John
Terninko, john@terninko.com
Ellen Domb, ellendomb@compuserve.com
Joe Miller, jam@mcs.net
The “76 Standard Solutions” of TRIZ were compiled by G.S. Altshuller
and his associates between 1975 and1985. They are grouped into 5 large
categories as follows:
1.
Improving
the system with no or little
change
13 standard solutions
2.
Improving
the system by changing the
system
23 standard solutions
3.
System
transitions
6 standard solutions
4.
Detection
and
measurement
17 standard solutions
5.
Strategies
for simplification and
improvement
17 standard solutions
Total: 76 standard solutions
Class 1 of the 76 Standard Solutions and references to work by
Altshuller and others appeared in the February issue of the TRIZ Journal, with a
companion article on Su-field models, since many of the 76 are defined by the
Su-field model of the situation.
This
article covers Class 2, models that improve the system by changing the
system. There are examples from many fields of technology. Readers
are invited to send us their examples, for publication in future updates.
Class 3 will appear in the May, 2000 issue of the TRIZ Journal.
The
example which are from Altshuller and his associates start with a bold GA.
Class
2. Developing
the Substance-Field System
2
Transition to the Complex Su-Field Models.1. Transition to the Complex
Su-Field Models
2.1.1.
Chain Su-Field Model: Convert the single model to a chained model by having S2
with F1 applied to S3 which in turn applies F2
to S1. The sequence of two models can be independently
controlled. Example:
The
hammer hits the rock. The situation can be improved by placing a chisel
between the hammer and rock. The mechanical field of the hammer is transferred
to the chisel that then transfers the mechanical field to the rock.
| S1
= rock
S2
= hammer
S3
= chisel
F1Me=
impact force
F2Me
= impact force |
 |
Figure
G-10
The
person holds the handle of the hammer and transfers muscle power to the
handle. The handle transmits the power to the head of the hammer.
2.1.2.
Double Su-Field
Model: A poorly controlled system needs to be improved but you may not change
the elements of the existing system. A second field can be applied to S2.
Example:
In
the electrolytic process for creating copper sheet, small amounts of electrolyte
are retained on the surface. Washing is only partially effective in
removing these deposits. Adding a second field (mechanical agitation
during washing, or washing in an ultrasonically vibrating bath) improves the
cleaning action.
| S1
= copper sheet
S2
= water
S3
= vibration generator
F1Me=
pressure
F2Me
= vibration |
 |
2.2.
Forcing the Su-Field Models
2.2.1.
Replace or add to
the poorly controlled field with a more easily controlled field. Going
from a gravitational field to a mechanical field provides more control as does
going from mechanical means to electrical or mechanical to magnetic. This
is one of the patterns of evolution of systems progressing from objects in
physical contact to actions done by fields. Examples:
Replace
a hydraulic control system by an electrical or electronic system.
Replace
a gravity flow control for intravenous solutions with an electrically controlled
pump. Improve it further by using feedback from a sensor in the patient’s
bloodstream to control the delivery of medication.
2.2.2.
Change S2 from a macro level to a micro level, i.e., instead of a
rock consider particles. This standard is actually the pattern of
evolution from a macro- to micro-level. Examples:
Designing
support systems to distribute a weight over irregular surfaces is
difficult.
A liquid filled bladder will distribute the load uniformly.
An
automobile seat is being offered with several air bladders that are
self-adjusting for all the body contact points.
Packing
material (styrofoam “peanuts” or popcorn or other light, small particles)
configures itself to fill the empty areas in a container.
2.2.3.
Change S2 to a porous or capillary material that will allow gas or
liquid to pass
through.
Examples:
Lubrication of gears with oil channels does not distribute the oil
uniformly. A
porous
dispenser can be used. Another version is a porous ball bearing.
Backpacking
water purification systems use micropores to trap bacteria and let water pass
through.
The
evolution of ink writing systems has gone from a split nib functioning as a
single capillary tube to a roller ball to a felt or fiber tip (multiple
capillaries) to a porous ball.
2.2.4.
Make the system more flexible or adaptable; becoming more dynamic is another
pattern of evolution. The common transition is from a solid to a hinged
system to continuous flexible systems. Examples:
Either
standard transmissions or automatic transmission in automobiles have a finite
number of gear ratios. A fluid system has an infinite number of gear
ratios.
Mass
customization, “flexible” factory that can produce any number of different
configurations of a product.
Reef
points in a sail, so it can be used in a variety of wind conditions. The
next step is a roller reefing system, with continuous adjustment of sail area.
