The Systematic Design of Industrial Products through Design Archetypes: An Application on Mechanical Transmissions

Alberto Vergnano,Francesco Gherardini,Francesco Leali

doi:10.3390/app10072277

Alberto Vergnano, Francesco Gherardini + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app10072277

Copy DOI

Abstract

Engineering design is a knowledge intensive activity for both new and mature technical systems, such as mechanical transmissions. However, design knowledge is often transferred with conservative and unstructured approaches, although knowledge management would be of the utmost importance for modern industries. In this work, we introduce a design tool, called design archetype, for collecting and managing knowledge in systematic design processes. The design archetype addresses input design requirements for different design concepts, therefore, improving awareness of the design process by interactively modifying the design solution due to different input requirements. Finally, the design archetype updates the parameters of a first embodiment computer-aided design model of the concept. A method for the development of design archetypes is presented and applied to two case studies of mechanical transmission subassemblies. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of a systematic design method based on design archetypes stored in the company database.

Highlights

The design of industrial products exploits novel approaches for material selection, manufacturing and assembly processes, simulation, and life cycle management, the design is still heavily based on the experience of designers
The results demonstrate the effectiveness of a systematic design method based on design archetypes stored in the company database
With the aim of discussing the method for the design archetype (DA) implementation, we report its application in two case studies, selected since they are complex assemblies requiring an integrated approach to retrieve and reuse existing computer-aided design (CAD) models and technical product documentation

Summary

Introduction

The design of industrial products exploits novel approaches for material selection, manufacturing and assembly processes, simulation, and life cycle management, the design is still heavily based on the experience of designers. Knowledge transfer from experts to young designers is pursued with conservative approaches and unstructured communication, with many limitations even within the same company. The lack of formal design knowledge limits access to prior experience and knowledge by designers. Knowledge management is critical in industry, since it is highly expensive ephemeral due to staff turnover and the increasing use of outsourcing. Knowledge management methods have been developed by researchers to better exploit individual and collective knowledge [1,2,3,4,5].

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion