- Eliminate the deficiencies
- Preserve the advantages
- Not more complicated
- No new disadvantages

**1) Define the problem**
- List all requirements and constraints
- We want _this_ but we can’t because of _this_. We get _this_ because of _this_.

**3) Determine the differences**
- Compare original system with IFR

**4) Create Ideality Equation**
- List differences as Benefit, Cost, Harmful

**5) Determine Contradictions**
- Technical or Physical contradictions

**6) Determine Input Parameters**
- Use 2 of 39 or other parameters

**7) Physical or Technical Contradiction**
- Convert between the two contradictions
- If Technical then use Contradiction Matrix

**9) Examime Solutions**
- Convert generic solutions to specific
- Does solution increase Ideality?
- No – go to step 5
- Does solution solve the problem?
- Yes – **IMPLEMENT**

**8) Determine General Solution**
- Use 40 Inventive Principles

## Solving a Problem with TRIZ

- Define Technical System
- (Function Model)

- Identify Ideal
- Final Result (IFR)

- Compare/Contrast
- Existing system with IFR

- Establish
- Ideality Equation
- (Σuseful/Σharmful)

- Identify system
- level contradictions

- Use 39 Parameters

- Physical Contradiction
- Want  A   and

- Technical Contradiction
-  B :   C

- Separation Principles

- Contradiction Matrix

- Solutions

- Identify contradictions at sub-
- or super-system level

- Create System Model

- Compare solution Ideality
- with Existing system

- Compare with IFR

- Implement

- Problem
- Solved?

- Convert

- Yes

- No

- Substance-Field
- (Su-Field) Algorithm

## 39 Parameters

- Weight of moving object
- Weight of stationary object
- Length of moving object
- Length of stationary object
- Area of moving object
- Area of stationary object
- Volume of moving object
- Volume of stationary object
- Speed
- Force
- Stress, pressure, or tension
- Shape
- Stability of the object's composition
- Strength
- Duration of action by a moving object
- Duration of action by a stationary object
- Temperature
- Illumination intensity, brightness, light quality, etc.
- Energy used by moving object
- Energy used by stationary object

- Power
- Loss or waste of Energy
- Loss of substance
- Loss of Information
- Loss of Time
- Amount of substance/matter
- Reliability
- Measurement accuracy
- Manufacturing precision
- External harm affects the object
- Object-generated harmful factors
- Ease of manufacture
- Ease of operation Simplicity
- Ease of repair
- Adaptability or versatility
- Device complexity
- Complexity of control
- Extent of automation
- Productivity

## 40 Inventive Principles

- Segmentation
- Taking out (Extraction)
- Local quality or conditions
- Asymmetry
- Combining or merging
- Universality
- Nesting
- Counterweight
- Preliminary counter-action
- Preliminary action
- Cushion in advance
- Equipotentiality
- Inversion or ‘the other way round'
- Spheroidality - Curvature
- Dynamics
- Partial or excessive actions
- Moving to another dimension
- Mechanical vibration
- Periodic action
- Continuity of useful action

- Rushing through or skipping
- "Blessing in disguise" or "Turn Lemons into Lemonade"
- Feedback
- Mediator or intermediary
- Self-service
- Copying
- Cheap short-lived object instead of expensive durable one
- Replace mechanical system
- Pneumatics or hydraulics
- Flexible shells or thin films
- Porous materials
- Change the color
- Homogeneity
- Rejecting and regenerating parts
- Transformation of physical or   chemical states of an object
- Phase transitions
- Thermal expansion
- Strong oxidants
- Inert atmosphere
- Composite materials

## Contradiction Matrix

**Worsening Feature**

**Improving Feature**

## Kathy Schubert’s Example Problem – How do you create a partial gravity field, i.e. lunar or Martian within the zero-g drop tower?

- Phrase the problem as follows:
- “I want to create a partial gravity field in the zero-g drop tower, but I can’t because it relies on the earth gravity field which is constant”
**General Problem:**  Develop technical contradictions.  Find pairs of the 39 Parameters.  One must increase while the other decreases.
**	****	****	****	****	****	****Contradiction Matrix**
**Improving**		**Worsening**		**General Solutions**
- 10: Force 		1: Weight of Moving Object	8,1, 37, 18
- 35: Adaptability		36: Device Complexity	15, 29,37,28
- 3: Length Moving Object:	24: Loss of Information	1,24
**Contradiction Matrix Yields:**
- 8: Counterweight
- 37: Thermal Expansion
**Develop the Specific Solution**

## Ken Gregg’s Example Problem – Gas A & B are constantly flowing creating a steady flame front established about 10mm past the nozzle face.  A puff of Gas C is sent into flame to visualize possible flame extinction.

- Phrase the problem as follows:
- “I want to create a uniform flow with Gas A & B, but I can’t because GAS C will contaminate it when it is blown in to visualize flame extinction.
**This uses Physical Contradiction rather than the Technical Contradiction just described.**

| 1.  Use of a barrier | Check valve
One-way film/membrane
Dissolution of lid covering tube by application of current
Film of soapy water on tube |
| --- | --- |
| 2. Separation of space | Bring in tube with Gas C when needed.
Flow Gas B in tube followed by plug of Gas C when      required. |
| 3. Separation of time | Splitting flow |
| 4. Scale | Bleed Gas C from tube with high flow when required |
| 5. Upon condition | No specific solution |
| 6. Prevent interaction | Ionize or polarize Gas C, but not B. |

## Ken Gregg’s Example Problem – Continued

**BEST SOLUTION**
- Introduce tube just prior to puff.  Have Gas C flowing at bleed rate out of tube until puff occurs.
**BENEFIT TO CUSTOMER**
-   Well defined problem statement.
-   Defined generic solution sets focus effort to where solutions are likely to be found and directs the group to explore options that may not have been considered.
-   Large number of possible solutions generated
-   Ranking of solutions by experienced professionals increases confidence.
-   Group allowed me to leverage my time effectively** **

## Future of TRIZ

**  ****Many companies are using TRIZ for innovative problem solving**
**  ****About 20 people have been trained in the method at GRC. **
**  ****GRC starting a users group to be TRIZ experts for anyone with a problem that can not be solved.**
**  ****They work with subject matter experts**
**  ****Is there more interest in training??**
**  ****Are there problems that anyone would like to bring to the TRIZ users group.**
**Thank you**

## TRIZ Timeline

- 1956 First TRIZ paper published by Altshuller
- 1980 First TRIZ Conference
- 1993 TRIZ becomes known outside of USSR
- 1996 TRIZ Journal founded
**Reference Books on TRIZ**
- The Innovation Algorithm, Genrich Altshuller
- Simplified TRIZ, Kalevi Rantanen
**Some TRIZ Websites of Interest**
- TRIZ Journal: 			http://www.triz-journal.com
- European TRIZ:   			http://www.etria.net
- Altshuller Institute for TRIZ Studies 	http://www.aitriz.org
- Technical Innovation Center: 	http://www.triz.org
- International TRIZ Association 	http://matriz.karelia.ru