Complex Product Development Process Research Articles

Industrial product design method using feature expression and multi‐view learning in ICN

In order to realize multi‐layer semantic integration and innovation of complex product industrial design, promote multi‐disciplinary knowledge sharing and coordination, and improve product quality, the hierarchical semantic concept of product industrial design is put forward based on the theories of product semiotics and cognitive semantics. In addition, the hierarchical semantic industrial design process context model is constructed based on complex product development process and information processing theory using the Information Centric Networking (ICN) technology, since ICN architecture can be used to optimize the product quality. In the ICN environment, the scientific semantic expression methods and the artistic semantic expression method of product semantics are also used to extract features and construct the feature expression in the specific design situation. The icon semantic features, indicative semantic features, symbolic semantic features and their relevance of complex products are obtained. Experimental results have been achieved and shown that the proposed method has benefits than the other methods.

Preparation of Papers for IFAC Conferences & Symposia: Activity combination and optimization method to support rapid establishment of product Research & Development process

Aiming at the problems with low efficiency and low standardization in the establishment of complex product Research & Development(R&D) process, a combination and optimization method for R&D activities is proposed in this paper. Firstly, process module is established by combining related R&D activities using process network diagram and description text. Then, a method is established for similarity representation between process module and design requirements, on which the module reorganization is based. And optimal combination scheme of modules is obtained by an adaptive genetic algorithm. Finally, the effectiveness of proposed method is verified through the example of a product R&D process.

Identification of dependencies between product parameters and process stakeholders

In today’s mechanical engineering companies, the rising interdisciplinarity of processes and development teams as well as distributed company locations leads to increased production times and more complex product development processes (PDP), although shorter development times are requested. Especially changes, e.g. component optimization or changed customer requirements, as well as parallel sub-processes, require increased planning to make dependencies visible and estimate expenses.When requesting a change to e.g. a component property, it is difficult to identify on the one hand which processes and technical parameters are affected and on the other hand which stakeholders have to be included in the decision making. It is not yet state-of-the art that stakeholders affected by a change in the PDP are identified and notified automatically by the IT-system. Furthermore, it is challenging to identify indirectly connected stakeholders, which are not linked to changing properties or processes, concerning the changes made.In this paper, a methodological approach is presented, that links the technical parameters with the processes and the different stakeholders, using the example of a PDP for light weight composite components.The procedure comprises the implementation of the PDP for light weight composite, including the process-dependent roles, in a product data management (PDM) system. The process structure is then linked to a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tool. By building a system model, the product parameters are linked to the processes and roles. Using the established system model, the direct and indirect dependencies between the technical parameters and the stakeholders are visualized.

Modeling industrial engineering change processes using the design structure matrix for sequence analysis: a comparison of multiple projects

The problem at hand is that vast amount of data on industrial changes is captured and stored; yet the present challenge is to systematically retrieve and use them in a purposeful way. This paper presents an industrial case study where complex product development processes are modeled using the design structure matrix (DSM) to analyze engineering change requests sequences. Engineering change requests are documents used to initiate a change process to enhance a product. Due to the amount of changes made in different projects, engineers want to be able to analyze these change processes to identify patterns and propose the best practices. The previous work has not specifically explored modeling engineering change requests in a DSM to holistically analyze sequences. This case study analyzes engineering change request sequences from four recent industrial product development projects and compares patterns among them. In the end, this research can help to identify and guide process improvement work within projects.

Approaching Knowledge Dynamics Across the Product Development Process with Methods of Social Research

AbstractKnowledge is a crucial factor in state-of-the-art product development. It is often provided by stakeholders from divers disciplinary and individual backgrounds and has to be integrated to create competitive products. Still, it is not fully understood, how knowledge is generated, transformed, transferred and integrated in complex product development processes. To investigate the dynamic interrelations between involved stakeholders, applied knowledge types and related artefacts, researchers at the TU Berlin conducted and evaluated a student experiment to study basic phenomena of development projects. In relation to research methods and instruments applied in this experiment, various improvement opportunities were identified. In this paper, the experimental setting and its results are critically analysed from a social science perspective in order to generate improved research design. Based on the results of this analysis, a first set of methods and instruments from social sciences are identified that can be applied in further experiments. The goal is to develop a methodological toolbox that can be used to approach research on knowledge dynamics in product development.

