Evaluation of scenario-based modularization for lifecycle design

Although modular design is a key technique for lifecycle design, effectiveness of modularity on environmental consciousness is not clear. This paper proposes an evaluation method of modular product from the viewpoint of resource efficiency. First, a product is modularized by applying our modularization method based on its lifecycle scenario. Second, the modular structure is evaluated by assuming that each module goes through preferable lifecycle paths (e.g., upgrading, reuse, and closed-loop recycling) designated by the scenario but unmodularized components go through unpreferable paths. This paper also illustrates a case study in order to discuss effectiveness of the proposed method.     

Co-Evolution of Product Families and Assembly Systems

To cope with the intense global competition that is characterized by high product variety and short life cycles, manufacturers need to share manufacturing systems across products and product generations. Co-evolution of product families and assembly systems is proposed as a novel methodology for the joint design and reconfiguration of product families and assembly systems over several product generations. The co-evolution methodology capitalizes on the opportunities for design and assembly system reuse that are offered by modular product architectures and reconfigurable assembly systems. As a result, co-evolution can lead to reduced product development costs and increased responsiveness to market changes.     

Approximate Product Life Cycle Costing Method for the Conceptual Product Design

Although the product life cycle cost (LCC) is mainly committed by early design stages, designers do not consider the costs caused in subsequent phases of life cycle. The estimating method for the product life cycle cost in early design processes has been required because of both the lack of detailed information and time for a detailed LCC for a various range of design concepts. This paper suggests an approximate LCC method that allows the designer to make comparative LCC estimation between the different product concepts. The product attributes at the conceptual design phase and LCC factors are introduced and the significant product attributes are determined by statistical analysis. Neural network algorithms are applied to estimate LCC by considering the identified product attributes as inputs and the LCC as output. Trained learning algorithms for the known characteristics of existing products will quickly give the estimation of LCC for new product concepts. The estimation for maintenance and energy costs of electronic appliances is shown as an example. The proposed method provides the good estimation for the LCC and gives the guidelines leading to cost-effective design decision-making at the early design stage.     

基于产品族的产品设计方法研究

为达到快速响应市场需求和客户的特殊要求,实现产品快速设计,提出了在广义产品族基础上的产品设计方法：利用典型产品模板作为平台,组建企业产品族,并利用零件族实现产品配置形成新的产品;开发在线定制平台和智能浏览器,使客户浏览到产品、说明书,对产品图样进行简单更改和意图说明,实现客户化定制。利用这些技术,使企业实现设计知识重用,达到快速产品开发的目的,并以最快、最好的服务满足客户需求。     

基于Web的数字化设计环境

产品设计中对知识的需求不断增加,但是,现有的信息管理方式严重阻碍了企业已有信息的再利用,因此,如何把信息转化为知识以便于产品开发人员使用,是一个亟待解决的问题。本文提出了基于数字化设计环境的产品设计方法,讨论了设计产资源的数字化途径,通过引入Ｗｅｂ机制,建立一个数字化的设计信息环境,实现信息共享与交换。     

Augmented Reality Aided Assembly Design and Planning

This paper presents a methodology that integrates the assembly Product Design and Planning (PDP) activities with the Workplace Design and Planning (WDP) activities to improve the efficiency and quality of assembly design and planning at the early design stage. This methodology is implemented in an augmented reality (AR) assembly environment, where engineers can design and plan a product assembly and its assembly sequence through manipulating virtual prototypes in a real assembly workplace. In this AR environment, WDP information are fed back to the designers and engineers in real-time to aid them in making better decisions in assembly design and planning.     

