TRIZ Innovation

A Russian acronym:
Theoria Resheneyva Isobretatelskehuh Zadach
(Theory of Inventive Problem Solving)
 History

A discovery of a talented patent examiner for the Russian navy, Genrich Altshuller (1950).

Originated from the study of several hundred thousand of the worlds most inventive
patents - now in the millions.

He recognized that the development of technological systems follows predictable patterns

that cut across ALL areas of technology - the speed of technical evolution can be
accelerated

Also recognized that problem solving principles are also predictable and repeatable -
anyone can invent!
 Principles

1. Somebody, sometime, somewhere has already solved your problem or one

similar to it.

Creativity means finding that solution and adapting it to the current problem.

2. Dont accept contradictions. Resolve them - Use the Defect as a Resource to Solve
the Problem.
 TRIZ Motto

If the tools of TRIZ are used in an effective manner the major challenges of today
will be resolved more rapidly to produce the success stories of tomorrow.
 Basic Concepts

Systems evolve toward IDEALITY irreversibly

Using RESOURCES within the system or easily convertible

Resolving CONTRADICTIONS as they evolve

PATTERNS OF INVENTIONS/OPERATORS are constantly recognized and used

 Ideality

Ideality =All Useful Functions/All Harmful Functions

The ideal system performs a required function without actually existing. The
function is often performed using existing resources. ALL systems evolve in this
direction over time by resolving contradictions.
 Ideality Exercise

You are a corrosion lab testing manager who has been asked to do some corrosion
testing on some highly corrosive chemicals which are not only corrosive to the
sample, but to the containers ordinarily used.you cant afford containers--what
can you do?
CHAMBER DESTRUCTION PROBLEM

Container

Acid

Specimen
 DRAW A PICTURE OF IDEALITY--DONT SOLVE THE PROBLEM (YET)!
CHAMBER DESTRUCTION PROBLEM

Acid

Specimen
CHAMBER DESTRUCTION PROBLEM

Acid

Specimen/
Container
 Describe IDEALITY in your system and how you are thinking about getting there

Another fundamental TRIZ concept--its how we get a system to ideality?

What resources did you use in the corrosion problem?

CHAMBER DESTRUCTION PROBLEM

Acid

Specimen/
Container
 Let us look at what we did

Eliminated what was not functional (the chamber was not really necessary)

Used the resources of the system at hand (more later on this topic)

Used geometric effects as resources

Used physical effects

fluidity of acid

gravity
 How do we get to ideality?

TRIZ provides two general approaches for achieving close-to-ideal solutions (that
is, solutions which do not increase system complexity):

Use of resources

Use of physical, chemical, geometrical and other effects (remember the

Waissenberg effect?)
 WHATS A RESOURCE FROM A TRIZ
PERSPECTIVE?

A resource:

is any substance (including waste) available in the system or its environment

has the functional and technological ability to jointly perform additional

functions

is an energy reserve, free time, unoccupied space, information, etc.

 RESOURCES -- WIRE EXAMPLE
Copper Wire

Problem Zone

Voltage &
Current Air
IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE RESOURCES
Copper
Contaminates
Type
Amount
Diameter
Length
Shape of wire
Wire Amount
Current Form of excitation signal
Voltage (A/C)
Air Frequency
Amount
Form of excitation signal
(A/C)
Frequency
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Carbon
Temperature, Pressure,
Velocity, Speed
 DERIVATIVE RESOURCES
-- WIRE EXAMPLE
Copper
Contaminates
Type
Amount Resistance
Diameter
Length Magnetic Field
Shape of wire
Wire Amount
Current Form of excitation signal
Voltage (A/C)
Air Frequency Oxidation
Amount
Form of excitation signal Moisture
(A/C)
Frequency CO/CO2
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen Cooling/Heat
Carbon Dissipation
Temperature
Pressure, Velocity, Speed
 RESOURCE CHECKLIST

