Functional Structure Generation within Multi-structured Matrix Forms

In a design process products can be described by the requests of users, the requirements of design, functional structures, sketches and technical drawings [1]. The complexity, one of the main problems of conceptual design [2], is included into the modelling and representation of a design solution. To represent a design solution in its conceptual phase, and are of particular importance. The meaning of function can be explained in different ways [3]. According to [4] a function can be defined as the conversion of energy, material and information from the input into the output state. By a decomposition procedure the overall function of a product can be decomposed to partial functions necessary for the performance of the main function. The authors in [4] use “black box” in order to decompose the overall function to partial functions. A product description by a function generates the product functional structure. The functional structure can be represented in different ways. One of the ways is by graphs. This method is called graph grammar [5, 6]. Chakrabarti and Blessing [7] identify three ways of the function representation: verb-noun representation, input-output flow transformations and input-output state transformations. Žavbi [8] describes functions by the chaining of physical laws. To achieve standardization when modelling by functions a standard dictionary called the basics of functions is needed. The dictionary compiles a list of functions of 130 electro-mechanical devices. The works [10] generate the product conceptual variants by using design generated functions, Design repository, based on the the representation of function the representation of form