Association of Design and Simulation Intent in CAD/CFD Integration

CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) requires strong expertise and extensive training to obtain accurate results. To improve the usability in the complex product development process, two new types of engineering features, fluid physics feature and dynamic physics feature, which convey the simulation intent, are proposed in this paper to achieve CFD solver setup automation and robust simulation model generation in an ideal CAD/CAE integration system. Further, the association between simulation intent and design intent is integrated with another newly defined fluid functional feature in order to achieve the consistency. Consequently, an optimal design could be achieved by considering production operation, manufacturability and cost analysis concurrently. A case study of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) outflow control device (OCD) is presented to show the prospective benefits of the method.

An integrated change propagation scheduling approach for product design

Due to the complicated dependencies among design tasks, design changes in a design task can cause changes to many other tasks, which may cost a lot of time and resources to completely resolve them. Therefore, optimal scheduling of design change propagations is required to reduce the total process time. This article presents an integrated approach for scheduling design changes in the complex product development process by combining simulation of change propagations with optimization algorithms. The process model is built using “And/or” graphs, which can take the logic relationships among design tasks into the process model. Genetic algorithm is applied to the change process model to find the optimal propagation likelihood for each optional propagation path in order to obtain the shortest process run time. The approach is incorporated into the process-oriented computer-aided product design system, and two design changes occurring in the motorcycle engine design process, namely an initiated and an emergent design changes, are used to test the approach. The initiated design change case shows the integrated approach can find the optimal solution more efficiently than the Monte Carlo simulation method, while the emergent change case demonstrates the approach can timely find the optimal solution to the change especially when designers are pressed for delivery of their achievements.

Resource Allocation for Lean Product Development Using a Value Creation Cell Model

Lean can be applied to product development processes to improve value creation management. However, allocating resources to a project or a development program in order to maximize the value generated by project activities can be difficult in complex product development processes. This paper discusses how value creation activities can be better managed by regulating the resource allocation process. A mathematical model is proposed to describe value growth and its application to resource allocation is demonstrated that gives insight into value creation trajectories. The application is demonstrated with scenarios developed from the computer industry and a design project.

A method for imprecision management in complex product development

Managing uncertainty levels is important for organizations carrying out complex product development processes since it fosters design process improvements and optimization. Among the different uncertainties, design imprecision is known to represent uncertainty in decision-making that typically triggers changes to the value assigned to design variables during the early stages of the development process. This paper presents a method aiming to support large organizations understanding, quantifying and communicating this type of uncertainty. The imprecision management method that is proposed relies on five main steps: collection of historical records of change, time evolution reconstruction, statistical characterization of the typical levels of imprecision that should be expected, communication to new projects and continuous knowledge update. In addition, we present results from a case-study performed at Rolls–Royce that tested the method’s applicability in practice. The study shed light to interesting empirical findings about the typical level of imprecision in design variables and its evolution during real product development projects. The results from this initial evaluation suggest that the method provides useful support for design process management and thus has industrial value.

Identifying the Requirements for a Knowledge-sharing Platform in Ecodesign

Environmental regulations and public pressure lead more and more companies to adopt an ecodesign approach. Nevertheless, this desirable change is slowed down by some difficulties in integrating the ecodesign tools and methods in the already complex product's development process. In parallel to other initiatives which try to develop global platforms with interoperable tools or to propose management tools to drive the ecodesign integration, we believe that a knowledge centered approach is necessary to support the ecodesign processes in a perennial way. Thus, the aim of this paper is to identify situations in which lack of knowledge can affect ecodesign activities and how to overcome these difficulties. A brief literature review emphasizes the key role of knowledge in design and explains the reasons why this role is exacerbated in ecodesign. Based on empirical material and academic papers, we define some scenarios that illustrate some key knowledge issues in ecodesign, and that show how some functionalities could help to overcome these difficulties during the design process. Finally, we suggest integrating those functionalities into a collaborative platform. Focused on interactions between the ecodesign stakeholders, its main purpose would be to support knowledge construction and knowledge sharing.