Substances

Fields

Space

Time

Information

Functional
 System Resources

When a systems resources are depleted, it will probably be replaced

Tracking system resources is a good way to predict when a system may be

replaced, challenged, or significantly modified

Sometimes its a matter of just seeing the resource, other times its a matter of
figuring out how to use it
 SOLVING A CONTACT
LENSE PROBLEM

Space resources

From the perspective of a contact lense manufacturer

From the standpoint of a semi-conductor manufacturer

PRODUCT IDEAS ILLUSTRATING THESE CONCPETS
Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 TRIZ examples

Automobile air bags deploy quickly to protect the passenger (good),

but

The more rapidly they deploy, the more likely they are to injure or kill small or out-
of-position people (bad).
 Contradictions

The email spam filter should be efficient enough to remove all my junk emails
(good)

BUT

Then it is more likely to screen some emails that I actually want to receive (bad).
39 TRIZ Features
1: Weight of moving object 14: Strength 27: Reliability

2: Weight of stationary object 15: Durability of moving object 28: Measurement accuracy

3: Length of moving object 3916:TRIZ Features

Durability of non moving object 29: Manufacturing precision

4: Length of stationary object 17: Temperature 30: Object-affected harmful

5: Area of moving object 18: Illumination intensity 31: Object-generated harmful

6: Area of stationary object 19: Use of energy by moving object 32: Ease of manufacture

7: Volume of moving object 20: Use of energy by stationary 33: Ease of operation
object

8: Volume of stationary object 21: Power 34: Ease of repair

9: Speed of object 22: Loss of Energy 35: Adaptability or versatility

10: Force (Intensity) 23: Loss of substance 36: Device complexity

11: Stress or pressure 24: Loss of Information 37: Difficulty of detecting

12: Shape 25: Loss of Time 38: Extent of automation

13: Stability of the object 26: Quantity of substance 39: Productivity

 Explanation

Moving objects

Objects which can easily change position in space, either on their own, or as a result of
external forces. Vehicles and objects designed to be portable are the basic members of
this class.

Stationary objects:

Objects which do not change position in space, either on their own, or as a result of
external forces. Consider the conditions under which the object is being used.
Explanation of Features
 Title Explanation
1.Weight of moving object The mass of the object, in a gravitational field. The force that the body
exerts on its support or suspension.

2. Weight of stationary object The mass of the object, in a gravitational field. The force that the body
exerts on its support or suspension, or on the surface on which it rests.

3. Length of moving object Any one linear dimension, not necessarily the longest, is considered a
length.
4. Length of stationary object Same.

5. Area of moving object
6. Area of stationary object
7. Volume of moving object
A geometrical characteristic described by the part of a plane enclosed
by a line. The part of a surface occupied by the object. OR the square
measure of the surface, either internal or external, of an object.
Same
The cubic measure of space occupied by the object. Length x width x
height for a rectangular object, height x area for a cylinder, etc.

8. Volume of stationary object Same

 Website

http://www.triz40.com
 39x39 Contradiction Matrix
Worsening Feature

1 2 3 4 39
Improving Feature

3 39X39
4 matrix
39
Altshullers 40 Principles of
TRIZ
1. Segmentation 11. Beforehand cushioning 21. Skipping 31. Porous materials

2. Taking Out 12. Equipotentiality 22. Blessing in disguise 32. Color changes

3. Local Quality 13. The other way around 23. Feedback 33. Homogeneity

4. Asymmetry 14. Spheroidality 24. Intermediary 34. Discarding and recovering

5. Merging 15. Dynamics 25. Self-service 35. Parameter changes

6. Universality 16. Partial or excessive actions 26. Copying 36. Phase transitions

7. Nested doll 17. Another dimension 27. Cheap short-living 37. Thermal expansion

8. Anti-weight 18. Mechanical vibration 28. Mechanics substitution 38. Strong oxidants

9. Preliminary anti-action 19. Periodic action 29. Pneumatics and hydraulics 39. Inert atmosphere

10.Preliminary action 20. Continuity of useful action 30. Flexible shells & thin films 40. Composite material films
 Principle 2: Taking out

Separate an interfering part or property from an object, or single out the only
necessary part (or property) of an object.

