TRIZ - Solving challenges playfully

TRIZ is the Russian acronym for the "Theory of Inventive Problem Solving." Behind this name is an extensive toolbox of methods with a growing collection of different ways of working, with which creative and innovative ideas can be successfully generated.

TRIZ - "Theory of Inventive Problem Solving". (Photo credit: Fotolia@Yurok_Aleksandrovich)

Make product development more plannable and process it in a more structured way - that is the goal of TRIZ. The "theory of inventive problem solving" is now an integral part of the development and innovation departments of successful global corporations such as Bosch, GE, Osram, Samsung, Hyundai, Intel, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, Philips or Continental. Increasingly, innovative small and medium-sized enterprises are also using TRIZ in a results-oriented manner and with great advantage.

Modern TRIZ has long since been applied not only in mechanical engineering and for patent generation, for which it was originally developed. The analysis of thought patterns for the optimization of development processes and the targeted questioning of product characteristics previously considered irrefutable are increasingly finding their way into the fields of electronics, electromechanics, process and production engineering as well as software architectures and business administration.

With the help of TRIZ, thought barriers can be broken down, development processes refined and products or ideas systematically worked on from the very beginning. Thus innovation becomes plannable: Methodical creativity permits the structured continuation of processes, the development of new, technical procedures or also the patent evasion. By breaking down processes into reference systems and systematically transferring properties, unusual, new applications can be developed. Often the right way of formulating questions helps to show innovative solutions. TRIZ offers a wide range of support for this through various analysis tools or idea creation tools.

What exactly is TRIZ?

The TRIZ method, developed by the Russian engineer, scientist and science fiction author Genrich Saulowitch Altschuller in the mid-20th century, was conceived with the basic idea of solving technical and scientific problems without compromise. However, TRIZ is not to be understood as an all-purpose weapon for problem solving. Rather, TRIZ conceals a philosophy that can enable the overcoming of thought blocks as well as a fast and targeted search for solutions at a high level. Altschuller recognized during the analysis of approx. 40,000 patents that no matter which branches of science or industry are considered, abstracted problem definitions and their solutions always repeat themselves, the evolution of technical systems proceeds according to certain tendencies and innovations can often be produced by scientific realizations from the outside, outside of the own field of activity.

TRIZ in power engineering

The module and inverter components are in focus when it comes to reducing the costs of solar systems. However, the assembly of the modules is also expensive: for a 1 MW solar system made of glass-glass modules, about 30,000 screws have to be set. In addition, in two percent of the installations, the so-called clamp installations are the cause of a defect in the first two years after commissioning. The connection between the solar module and the aluminum frame must be detachable for maintenance work, but at the same time prevent easy theft. Finished systems must be able to withstand snow and wind loads.

Alternative solutions through TRIZ

A team at General Electric Global Research was therefore looking for alternative solutions for the construction of ground-mounted systems. TRIZ was used to generate momentum for ideas to attach glass to aluminum under outdoor conditions. The use of hook-and-loop adhesive strips finally proved to be a viable solution; the hook-and-loop tape withstood the loads well in the test. In a special configuration, moreover, hook-and-loop fasteners can only be detached from each other by a special process, thus counteracting theft.