Form, fit and function: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:06, 14 September 2024

Revision as of 22:10, 14 September 2024

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{{Short description|Concept in design processes}}

'''Form, Fit, and Function''' (also '''F3''' or '''FFF''') is a concept used in various industries, including manufacturing, engineering, and architecture, to describe aspects of a product's design, performance, and compliance to a specification. F3 originated in [[military logistics]] to describe interchangeable parts: if F3 for two components have the same set of characteristics, i.e. they have the same shape or ''form'', same connections or ''fit'', and perform the same ''function'', they can be substituted one for another.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Moore |first1=James W. |title=Structure for a Defense Software Reuse Marketplace |journal=ACM Ada Letters |date=May-Jun 1994 |volume=XIV |issue=3 |page=88 |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/181468.181473}}</ref> The idea behind F3 is to contractually require the original manufacturer to provide the customer (US government) with the free use of F3 data so that the customer can [[second source]] the part and thus enable [[competition]] between multiple suppliers. In practice, F3 is usually used not for final products (like entire [[weapon systems]]), but for the procurement of components and
subsystems.{{sfn|Deets|1985|loc=Abstract}}

FFF refers to a set of characteristics or requirements that are essential for the design and compatibility of products, components, or systems, and can have legal considerations in regulated industries like aviation and defense (e.g., for technical data rights and configuration management).<ref name="ECFR252">{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-48/chapter-2/subchapter-H/part-252/subpart-252.2/section-252.227-7015 |title=Title 48, Chapter 2, Subchapter H, Part 252, Subpart 252.2, Section 252.227-7015 |publisher=Electronic Code of Federal Regulations |accessdate=2023-10-14}}</ref><ref name="GlobalSpec">{{cite web |url=https://www.globalspec.com/reference/60484/203279/chapter-11-configuration-management |title=Chapter 11: Configuration Management |publisher=GlobalSpec |accessdate=2023-10-14}}</ref><ref name="NASA">{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/reference/6-5-configuration-management/ |title=NASA Procedural Requirements: Configuration Management |publisher=NASA |accessdate=2023-10-14}}</ref>