Self-shifting
bicycle has weights on the spokes of the rear wheel. The rpm is measured
by the location of the weights, that is attached to the shift mechanism.
The further out the weight the higher the gear ratio. The effect is
constant rpm of the pedals.
2.2.5.
Change an uncontrolled field to a field with predetermined patterns that may be
permanent or temporary. Examples:
Standing
waves are used to position liquids or particles.
Ultrasonic
welding uses tuned devices (horns) concentrating vibrations to a small area.
Use
polarized light to improve clarity of an image in a high-glare environment.
2.2.6.
Change a uniform
substance or uncontrolled substance to a non-uniform substance with a
predetermined spatial structure that may be permanent or temporary. Examples:
The
problem is to create hollow large surface structure of minute particles to be
heated to incandescence. The famous ColmanTM lantern uses a
mantel that becomes incandescent by burning white gasoline. The mantel
begins as a metal-impregnated fabric that is burned away.
The
performance of concrete is improved by patterns of reinforcing rods.
2.3.
Controlling the frequency to match or mismatch the natural frequency of one or
both
elements
to improve performance.
2.3.1.
Matching or
mismatching the frequency of F and S1 or S2. Examples:
Vibratory
feeders in manufacturing consist of a ramp fed by a reservoir of parts.
The system is tuned to the resonant frequency of the part to be transported up
the ramp.
Kidney
stones can be pulverized inside the body by exposing them to ultrasonic
vibration at their resonant frequency. (The process is called “lithotripsy.”)
The resulting small particles are then eliminated from the body painlessly.
| S1
= stone
S2
= ultrasonic transducer
FMe=
vibration |
 |
The
resonant frequency of ultrasonic fixtures is at a non-harmonic frequency of the
components being welded.
The
precision of a rifle shot is improved by tuning the barrel oscillation to the
bullet’s resonance by adjusting the position of a weight at the tip.
2.3.2.
Matching the rhythms of F1 and F2. Examples:
Fly
fishing requires the back and forth frequency of motion of the pole to match the
frequency of the line to reinforce the motion of the line.
Machine
vibrations can be eliminated by generating the a new signal at the same
amplitude but at a frequency 180 degrees out of phase.
2.3.3.
Two incompatible or independent actions can be accomplished by running each
during the down time of the other. Examples:
Placing
and removing of a work item in a stamping press.
Timing
for printing with injection printers.
Do
maintenance on a building while the tenants are on vacation. Note this
example
pushes
the boundaries of analogic thinking (vacation and painting are substances)
which
is
so important to using TRIZ.
|
S1
= painting
S2
= tenants
S3
= vacation
F1Me=
access to space
F2Me
= open space |
 |
2.4.
Integrating ferromagnetic material and magnetic fields is an effective way to
improve the performance of a system. In Su-field models, the magnetic
field due to a ferromagnetic material is given the special designation Fe-field,
or FFe.
2.4.1.
Add ferromagnetic
material and/or a magnetic field to the system. Examples:
Traveling
magnetic field for propulsion on a railed vehicle.
Levitation
of a monorail train.
See
1.2.2.
|
S1
= rail
S2
= train
S3
= Magnetic generator
S4
= Magnetic generator
F1M=
lift
F2M
= North pole
F3M
= North pole |
 |
2.4.2.
Combine 2.2.1 (going
to more controlled fields) and 2.4.1 (using ferromagnetic materials and magnetic
fields). Examples:
The
rigidity of a rubber mold can be controlled by adding ferromagnetic material and
then applying magnetic field.
An
atomic force microscope is used to deposit molecules (metal and semiconductor)
on a gold surface, like ink on paper.
2.4.3.
Use a magnetic
liquid. Magnetic liquids are a special case of 2.4.2. Magnetic liquids are
colloidal ferromagnetic particles suspended in kerosene, silicone or water.
Ferrofluidic
seals for doors, zero gravity applications, rotating shafts inside computer
drives, etc. (Ref. 8)
A
magnetic door jam is used in conjunction with a door with a seal filled with
ferrofluidic material with a given Curie point. When the temperature is
lowered below the Curie point the door is sealed. It can be opened by raising
the temperature above the Curie temperature
2.4.4.
Use capillary structures that contain magnetic particles or liquid. Example:
Construct
a filter of ferromagnetic material between magnets. The alignment is controlled
by the magnetic fields
2.4.5.