Locate a noisy compressor outside the building where compressed air is used.

Use fiber optics or a light pipe to separate the hot light source from the location
where light is needed.

Use the sound of a barking dog, without the dog, as a burglar alarm.
 Principle 7. Nested Doll

Place one object inside another; place each object, in turn, inside the other.

Make one part pass through a cavity in the other.

 Principle 7. Nested Doll -examples

Plug holes in organisation structure

Door sensors count customers into and out of a store/office, etc (use data for
market profiling, etc)

Casino hotel architecture (Las Vegas style): The guest must pass through the
gaming area to get to the restaurant, the hotel registration, even the lavatories!

 Steps to TRIZ solution

Case: Bullet proof vests should be strong, but not heavy.

Step 1 Identify the contradiction(s)

Strength (improves) versus Weight (worsens)

 Steps to TRIZ solution

Step 2 Look at the list of features and identify those important to your
contradiction.

Strength #14

Weight #2
 Steps to TRIZ solution

Step 3 - Identify Which Are Improving Features and Which Are Worsening Features

Strength (feature 14) improves

Weight (feature 2) worsens

 Steps to TRIZ solution

Step 4 - Refer to the TRIZ Contradiction Matrix to learn which of Altshullers

Principles may be useful for this problem.

The intersection of Column 2 and Row 14 gives the following principles

1 , 26 , 27 , 40
 39x39 Contradiction Matrix
Worsen

1 2 3 4 39
1
Improve

14
40,26,27,1

39
 Choose Principles

1. Segmentation

26. Copying

27. Cheap short living

40. Composite materials

Next we brainstorm how we could use these four Principles to solve our problem.
 Principle 1. Segmentation

A. Divide an object into independent parts.

Replace mainframe computer by personal computers.

Replace a large truck by a truck and trailer.

Use a work breakdown structure for a large project.

 Principle 1. Segmentation

B. Make an object easy to disassemble.

Use of temporary workers on short-term projects

Flexible Manufacturing Systems

Modular furniture/offices

Container shipment
 Principle 1. Segmentation

C. Increase the degree of fragmentation or segmentation.

Empowerment - segmentation of decision making.

Distance learning (also Taking Out)
Virtual office/remote working (also Taking Out)

 Principle 1. Segmentation

In this case, perhaps we could consider several different coverings for different
parts of the body (pants, vest, etc.) rather than a one-piece suit.

Maybe different materials to cover the critical areas such as chest and head, each
taking advantage of specific properties that would be customized for their differing
applications.
 Principle 26. Copying

Instead of an unavailable, expensive, fragile object, use simpler and inexpensive

copies.

Replace an object, or process with optical copies.

In this case, we could copy the design of abbreviated scuba diving wet suits for
use as a bullet proof garment.
 Principle 27.Cheap short-living objects

Replace an inexpensive object with a multiple of inexpensive objects, comprising

certain qualities (such as service life, for instance).

In this case, This Principle does not appear to be readily applicable to this
problem. This occurance is not necessarily unusual, because these Principles are
only general suggestions to help focus our thinking in areas that have proven
fruitful in previous problems.
 40. Composite materials

Change from uniform to composite (multiple) materials. - Composite epoxy

resin/carbon fiber golf club shafts are lighter, stronger, and more flexible than
metal. Same for airplane parts.

- Fiberglass surfboards are lighter and more controllable and easier to form into a
variety of shapes than wooden

 40. Composite materials

For lighter-weight, stronger vests, the use of composites is an active area of

research.

Polymers (Kevlar) reinforced with carbon nanofibers are currently being

investigated as a strong lightweight alternative to steel for structural materials.

