Model relations between conceptual and detail design

Conceptual design, as an essential step towards successful mechatronic product development, should be supported by good models for the design map, which in turn expresses the relationship between the design parameters and the functional requirements. If feasible, these models should be mathematical. In this paper the close correlation between a good concept and its models is postulated. A theory is presented how these models are related to models employed for detail design and how good concept models can be characterised. The practical realisation of this characterisation relies on the decomposability of the whole design map in several low dimensional decoupled parts. This corresponds to Suh’s independence axiom. Modelling aspects of the development of an energy saving hydraulic variable valve train for combustion engines are used as a demonstrative example.