In the search for more environmentally friendly design, paper cups have replaced Styrofoam cups in most fast-food
restaurants. These cups are less effective insulators, and the paper cups often get too hot for the hand. A design team is in
search of a better disposable coffee cup. The designs to be evaluated are: (a) a standard Styrofoam cup, (b) a rigid
injection-molded cup with a handle, (c) a paper cup with a cardboard sleeve, (d) a paper cup with a pull-out handle, and
(e) a paper cup with a cellular wall. These design concepts are to be evaluated with the Styrofoam cup as the datum.
The engineering characteristics on which the cups are evaluated are:
1. Temperature in the hand
2. Temperature of the outside of the cup
3. Material environmental impact
4. Indenting force of cup wall
5. Porosity of cup wall
6. Manufacturing complexity
7. Ease of stacking the cups
8. Ease of use by customer
9. Temperature loss of coffee over time
10. Estimated cost for manufacturing the cup in large quantities
Using your knowledge of fast-food coffee cups, use the Pugh concept selection method to select the most promising
design.