Improving Process Performance of Distributed Set-Based Design Systems by Controlling Wellbeing Indicators of Design Actors

In new complex product development processes, the design problem is usually distributed to multiple actors from different disciplines. Each design actor has a limited responsibility in the design system. Therefore, each design actor has limited control over design variables and performance variables. However, design actors are not isolated since their design activities are coupled. This can generate design conflicts through inconsistencies among design objectives and working procedures. When the design convergence is not controlled, inconsistencies can distort the satisfaction equilibrium between design actors. This means that if a design actor aims at satisfying only his/her local design objective, other actors having conflicting objectives will be dissatisfied. Thus, individual satisfactions diverge. The intensity of conflicts is measured with the satisfaction divergence. In this paper, we define wellbeing indicators in order to control the convergence of distributed set-based design (SBD) processes. Wellbeing indicators reflect design actors' satisfaction degree of their process desires. We performed a constraint programming Monte Carlo simulation of our SBD framework with a complex design problem. We compared the results of wellbeing indicators with the results of the processes where design actors do not use wellbeing indicators. It is shown that when design actors have some means to control their convergence, the solution space converges to a solution in satisfaction equilibrium while epistemic uncertainty of the design model is reduced. Some conflicts are therefore prevented and the satisfaction divergence is reduced, leading thus to an improved design process performance.

PLM Innovation Matrix for a Complex Product Development Process

PLM is a transformation strategy built on shared access to a single knowledge base, data and processes related to our products. This strategy allows us to grow and to control the rate of change of products or degree of innovation. The purpose of this paper is to find out the importance of innovative processes on Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) integration strategies with the objective to help companies to answer to the main market needs. In the case study we propose to analyze the innovation potential influence over electro-mechanic manufacturing process considering its specific tools. To exemplify our researches we approached the PLM as a multi-dimensional topic and we intent to explore the innovation complex metrics dimensions and help the reader gain a broad perspective of PLM in the Romanian industry. By using this approach, we can score, weight and prioritize customer assessment for different stages of product development process and to take in consideration the most likely changes that will improve the process. There are identified and assessed five innovation complex metrics used in PLM process stages within a complex Product Development Process. Also, based on this metrics, we create and and analyze "PLM innovation matrix" and a related chart.

Implications of interface management for modularity degree

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate modularity degree in terms of interfaces and innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe research objective is achieved through a modeling approach for deciding modular architecture and its implementation regarding unique components and product innovation. A case example is presented to elaborate on the concept of modularity degree and provide an option for choosing the best module from different alternatives.FindingsThe presented approach can be considered a product design strategy, in which loose coupling is achieved through standardized component interfaces. Loosely coupled component interfacing is a prerequisite for developing mass customized products. There needs to be a decision support system to formulate the interfacing in order to achieve maximum benefits. This is illustrated in this paper.Research limitations/implicationsThe modeling strategy for measuring the modularity level is formulated theoretically. This approach needs to be validated through an empirical study in order to generalize its findings.Practical implicationsIn the industrial arena there is a research gap in identifying and measuring the modularity level, which is formulated in the presented approach. It is hoped that this approach will contribute to filling this research gap in the business environment, which would further benefit managers of firms in their corresponding production processes.Originality/valueThe unique contribution of this modeling approach is articulated through analyzing product architecture, with a view to interpreting the component interfaces in a more productive way. This formulation triggers the decision‐making process in complex product development processes.

The Impact of Concurrent Engineering Strategy on New Compex Product Development Process in Organization: An Empirical Study of Manufacturing and Service Industry in Malaysia

Taking into account the customers, supplier and organization involvement in the new product development (NPD), this article focuses on the synthesis, evaluation, and selection of various sub-factors of concurrent engineering involved in new product development process. The aim of this study was to provide the reliability and validity of six sub-factors of concurrent engineering model of the 49-item questionnaire and to analyze its association with concurrent engineering and new product development process in a sample of 35 manufacturing and services organization located in Johor, Malaysia. Methods: A self reported survey was conducted in 35 manufacturing and services organization located in Johor, Malaysia. Results: Appropriate internal consistencies of the six sub-scales: customers relationship, team development, continuity, tools and techniques, suppliers involvement and corporate focus and their association with concurrent engineering, were obtained. Zero-order correlation and regressions analysis replicated the theoretically assumed structure of the effective concurrent engineering (ECE). Evidence of criterion validity was obtained from cross-correlations of the scales and from their linear and multiple regression analysis. Finally, all seven scales were associated with a highly significant ratio of concurrent engineering as predicted by fundamental theory. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study the seven version of the model, questionnaire is considered a reliable and valid instrument for measuring association in developing the new complex product development process.

