Creativity Tools

Identification and conception of cleaner production opportunities with the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

Optimisation of sand casting process involves the adjustment of parameters as well as the improvement of optimisation process procedures and measures. Analysis of various critical process parameters and the interaction among them is carried out with the help of Taguchis method of experimental design, response surface methodology (RSM). This paper proposes a Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) method based on the process window approach (PWA) is to make the analysis more precise, cost effective and evaluating the robustness of a process set up quickly. The successful sand casting process parameters optimisation demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed method. The objective of this article is to provide foundry personnel with innovative design ideas under research and for practical application.

The transportation of heavy equipment in nuclear engineering has always been the focus of engineers, especially those transfer devices with the characteristics of small geometric size and heavy load. According to this kind of compact heavy-load transfer device and its engineering tasks, the core problems caused by excessive vertical and horizontal forces in the design process were analyzed. By introducing the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) design method, these problems were creatively solved by the contradiction theory and substance-field model in TRIZ, and an innovative design scheme of the compact heavy load-independent transfer device was obtained. Through the analysis of the design scheme and the stability and rapidity of its hydraulic system, some key parameters were determined. The power of the transfer device was all from the hydraulic system, and it can carry up to 300 t weight of reactor equipment, while its geometric size was only 1600 × 400 × 500 mm. It was of great significance to improve the efficiency of the nuclear engineering system.

Idea generation is the key factors for Fuzzy front end (FFE) of new product development. Computer-aided innovation systems (CAIs) based on theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) are selected as support core tools for idea generation of FFE. TRIZ connects some codified knowledge and is suitable for the application for the designers to generate new ideas for new product development. An integrated model for idea generation is developed. A case study shows the application of the model.

The transition of the electricity system to smart grids requires residential end-users to be more involved in managing energy demand and supply. New innovative products and services could help to support end-users to play a more active role in the management of the future electric power system. This paper evaluates the role of Industrial Design Methods (IDMs) in the development of new innovative smart grid related product concepts at the household level. Based on students' design projects, carried out within a master study programme, various IDMs were systematically utilized to develop new innovative products for smart grid households. Our study shows that five IDMs, namely: platform-driven product development, delft innovation model, theory of inventive problem solving, technology roadmapping, and innovative design and styling were mainly applied in the development of the conceptual products. This study shows that a thorough and careful application of various IDMs helped to develop inspiring potential smart grids product concepts that could support end-users at the household level to gain more insight into their energy use, and contribute to balancing energy demand and supply. These concepts include various in-home displays, smart plugs, and smart wall sockets. The resulting product concepts are presented in this paper. We conclude that the systematic use of various IDMs helped to identify and incorporate various technological, societal, market, and end-user aspects necessary for creating innovative smart grid related products that meet end-user and future market expectations.

Advancing research on the systematic development of innovations in sustainable Product–Service Systems (PSS) is crucial, as existing studies focus primarily on isolated product- or service-based innovation methods. This lack of a holistic view limits the potential to achieve sustainability goals and competitive advantage that well-developed PSS models offer. This study addresses these issues by investigating how systematic innovation methods and tools derived from the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) can resolve technical and physical contradictions throughout the life cycle of sustainable PSSs. The study’s findings demonstrate the effectiveness of systematic innovation methods and tools in supporting the development of PSS models, offering insights and mechanisms for companies to create innovative and sustainable PSS offerings. We also unveil unexplored systematic innovation strategies for PSS and propose a method that integrates TRIZ across the PSS life cycle, guiding practitioners and scholars to drive systematic innovation and enhance value creation.

With the rapid evolution of commercial space markets in the new space era, satellite design philosophy is transitioning from "performance supremacy" toward "cost-effectiveness priority." This research concentrates on solar arrays, a critical component representing 15%-20% of satellite costs, addressing limitations in traditional design methodologies that inadequately coordinate user requirements and lack systematic frameworks for cost-performance collaborative optimization. We propose a solar array optimization methodology predicated on the integration of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). This methodology incorporates cost dimensions through an extended QFD matrix, employs TRIZ to resolve technical contradictions, and develops a multi-constraint optimization model utilizing the NSGA-II multi-objective optimization algorithm. Through empirical validation with a commercial remote sensing satellite case study, results demonstrate that the optimized solar array design achieves a 12.5% cost reduction while simultaneously realizing a 20.8% improvement in specific power ratio, 0.04% enhancement in reliability, and 39.4% extension in operational lifespan. This cost-performance balanced optimization methodology provides practical engineering guidance for the commercial aerospace sector and offers valuable reference for promoting innovative satellite design in cost-sensitive environments.