A Hierarchical Co-Evolutionary Approach to Conceptual Design

Conceptual design is a key early activity of product development. Limited understanding of conceptual design process and lack of quantitative information at this stage of design pose difficulties on effective support for concept generation and evaluation. In this paper, a hierarchical co-evolutionary approach is proposed to support conceptual design. In this approach, higher-level functions are decomposed based on a set of grammar rules, and mappings between functions and their solutions, or means, are realized through a co-evolutionary computing process. The paper describes the details of the approach. An example of designing a mechanical personal transporter is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

基于Windchill的产品配置管理研究

探索产品配置管理和产品知识重用的处理过程,首先讨论产品结构和产品配置的功能,并分析用模型类型定义和树结构表达产品配置的可行性方法.提出在Windchill系统下用树结构和模型类型定义相结合以实现产品配置管理的方法,给出产品配置和定义的数据库表结构基本描述和实现技术,叙述如何合理利用原有历史数据和单机版的产品数据和模型集成为网络化协同产品设计信息.并叙述Windchill 的用户化应用的基本开发过程和方法.     

Adaptable Design

Increasing competition for better product functionality, quality, features, customization, environmental friendliness, lower cost and shorter delivery time presents unprecedented challenges for product manufacturing enterprises. These challenges cannot be completely addressed by advanced manufacturing technologies alone as some of which are originated from product design. Advanced design technologies and tools for early product design processes are critically needed where most important decisions are made with respect to the product functionality, quality, manufacturability, cost and environmental performance. This paper discusses adaptable design (AD) as a design paradigm for both business success and environmental protection. Adaptable design aims at developing products that are adaptable in their design and/or their production. Adaptability is defined as the extension of the utility (service) of products. Two types of adaptabilities are proposed as product adaptability and design adaptability. Two types of design adaptations are also identified, which include foreseeable specific adaptations and unforeseeable general adaptations. The former can be described by specific adaptability and the latter by general adaptability. Three key elements of AD are presented including functions independence, a measure of adaptability and a function based design process model of the AD. Based on these concepts and design objectives, adaptable design methods and general design guidelines are proposed. Examples are included to illustrate the concepts, design methods and guidelines.     

Design method for systematic safety integration

In the discipline of product design, safety barriers implementation for risk reduction usually intervenes in the end of the design process, in the detailed design stage, and are rapidly increasing in variety, size, complexity and sophistication. In fact, there is no formal method to set safety requirements in the early design from knowledge abstraction. This paper looks at the problem of synthesizing safety solutions in the early design process. A structured method is proposed for systematic safety requirements definition through experience feedbacks and technical solutions analysis. The application to the agricultural hitching system, the three-point hitch, is then developed. Finally, the requirements formulation and their impact on the solution are explained.     

支持工艺变型设计的零件族建模方法研究

工艺的变型设计是实现产品快速变型设计的重要手段,而工艺变型设计的实施必须建立合适的产品模型.本文提出了支持工艺变型设计的零件族建模方法;建立了工艺变型设计系统的总体框架;对支持工艺变型设计的零件族建模过程进行了详细研究,并论述了建模过程中采用的关键技术.     

基于大规模定制的产品族设计研究

产品族设计是大规模定制设计的关键和核心,文章界定了产品族及产品族设计的概念,并从产品族设计的平台战略及客户参与的产品族设计方案两个角度出发,分析了国内外的研究现状,指出了现有产品族设计方法无法实现客户满意度和产品成本一致的问题。面向MC的产品族设计方法要以实现产品成本与客户满意度的最优组合为目的,在保证定制的前提下实现大规模的生产。     

基于过程的分布式协同设计系统研究

建立了一个基于整个产品设计过程的分布式协同设计模型.这个模型以设计矩阵-黑板为基础,提供一个实时协同工作环境,并集成不同的设计工具,能支持不同地理位置、不同学科的设计人员共同完成整个设计过程的活动和任务,能获取、共享及重用设计数据,有助于设计人员在概念设计阶段进行创新思维.一个设计示例来验证模型的实用性.     

The Use of Virtual Reality Techniques during the Design Process: from the Functional Definition of the Product to the Design of its Structure

During the design process, designers have to define the structure of their product while considering its functional definition. This design phase remains little assisted for designers. In addition, as numerous options can be considered for the end of life of a product (reuse, remanufacturing, recycling,…) it becomes more difficult to obtain a compromise concerning the final structure of the product. In this paper, we will show how the use of virtual reality helps designers to transform the functional definition of the product into the design of its structure, during the conceptual design phase. The developed example will concern the design of a bathroom scale.     

