A behavioural process design model for development of assembly devices

Abstract

Assembly devices are important equipment for product assembly because they greatly affect the efficiency of the assembly process. Although there are various design models or methods for the general mechanical products, specific strategies and methods for conceptual development of the assembly devices are still lacking. In this paper, we studied a number of commonly used assembly devices, where the focus lays on the characteristics of the behaviours and behavioural processes exhibited by the devices. From this study, we noticed the so-called ‘phenyl-loop behaviour’, which has demonstrated some unique characteristics useful for their conceptual development. Some rules are proposed to help identify these behaviours and to assist the design process. A behavioural process design model is subsequently developed, which employs both causality and phenyl-loop behavioural characteristics. Finally, a case study of the connector assembly design is presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed design model.