Kevlar vests are now common place among police officers and soldiers
 CASE STUDY

A TRIZ problem solving team was called to the Boeing factor in Seattle, Washington
to see how the capacity of the Boeing 737-100 could be increased.
 Contradictions

The airplane engine is the moving object. We would need the engine air intake and
the fuel injection casing to be larger so the improving feature is engine volume. the
but if we increase the volume of the engine it will decrease the clearance distance
between the bottom of the engine and the ground (worsening feature). The
improving feature is number 7.Volume of moving object (engine) and the
worsening feature is 3. Length (diameter) of the moving object (clearance).
 TRIZ matrix gives

4. Asymmetry

1. Segmentation

7. Nested Dolls

35. Parameter Changes

We note the 737-200 engines are circular in both the intake area and the area plus the
casing.
 1. Segmentation

We have the engine air intake area and the area of the casing surrounding the
intake. The intake area must be circular because of the spinning blades inside the
engine.
 4. Asymmetry

Does the intake area plus the casing need to be symmetric? No it does not.
 7. Nested Dolls

Could the symmetrical blades and moving parts be nested inside an

asymmetrical casing?

What if we were to make the air intake area symmetrical but make the casing plus
intake area asymmetrical so as to flatten the bottom and thus leave a great
clearance?

If you look at the engines of the new 737s you will notice this solution was
implemented.
Solution : Cylindrical Intake but Oval Engine
Casing
 PILL MANUFACTURING

Situation: A pill manufacturer is faced with a need for cost reduction. A labor reduction is required to stay competitive.
Engineering has evaluated the manufacturing process and determined that by eliminating three inspectors at the end of the
production line they can justify an investment of $150,000 for a video inspection system. These inspectors are checking for chip
damage at on the circumference of the pills (see attached sketch). Efforts to correct the damage to the pills during production has
been going on for years. There are 15 stages of manufacturing and each has been optimized to less than 1% of scrap which exceeds
industry standards. The video inspection system will provide a 33% return on investment which meets managements financial
criteria. Unfortunately, money is tight and management has hired your company to find a lower cost solution. (See attached layout
of inspection area)

Objective: Find a nearly ideal solution -- the function is performed without the system.

Strategy: Apply Ideation/TRIZ to solve the problem using the concept of ideality, existing resources and physical, chemical and
geometric effects.

Actions: Define the function and the system. Define the problem in terms of ideality, i.e., what should happen? What are the
resources and physical, chemical and geometric effects that are readily available? Find a solution to the problem.
PILL INSPECTION WORKSTATION

Damaged Pills

Conveyor

Trash Can
 SYSTEM PROPOSAL AND CHALLENGE

Replace inspectors with a $200K video inspection system

High return project, but capital is not available

Boss says, thats a great idea, but Find another way!!

 GOOD PILLS/BAD PILLS

What is IDEALITY?

What are the RESOURCES we have?

An Elegant Solution: The Pill
Inspects Itself

Trash Can
 Solution Explanation

Change the escapement for the vibratory bowl so that the pills are ejected standing on
their edge. Move the conveyor 3 inches. Pills that are round will roll at a velocity that
allows them to jump to the conveyor. The pills that are chipped will slide or will roll at a
lower velocity and fall into the trash.

Resource: Velocity of the sliding or rolling pills

Function (inspection of pills) is performed without the system (human

inspectors or video inspection system).
 MAPPING
CONTRADICTIONS

Infinitely FUNCTION: JOIN PHYSICAL OBJECT

re-usable

Zipper
Lock-nut
Adaptability
velcro braid wire
paper-clip rope
Self-tapping
screw
Post-it
Lock-nut
MIG/TIG Friction
epoxy
Paper glue staple braze weld bond
One-time nail

Required Strength of join

 SYSTEM EVOLUTION TOWARD
IDEALITY

Infinitely Contradiction Elimination

Place your solution on the graph of
re-usable Direction Main Useful Attributes to help
Identify opportunities

Zipper
Lock-nut CLASS EXAMPLES?
Adaptability
velcro braid wire
paper-clip rope
Self-tapping
screw
Post-it
Lock-nut
MIG/TIG Friction
epoxy
Paper glue staple braze weld bond
One-time nail

Required Strength of join

 INNOVATION-TRIZ,INC.

