Semantic Differential applied to the evaluation of machine tool design

Abstract In this article, a study is presented showing that Product Semantics (PS) can be used to study the design of machine tools. Nowadays, different approaches to PS (Semantic Differential, Kansei Engineering, etc.) are being applied to consumer products with successful results, but commercial products have generally received less attention and machine tools in particular have not yet been studied. Our second objective is to measure the different sensitivities that the different groups of the population have in answering the same test. The stages of the study are detailed: selection of descriptors or adjectives, selection of images and choice of the population taking part. The results show that these techniques are applicable to machine tool design, that the perception of the different groups of the population involved with machine centres is different in certain ways, and that the differences are not limited to users vs. experts. Relevance to industry Decisions on which machine to buy or use are usually based on technical specifications. These technical specifications can be measured, yet some important requirements of the machines, such as ease of use, safety, robustness, etc. are not so easily measurable and comparable. This paper shows that the Semantic Differential approach may be a tool for measuring perception of those aspects.

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