This paper presents an introduction to the theory of inventive problem solving (TIPS); a series of powerful tools to direct the search for solutions to engineering problems. The system was developed by G.S. Altshuller and his school in the former USSR, based on an extensive study of the world patent database of over 400,000 inventions from different engineering fields. From these studies it was recognised that the evolution of technical systems follow a series of laws or trends. These laws can be utilised in the development of engineering solutions as an alternative to a `trial-and-error' or brainstorming techniques for problem solving. The tools include a set of the most commonly applied inventive principles, an algorithm for inventive problem solving, standard solutions, and a database containing hundreds of physical, chemical and geometric effects. Several examples illustrating the methods are given. (4 pages)

Understanding and assisting the clients in a more efficient way are paramount to maintain and to improve the relationship between the company and their customers. Quality Function Deployment has been used to understand the requirements of the customers. However, some requirements face technical obstacles in relation to the service provided. Theory of Inventive Problem Solving was developed to find innovative solutions to technical problems in products and process. This report describes a method that integrates Quality Function Deployment with Theory of Inventive Problem Solving, which requires technical innovation specified from an analysis of customers´ needs. Then, the technical problems to be solved are defined by quality characteristics, and technical innovation is executed by applying Theory of Inventive Problem Solving. Results showed efficiency on identifying customer’s requirements, reoccurring problems and finding better and innovative solutions.

In this article, the Trends of Evolution (TEs) originated in the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) are used for the generation of ideas for new products for the telecommunications infrastructure. Initially, the usage of TEs for ideation of new products is described. Then, a case study applying the TEs to an optical fiber distribution box, aiming to improve its usability, is presented. A number of promising new product ideas was generated in a structured way by professionals with no previous experience in using the TEs.

Permaculture and TRIZ – Methodologies for Cross-Pollination between Biology and Engineering

The STEM body of knowledge has become a core focus for the Ministry of Education of Malaysia to be embedded in the mainstream education curriculum but one of the challenges is to improve the level of student competency in problem-solving skills. A new policy has been developed at the governmental level to ensure the change can be successfully made and executed successfully at the school level. One of the initiatives is to enhance the complex problem-solving skills of the students by introducing the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) topic in the Curriculum and Assessment Standard Document for Design and technology subject. The integration of the TRIZ is streamlined with other creativity theories and thinking models. The adoption of TRIZ is strategically designed to support and complement the student in developing a technological project and design competencies. The teaching and learning process of TRIZ in the subject has started in 2018 as the first official textbook has been used in all schools around Malaysia. A survey has been carried out to 1032 respondents that involved in the process of teaching and learning the TRIZ topic in the subject. The result has shown positive feedback from respondents, and further issues have been highlighted to improve the process of teaching and learning in school.

This paper introduces six aspects of the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ), from conceptual basics to a framework for interdisciplinary research, and explains some of the specific terminology, such as inventive principles, standard solutions, substance‐field‐systems or contradictions. The conceptual approach of TRIZ comprises the way from a concrete problem over an abstract problem to an abstract solution and from there to a concrete solution. This is supported by a toolkit, which helps the problem‐solver analysing and solving problems in different perspectives. The ‘power supply for notebook computers’ example demonstrates a problem‐solving process with TRIZ using contradiction thinking, the contradiction matrix and the inventive principles as tools. The TRIZ tools may be combined within a comprehensive process model such as ARIS or WOIS, which are briefly discussed. A framework for further research suggests five fields: the tools and their combination as the core, inspiration by new knowledge domains, adaptation to new fields of usage, psycho‐ and sociological contingency and integration with other creativity tools. The paper concludes with an overview of cornerstones in the history of TRIZ and suggests some introductory books and informative websites.

State of the art on the role of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving in Sustainable Product-Service Systems: Past, Present, and Future

Innovation needs invention–and each inventor should think about a patentable solution early on. Comprehensive innovation and technology management will not only optimize its research and development with regard to the competitive level, but also wants to develop fundamentally better, innovative systems; this usually opens up higher-quality patents. As many others, this contribution considers a patentable innovation to be more valuable than a non-patentable one, but the new cannot always survive the abundance of already existing solutions documented in patents. Patents are not literature; they are a tool for legal, but also for technical use. The legal assessment of patents–which often guarantee more far-reaching protection than it may initially appear–is expressly not the issue here. This contribution rather examines the technical conditions in patent claims: Their methodical analysis and legal circumvention leads to particularly far-sighted, innovative, even disruptive solutions. The term disruptive innovation shall also be clarified herewith, showing increasing simplicity of the product among other characteristics. Simplicity, though, is overridden by ideality–a trend that any technical system is subjected to on the long run. To develop earlier towards the ideal, the method of choice is TRIZ (= Theory of Inventive Problem Solving), being rooted in patents itself. As to its most adequate tools for structured patent analysis and circumvention, the tools considered here are function models and trimming. They are depicted by the example of a windscreen wiper and demonstrated in a graphical manner.KeywordsDisruptive innovationPatent claimsTRIZFunction modelFunction analysisTrimmingPugh factorCar windscreen wiper