ENGINEERING SPECIFICATION
Engineering Specifications is defined as the record which provide detailed documentation of the construction, wiring, arrangement and related engineering details of the information processing equipment. It is may also be referred to as “product specification” or “functional requirement”.
What: Capture the Appropriate Amount of the Right Information
What does an effective engineering specification look like?
At their most basic level, specs are a group of documents detailing your company’s requirements for a product, process or material. Your specs present requirements that are not covered by regulatory bodies and industry codes. To be effective, specs should be:
· almost impossible to misread or misinterpret, written in clear, precise language
· explicit, but not so detailed they require constant clarifications or deviation requests from your vendors or fabricators
· concise yet comprehensive, stating precisely what you need, what you prefer, and what you’re not willing to accept
Why: Reduce Errors, Save Time and Manage Risk
If your specs aren’t written clearly, they’re easy to misinterpret. A vendor might produce a design based on a bad spec that fails to meet your requirements, forcing you to undertake time-consuming and costly reviews and clarifications. Similarly, confusingly structured information might lead your suppliers to miss some of your requirements. If they provide the wrong materials to site, your project might fall behind schedule or your facility’s downtime might increase, costing you money.
Having a set of reliable, well-reviewed specs also saves you time and effort when undertaking projects. Chances are your company repeatedly procures certain items (instruments, valves, pipes) or designs similar plant components (pipe racks, electrical stations, pump houses). Having specs for these topics mean that every time you kick off a project, you aren’t starting from scratch, giving you a running start.
Effective specs also help to mitigate risk. In the event of legal or regulatory challenges, safety incidents or environmental problems, you need to be able to produce documented proof that your company isn’t at fault. If your specs are missing important requirements, conflict with code, or contradict other information your company provides, you could be liable.
How: Improve Readability, Write Unambiguously, Eliminate Redundancy
Best practices for writing specifications include:
Applying the Five Cs of communication. Your specs need to be clear, concise, correct, complete and consistent. Professional technical writers and editors with experience in the engineering and energy industries can help.
Using simple language and short sentences. Many technical documents are written to impress, not to inform. It’s easier (and safer) to state “Use only fireproof materials” than to say “Materials that are in compliance with industry best practices for the prevention of combustion shall be used in all fabrication.”
Capturing each requirement in a single, numbered statement or clause. Avoid lumping together several requirements in a “wall of words” that readers skim over.
Stating explicitly who is responsible for each requirement. Using the active voice helps—for example, state “The Vendor shall provide suitable protection for all pipes” rather than “Suitable protection for all pipes shall be provided.” The latter statement is unclear as to who is responsible.
Eliminating redundancy and contradictions. Repeating similar information introduces the possibility that one statement will contradict another, or that a reader could wilfully “cherry pick” one interpretation over another.
A good specification should:
· state the requirement clearly, concisely and logically in functional and performance terms unless specific technical requirements are needed
· contain enough information for off erors to decide and cost the goods or services they will offer and at what level of quality
Some useful questions to ask yourself when creating engineering specifications (Makower, 2010):
· Does each requirement have a value/number (engineering specification) associated with it?
· Does each engineering specification have units associated with it?
· Can the engineering specification be validated through testing?
· Can you imagine a way to test the engineering specification?
· If all the engineering specifications were fulfilled, would the product be a success? If potentially not, then why?
· If the concept solution is [insert engineering specification(s)], is it necessarily [corresponding user requirement]? i.e. If the suitcase is ≾2lbs. is it necessarily “easy to carry”?
Sec. 5. Scope of Practice of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. - The practice of agricultural and bio-systems engineering within the meaning and intent of this Act shall embrace, but not be limited to, the following.-
(a) Preparation of engineering designs, plans, specifications, project studies, feasibility studies and estimates of irrigation and drainage, soil and water conservation and management systems and facilities, agrometeorological systems, agricultural and bio-systems power, and machinery, agricultural and bio-systems buildings and structures, renewable/bio-energy systems and farm electrification, agricultural and bio-processing and post-harvest facilities and system, agricultural and biological waste utilization and management, agricultural and bio-information system, agricultural and bio-systems resource conservation and management, and agricultural and bio-automation and instrumentation system;
Section 5 (a) of RA 10915 states that the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers shall accomplish the aforementioned duties that are set as standard and must be followed to prevent unnecessary events. With that, the company, or the organization must ensure that its product, services rendered are meeting these standards. Without compliance for the stated condition, the company or organization shall face a penalty as stated in section 42 (g).
Sample Specification:
Agricultural and Biosystems Power, Energy and Machinery Engineering
This is based with the Undergraduate Thesis entitled, " PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OFA MULTI-COMMODITY WASHER AND DRYER " by Biñan et al., (2020)
References:
Biñan et al., (2019). Performance Evaluation of a Multi-Commodity Washer and Dryer. Undergraduate Thesis. Bicol University College of Agriculture and Forestry, Guinobatan, Albay, Philippines.
https://csed.engin.umich.edu/assets/CoreContent-UserReqsEngSpecs.pdf
https://www.innovatia.net/blog/the-what-why-and-how-of-great-engineering-specifications/
Hello there fam! Let us all be familiarize with specification and on how to prepare it. This was a research activity given to us last week.
You can add more ideas about specifications, I am open for more knowledge. Thank you so much!