Use additives (such as a coating) to give a non-magnetic object magnetic
properties. May be temporary or permanent. Example:
In
order to direct molecules of medication to the exact location where they are
needed in the body, attach a magnetic molecule to the drug molecule and use a
external array of magnets around the patient to guide the medication where it is
needed.
2.4.6.
Introduce
ferromagnetic materials into the environment, if it is not possible to make the
object magnetic. Example:
Place
a rubberized mat with magnetic material encapsulated in it on a car to keep
tools handy while working, without having to magnetize the car! A similar
device is used for surgical instruments.
| S1
= tool
S2
= car
S3
= Magnetic material
F1Me=
friction
F2M
= Magnetic attraction |
 |
2.4.7.
Use natural
phenomena (such as alignment of objects with the field, or loss of
ferromagnetism above the Curie point.)
Examples:
Magnetic
resonance imaging (called MRI in medicine and “nuclear magnetic resonance”
or NMR in physics) uses a tuned oscillating magnetic field to detect the
resonance of particular nuclei. An image is then developed to show the
concentration of those nuclei as colored areas. For example, certain
tumors have a different density of water than normal tissue, so they can be
detected in an MRI scan as a different color from other tissue.
See
1.2.5, 2.4.3
Superconductors
change magnetic properties as they pass through the superconducting transition
temperature. Certain classes of superconductors can be used as
magnetic shields or switches to exclude magnetic fields from certain volumes of
space as a function of temperature.
2.4.8.
Use a dynamic,
variable, or self-adjusting magnetic field. Examples:
The
thickness of the wall of an irregularly shaped hollow object can be measured
using an inductive transducer on the outside, and a ferromagnet on the inside of
the object. To increase accuracy, make the ferromagnet in the shape of an
inflatable elastic balloon coated with magnetic particles, so it will exactly
fit the inside of the object being measured.
See
2.4.3. The field will change as the fluid flows into different
configurations.
To
measure the motion of someone's diaphragm a magnetic material is place upon the
outside of the diaphragm. The motion of the magnetic material induces a
current in a coil placed around the material. Recording the current gives
a read out of the diaphragm motion.
2.4.9.
Modify the structure
of a material by introducing ferromagnetic particles, then apply a magnetic
field to move the particles. More generally, the transition from an unstructured
system to a structured one, or vice versa, depending on the situation. Examples:
The
conductivity of a polymer can be improved by doping with conductive
material. If the material is ferromagnetic then a magnetic field can align
the material, to a more effective conductor requiring less doping.
To
form a complex pattern on the surface of a plastic mat, mix ferromagnetic
particles into the liquid plastic, then use a structured magnetic field to drag
the particles into the desired pattern and hold them there while the mat is
solidified.
| S1=
plastic
S2=
mold
S3
= magnet material
S4
= magnet
F1Me
= barrier
F2M
= magnetic force |
 |
2.4.10.
Matching the rhythms in the Fe-field models. In macro-systems, this is the use
of mechanical vibration to enhance the motion of ferromagnetic particles.
At the molecular and atomic levels, material composition can be identified by
the spectrum of the resonance frequency of electrons in response to changing
frequencies of a magnetic field. Examples:
Material
composition can be identified by the spectrum of the resonance frequency of
electrons in response to changing frequencies of a magnetic field. Each
atomic family has a signature of resonant frequencies. The technique is called
ESR, Electron-Spin Resonance
Microwave
ovens heat food because they cause the water molecules to vibrate at their
resonant frequency.
2.4.11.
Use electric current
to create magnetic fields, instead of using magnetic particles. Examples:
Electromagnets
of all shapes and sizes. They can be used in temperature ranges
beyond the Curie point of magnetic materials, and in areas where permanent
magnets cannot be secured. They can have the further advantages that they
can be turned off when not in use, and they can be finely tuned to an exact
magnetic field by varying the current.
2.4.12.
Rheological liquids have viscosity controlled by an electric field. They
can be used in combination with any of the methods here. They can mimic
liquid/solid phase transitions. Examples:
A
“universal chuck” secures any shape part to a milling machine.
The part is placed in a pool of rheological liquid, positioned properly, then an
electric field is applied to solidify the liquid and secure the part.
In
a dynamic shock absorber, the system is controlled using an electric field to
allow or inhibit the flow of a rheological liquid.
Note of Gratitude:
Our thanks go to Zinovy Royzen for sharing his method of Su-field modeling
called TOP modeling. See “Tool, Object, Product (TOP) Function Analysis” in
the September, 1999, issue of The TRIZ
Journal, http://www.triz-journal.com.
