A framework for optimal design of complex products

Abstract

Despite many design methodologies and tools have been developed, the presently achieved research results are not effective for design of complex products when various methods and tools in different schemes have to be employed. A new framework for optimal design of complex products is introduced in this research considering modeling, simulation and optimization aspects. First, a hybrid scheme is developed for integrated modeling of complex products. In this hybrid scheme, descriptions of a generic product are modeled by an AND-OR tree. Feasible design candidates are created from the AND-OR tree through tree-based search. Geometric descriptions in a design candidate are associated with a CAD system. Second, a hybrid simulation method is developed for evaluation of different product aspects with different simulation tools which are integrated by the hybrid modeling scheme. Simulations with geometric descriptions are conducted by analysis functions of the CAD system. Simulations with non-geometric descriptions are conducted by the knowledge-based systems. Third, a hybrid optimization method is developed to identify the optimal design of the complex product. For each design candidate, parameter optimization is conducted to obtain the optimal parameter values. The optimal design solution is identified from all design candidates through configuration optimization.