Method for the development of early prototypes of mechatronic machine elements based on their critical properties

Abstract

Prototyping in general is a widely used procedure within the product development process. Prototypes help to understand different and complex phenomena, support the communication between developers and customers and lower the risk of undesirable developments. There is however a lack of described methods for the development of the prototype itself to gain a maximum of knowledge. This paper therefore postulates a method for the development of early prototypes by identification of the critical properties of the final product. These properties lead to requirements for the prototype.