Technical Contradictions
(partial)
Introduction:
A basic principle of TRIZ is that a technical problem is defined by contradictions. That is, if there are no contradictions, there are no problems. This radical-sounding statement forms the basis for the TRIZ problem solving methods that are fastest and easiest to learn. This session will combine a tutorial workshop on how to identify contradictions and use them to solve problems with examples drawn from the automotive industry, with particular emphasis on the air bag system, subsystems, and components. Appendix 1 to this paper is the Contradiction Matrix, which is used to determine which principles have the highest probability of solving a particular problem. Appendix 2 to this paper lists the 40 Principles for Problem Solving, with general examples and examples from the industry..
The benefit of analyzing a particular innovative problem to find the contradictions is that the TRIZ patent-based research directly links the type of contradiction to the most probable principles for solution of that problem. In other words, the general TRIZ model of Fig. 1. is particularly easy to apply for contradictions.
Figure 1. The General Model for Problem Solving with TRIZ
Contradictions:
TRIZ defines two kinds of contradictions, "Physical" and "Technical". These labels are artefacts of the early translations of TRIZ works, and should be thought of as reference labels-neither is more or less "physical" than the other!
Definitions:
Technical contradictions are the classical engineering "trade-offs." The desired state can't be reached because something else in the system prevents it. In other words, when something gets better, something else gets worse. Classical examples include
The product gets stronger (good) but the weight increases (bad)
The bandwidth increases (good) but requires more power (bad)
Automotive examples are easy to construct:
The vehicle has higher horsepower, but uses more fuel
The vehicle has high acceleration but uses more fuel
The ride feels smoother, but the handling is difficult on high speed curves
A pick-up truck has high load capacity (stiff rear suspension) but the ride is rough.
Putting controls on stalks increases driver convenience, but makes assembly of the steering column more complex.
Electric vehicles can go long distances between recharging, but the battery weight gets too high to move at all!
Examples of technical contradictions can be constructed for every system, subsystem, and component of the automobile, the air bag, and the entire highway transportation system.
Physical Contradictions are situations where one object has contradictory, opposite requirements. Everyday examples abound:
When pouring hot filling into chocolate candy shells, the filling should be hot to pour fast, but it should be cold to prevent melting the chocolate.
Aircraft should be streamlined to fly fast, but they should have protrusions (landing gear) to maneuver on the ground.
Aircraft should fly fast (to get to the destination) but should fly slowly (for minimum change in velocity on landing.)
Surveillance aircraft should fly fast ( to get to the destination) but should fly slowly to collect data directly over the target for long time periods.
Software should be easy to use, but should have many complex features and options.
Automotive industry examples come from both design, production, and implementation:
Highways should be wide for easy traffic flow but narrow for low impact on communities.
Braking should be instantaneous to avoid road hazards but braking should be gradual for control.
Refueling should be sealed but should be open.
Upholstery should be luxurious but be easy to maintain.
The frame should be heavy (for structural safety) but the frame should be light (for cost and ease of assembly.)
Manufacturing should be done in small lots for flexibility but manufacturing should be done in large lots for low cost.
Resolving Technical Contradictions:
The TRIZ patent research classified 39 features for technical contradictions. Once a contradiction is expressed in the technical contradiction form (the trade-off) the next step is locate the features in the Contradiction Matrix. See Appendix 1 for the complete matrix, and see Figure 2, below, for an extract.
Figure 2. Selected rows and columns from the Contradiction Matrix. The numbers in the cell refer to the principles that have the highest probability of resolving the contradiction.
Find the row that most closely matches the feature or parameter you are improving in your "trade-off" and the column that most closely matches the feature or parameter that degrades. The cell at the intersection of that row and column will have several numbers. These are the identifying numbers for the Principles of Invention that are most likely, based on the TRIZ research, to solve the problem: that is, to lead to a breakthrough solution instead of a trade-off.
The 40 Principles of Invention are listed in Appendix 2, with examples of the application of each in various areas of every-day life, technology, and the automobile industry. Some TRIZ practitioners follow the guidance of the Contradiction Matrix to select which principles to apply to a specific problem. Others try each of the principles for every problem, rather than depend on the "most probable."
If the problem is better expressed as a physical contradiction (where one parameter has opposite requirements) rather than a technical contradiction then the Contradiction Matrix won't work-it has no entries on the diagonal, so you can't look for "X gets better but X gets worse."
TRIZ has 4 classical ways to resolve physical contradictions
Separation in time
Separation in space
Phase transition
Solid - liquid - gas - plasma
Paramagnetic -Ferromagnetic
Others-ferroelectric, superconducting, crystal structure, …
Move to the super-system or the sub-system
Examination of the 40 Principles shows extensive overlap with these 4 methods, since they are based on the same research on the same collection of innovative solutions to a wide variety of problems.
REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH TO TECHNICAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROBLEM SOLVING *****
IF A PROBLEM CAN BE FORMULATED -- THE SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND