There are five main design constraints for the toaster oven. The first constraint is space. The toaster oven should not be too small that it cannot accept the various food items such as loaves of bread or pizza that it is used to prepare. It should also not be too big that it takes up too much space in the kitchen or is difficult to operate. The second design constraint is the material to be used (Lim, 2013). The material has to have certain properties that suit the function of the toaster oven. For example, the material should resist very high temperatures and high electric current. However, it should also be malleable to allow it to be shaped. The outer material should also have insulating properties to protect the user from electric shock and high temperatures. Thirdly, there are environmental constraints. The toaster oven should not be noisy and it should not emit harmful radiation. It should also not cause significant radio frequency interruptions. It should also not give-off any odors or affect the food. Fourthly, the toaster oven design should consider weight constraints. The oven should be light enough to be moved easily, but heavy enough to sit safely on a flat surface without toppling over. The fifth constraint is robustness. The toaster oven should be able to withstand vibrations, movement, knocks and any other perturbations on its exterior or interior surface.
The toaster oven has primary as well as secondary functions. The primary functions include:
Warming plates just before serving and defrosting.
Making toast. The oven can toast nuts or bread
Baking e.g pies, biscuits, cookies, muffins, potatoes etc.
Cooking side dishes
Roasting small amounts of chicken
Secondary functions include:
Melting cheese. This function is required
Reheating tea and other hot beverages. This function is required
A Pair-wise Comparison Chart
The goals of the design project are as follows:
Safe: the system should not endanger the homeowners or family members in any aspect. It should provide a reliable service without causing harm.
Practical: The toaster oven should be simple, easy to operate in terms of understanding the controls and buttons. It should also be easy to open, close, and operate in terms of physical effort.
Aesthetics: The toaster oven should be visually appealing while still meeting the primary functions.
Cost Effective: The toaster should not be too costly for potential buyers. The performance/ reliability of the toaster oven should justify the cost. This objective has a bearing on the materials used and manufacturing process adopted (www.ctl.ua.edu, 2016)
Adaptability: The toaster system can be used for many secondary uses.
References
Ctl.ua.edu,. (2016). The Method of Pairwise Comparisons. Ctl.ua.edu. Retrieved 12 July 2016, from http://www.ctl.ua.edu/math103/Voting/methodpc.htm
Lim, D. (2013). Design Journal SOS: Design Considerations & Constraints - Design Specifications - Ideation & Refinement. Designjournalsos.blogspot.co.ke. Retrieved 12 July 2016, from http://designjournalsos.blogspot.co.ke/2011/02/design-considerations-constraints-to.html
