Application of QFD Correlation Matrix Technology to Engine Development Time

One of the major contributors to the prolongation of product development time in the automobile industry is the testing and validation of automobile engines. This paper offers one method to reduce product development time through the use of carefully developed correlation matrices. The purpose of the correlation matrices is to identify the sub-components that are necessary to test a sub-system. To be successful, there must be a high level of confidence that the sub-system will perform the same in the actual engine environment as in the bench test. This is achieved in the matrix development stage by researching test procedures and consulting various engineers. A careful matrix development stage ensures that a high level of confidence is inherent in the completed matrices. This allows the correlation matrices to be utilized in identifying the minimum number of sub-components required to test any of the sub-systems with a high level of confidence.

This paper will illustrate the development process, the validation procedure, and the usage of the correlation matrices. The implementation of these matrices will allow the user to conduct the minimum number of bench tests necessary to predict engine performance with a high level of confidence.

Although the internal combustion engine is emphasized, the correlation matrices can also be used to help reduce the product development time of any complicated product.