Updated on January 11, 2025

Component analysis

Component analysis is a stage in function analysis that identifies components of the engineering system and its supersystem.

Overview

Component analysis is the starting point of the function analysis, both for devices and processes. Its goal is to identify all components of the engineering system and relevant components of its supersystem.

The output of the analysis is a component model, which serves as input for interaction analysis when analyzing a device, and for function modeling when analyzing a process.

Defining the system boundaries

Before proceeding to the component analysis, it is essential to define boundaries of the system. They are crucial during function modeling stage as they significantly influence function ranking.

For devices, boundaries between the system and its supersystem are necessary to determine the status of components, i.e. to determine which components belong to the system and which of them belong to its supersystem. Additionally, main function of the system can only be identified once the boundaries are defined – as the boundaries change, the main function may also change, along with the target component.

In processes, supersystem components do not play an active role in the function analysis; however, how we define the boundaries can still have a direct impact on ranks of functions.

Component analysis for devices

Procedure

The procedure of the component analysis for the device is the following:

  1. establish boundaries of the system,
  2. identify all the system components and relevant supersystem components (see: Recommendations),
  3. create the component model in an appropriate form.

Recommendations

The choice of the hierarchy level depends on the goal and constraints of the project. The analysis should be conducted at the level where components are directly linked to the problem. In some cases, these components may need to be broken down into smaller parts for clarity.

For the supersystem components, select only those that are relevant to the project, but don’t overlook those that may provide resources that can be used to improve the system, including air or gravity.

When performing component analysis for devices, the system’s specifications can be very helpful; however, the level of detail can be adjusted as needed. Components sourced from external suppliers, where there is no control over the design or redesign is not permitted, sould be included as a single assembly without detailed analysis.

Component analysis for processes

In the function analysis of the process, the component analysis is a phase when the process is split into operations that are its components.

The operations in the process are usually carried out sequentially:

They may also be performed in parallel:

Regardless of whether the operations are carried out in parallel or sequentially, it may happen that they will create a loop:

Procedure

The procedure of the component analysis for the process is the following:

  1. establish boundaries of the system,
  2. identify all the operations of the process (see: Recommendations),
  3. identify relevant supersystem operations, particularly those that can provide free resources,
  4. create the component model in an appropriate form.

Recommendations

Similarly to devices, in the analysis of processes, the decision on the level of detail in the breakdown depends on us and should be based on the project’s goal. The system can be divided into large operations or a greater number of smaller ones.

It’s important to remember that having operations with only one function is not practical. On the other hand, if an operation contains too many functions, it may significantly complicate trimming.

Existing process documentation, such as standard operating procedures (SOPs), process flow diagrams, equipment specifications, or transformation flowsheets, can be a very useful source of data for component analysis. Interviews with employees who operate, maintain, or supervise the process can also provide valuable insights. Finally, it’s worth spending some time on the production floor, observing the process in action, analyzing historical process data, and so on. This hands-on approach may reveal discrepancies compared to the documentation.

Articles

CONTENTS

Powered By EazyDocs