Title: Application of QFD and VA tools in the design of an automobile

Authors: S.A. Oke, O.A. Onabajo, M.O. Oyekeye, A. Oluwo, S.A. Adeoye

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract: Quality function deployment (QFD) and value analysis (VA) tools are applied to the design of an automobile in order to reduce wastes in manufacturing through an optimal design that satisfies customers| most important needs. Significant improvement was obtained with this application, which leads to cuts in manufacturing cost. In this paper, da Silva et al.|s (2004) methodology in the product design process is applied to determine the level of comfort enjoyed by users of automobiles. We analysed the components of the vehicle that relates to the determination of quality of an automobile. The result shows that a few numbers of components strongly determine the level of comfort enjoyed by the customer while using the automobile.

Keywords: customer satisfaction; design requirements; house of quality; HOQ; resource consumption matrix; Mudge diagram; automobile industry; vehicle design; quality function deployment; QFD; value analysis; automotive design; optimal design; product design; design process.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPQM.2009.025184

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 2009 Vol.4 No.5/6, pp.525 - 548

Published online: 16 May 2009 *

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