Meta-Modelling for Interoperability in Product Design

Interoperability of tools for product design relies on the utilization of common information models like ISO 10303 STEP. However STEP is based on the EXPRESS modelling language which is not supported by state-of-the-art software development tools. To reuse the huge repository of information models defined in the STEP Application Protocols transformations into other representations are needed. A generic and sound approach is provided by OMG's Model Driven Architecture (MDA) and Meta Object Facility (MOF). This paper describes meta-modelling methods and tools for the coexistence and integration of EXPRESS with UML, the commonly used modelling language in modern software development environments.     

Fault feature separation using wavelet-ICA filter

Independent component analysis (ICA) is a new effective technique for separation of statistically independent sources. Generally, ICA requires that the number of sensors must be no less than the number of independent sources to ensure enough information for separation of all sources. In some practical applications, this requirement of ICA is not met and we are interested in separation of only one source. A new method called wavelet-ICA filter is proposed in this paper that attempts to extract the independent feature by only using one transducer. The method employs ICA to regularize the wavelet decompositions of a signal to find the independent feature. Morlet wavelet is employed in this application for its nonorthogonality. The analysis of the feasibility of the method is shown in this paper. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by applying it to both simulated signals and vibration signals collected from a gearbox for periodic impulse detection. PCA is also used for the same purpose as comparisons. The results show that the proposed method using ICA is much better than PCA for separation of an independent feature.     

A three-step approach to designing a metal-forming process

This paper presents a hierarchical design and analysis approach for the design of metal-forming processes. The methodology entails a three-step design process comprising conceptual design, preliminary design, and final design. The conceptual design stage is based on methodologies such as axiomatic design and is followed by a preliminary design that is accomplished through simplified forming models and design confirmation using more accurate finite-element methods. This methodology provides a scientific approach to design and analysis and considerably reduces the time and effort necessary to achieve a workable solution.     

A Design Method for Product Family under Manufacturing Resource Constraints

Product variety is required for satisfying customer needs, and at the same time, efficient usage of manufacturing resources is mandatory for competitive and environmentally conscious manufacturing. For coping with these requirements, product family concept is effective, which enables variety of products based on well designed similar product property with associated manufacturing processes. In this study, a modeling framework for relationship between product functionality and manufacturing resources is discussed. Based on this framework, a design method is investigated for product family structure which realizes required product functional variety with efficient utilization of manufacturing resources. Application examples are discussed for automotive components.     

A New Approach for Robust Design of Mechanical Systems

Robust product design aims to develop a product that satisfies design requirements while ensuring minimal effects of environmental variability on product performance. Environmental variations may come from raw materials, manufacturing processes, and/or operational environments, which can cause deviations of product functions. This research can verify that the independence axiom can lead to a robust design, while robust designs do not necessarily require functional independence. Thus, designs can be divided into three categories - feasible designs, robust designs and ideal designs. In the first level of the design process, the designers should generate a feasible design, then seek to acquire robustness, and finally determine the possibility of independence. Axiomatic design aims to achieve the independent design; the traditional robust design is an experimental method that may not reach design independence. The proposed approach introduces the integration of the independent analysis that is based on axiomatic design, with the robust analysis that is based on the traditional robust technique. It can help the designer to seek an ideal design or a robust design in respect to the specific design conditions.     

绿色适应性设计研究

如何在产品设计初始阶段系统考虑产品及设计的环境性、适应性、重用性,通过产品功能拓展、升级换代、寿命延长、适应性变型,充分再利用产品资源及设计信息资源来实现绿色设计/绿色制造,目前仍然缺少系统、实用的方法和支持工具;论文针对这一问题提出绿色适应性设计研究,并给出了绿色适应性设计的主要研究内容及其关键技术,指出绿色适应性设计是对现有绿色设计理论方法的进一步补充、完善和具体化,对解决目前绿色设计方法在应用过程中所面临缺乏明确、实用指导的问题具有重要意义。