Separation Principles

SEPARATION PRINCIPLES FOR PHYSICAL CONTRADICTIONS (PARAMETERS OF A

SYSTEM IN CONFLICT)
 Physical Contradiction

Example: An airplane wing should have large area for easy takeoff but small area for
higher speed
Example: A pen tip should be sharp to draw fine lines, but blunt to avoid tearing the
paper
A characteristic must be present and absent

Example: For sandblasting the abrasive must be present (to abrade) but is not wanted
on (or in) the product
Example: Aircraft landing gear are needed for landing but undesired in flight
 Plating Metal Parts

To plate metal parts with nickel they were placed in a bath of nickel salt. The
bath was heated to increase the productivity of the process. However, heating
reduced the stability of the salt solution and it started to decompose.

Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Contradictions

A B Technical
Contradiction
Control Parameter, C
So:
C should be high, and Physical
C should be low Contradiction
Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Converting Technical Contradictions to
Physical Contradictions

Heating increases productivity (A), but wastes material (B)

Control parameter is temperature
Physical Contradiction
Temperature (C) should be high to increase productivity and low to avoid waste

A B

Control Parameter, C Innovation-TRIZ, 2003

 Principals of Separation

TRIZ seeks to eliminate the physical contradiction by separating the two

contradictory requirements

Separation in space
Separation in time
Separation between the parts and the whole
Separation upon condition Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Separation in time

A characteristic is made larger at one time and smaller at another

A characteristic is present at one time and absent at another

Example: Concrete piles must be pointed for easy driving but not pointed to support a load. The
piles are made with pointed tips which are destroyed after driving, via an embedded explosive.
Example: Aircraft wings are longer for takeoff, and then pivot back for high speed flight.
Example: Consider the problem of sand accumulation with abrasive sandblasting. An effective
solution is to use dry ice chips as the abrasive. After abrading, the chips will simply disappear
by sublimation. Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Separation in Space

A characteristic is made larger in one place and smaller in another

A characteristic is present in one place and absent in another

Example: Submarines which pull sonar detectors drag the detectors at the end
of several thousand feet of cable to separate the detector from the noise of the
submarine

Example: Bifocal glasses Innovation-TRIZ, 2003

 Separation Between parts and the
whole

A characteristic has one value at the system level and the opposite value at the
component level

A characteristic exists at the system level but not at the component level (or vice
versa)

Example: A bicycle chain is rigid at the micro-level for strength, and flexible at
the macro-level.
Example: Epoxy resin and hardener are liquid until mixed, then
Innovation-TRIZ, 2003 they solidify.
 A soft example

Example: A business should be large and small

Large for profits and resources

Small for flexibility

Solution: Formation of a conglomerate of small independent

organizations under one umbrella
Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Separation upon condition

A characteristic is high under one condition and low under another

A characteristic is present under one condition and absent under another

Example: A kitchen sieve is porous with regard to water and solid with regard to food.

Example: Water is soft if entered at a low speed. However, it one jumps into the same
water from a height of 10 meters, the water feels considerably harder. Thus, the speed
of the bodys interaction with the water is the condition to be considered when
applying this principle. Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Plating Metal Parts

To plate metal parts with nickel they were placed in a bath of nickel salt. The
bath was heated to increase the productivity of the process. However, heating
reduced the stability of the salt solution and it started to decompose.

Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Separation in Space

In the nickel plating of parts, increased temperature is necessary only in

proximity to the parts. To accomplish this, the parts themselves may be heated,
rather than the solution.

Innovation-TRIZ, 2003

-
 Intersecting Highways

Two major highways are proposed to intersect. Traffic cannot flow on both
highways without conflict.

?
State the technical contradiction

State as a physical contradiction:

 Intersecting Highways

Separation in space:

Over/under pass

Separation in time:

Stoplight or rush hour directional control

Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Intersecting Highways

Separation by Parts:

Rotary or highways merge and crossover

Innovation-TRIZ, 2003
 Intersecting Highways

Separation upon Condition:

Drawbridge or access control such as gates

or possibly stoplights.

Innovation-TRIZ, 2003