Multi-segment and multi-ply overlapping process of multi coupled activities based on valid information evolution

Complex product development will inevitably face the design planning of the multi-coupled activities, and overlapping these activities could potentially reduce product development time, but there is a risk of the additional cost. Although the downstream task information dependence to the upstream task is already considered in the current researches, but the design process overall iteration caused by the information interdependence between activities is hardly discussed; especially the impact on the design process’ overall iteration from the valid information accumulation process. Secondly, most studies only focus on the single overlapping process of two activities, rarely take multi-segment and multi-ply overlapping process of multi coupled activities into account; especially the inherent link between product development time and cost which originates from the overlapping process of multi coupled activities. For the purpose of solving the above problems, as to the insufficiency of the accumulated valid information in overlapping process, the function of the valid information evolution (VIE) degree is constructed. Stochastic process theory is used to describe the design information exchange and the valid information accumulation in the overlapping segment, and then the planning models of the single overlapping segment are built. On these bases, by analyzing overlapping processes and overlapping features of multi-coupling activities, multi-segment and multi-ply overlapping planning models are built; by sorting overlapping processes and analyzing the construction of these planning models, two conclusions are obtained: (1) As to multi-segment and multi-ply overlapping of multi coupled activities, the total decrement of the task set development time is the sum of the time decrement caused by basic overlapping segments, and minus the sum of the time increment caused by multiple overlapping segments; (2) the total increment of development cost is the sum of the cost increment caused by all overlapping process. And then, based on overlapping degree analysis of these planning models, by the VIE degree function, the four lemmas theory proofs are represented, and two propositions are finally proved: (1) The multi-ply overlapping of the multi coupled activities will weaken the basic overlapping effect on the development cycle time reduction (2) Overlapping the multi coupled activities will decrease product development cycle, but increase product development cost. And there is trade-off between development time and cost. And so, two methods are given to slacken and eliminate multi-ply overlapping effects. At last, an example about a vehicle upper subsystem design illustrates the application of the proposed models; compared with a sequential execution pattern, the decreasing of development cycle (22%) and the increasing of development cost (3%) show the validity of the method in the example. The proposed research not only lays a theoretical foundation for correctly planning complex product development process, but also provides specific and effective operation methods for overlapping multi coupled activities.

Task scheduling behaviour in agent-based product development process simulation

In order to model the designer's autonomous task scheduling behaviour and use it in an agent-based product development process simulation, in this article a utility function is constructed, in which task urgency, task importance, agent individual preference and recovery cost are considered. Algorithms to calculate the utility function are developed and verified in detail. To validate and evaluate the scheduling behaviour based on utility functions in agent-based simulation, comparative simulation experiments are carried out on the basis of a case study in the Chinese industry. Simulation results show that the agent's behaviour in the development process simulation is close to the real working process of designers. In the comparative case study, the scheduling behaviour considering both task urgency and task importance can significantly shorten project lead time compared with considering task urgency only. It can also save time for the whole project if the agent assigns collaborative tasks high priority. The developed model and simulation approach can help organisations to identify efficient and effective scheduling behaviours in collaborative and complex product development processes.

A process simulation based method for scheduling product design change propagation

It is expected by enterprises that design changes that occur in a complex product development process can be resolved in a cost-effective way so that products modified for new customer requirements or new technology can be launched into the market without increasing much cost and time. Usually there are different solutions or methods for design changes, which may have different impacts on the whole process. Since a complex product development process consists of many design tasks and different relationships among these tasks, it is not easy to analytically compute the completion time when change propagation finishes. In this paper a process simulation based method is proposed to select the most economic propagation path for each design change, which can reduce the total process time for changes occurring in the complex product development process. “And/Or” graph nodes are used to represent the input and output logics of each task in the design process. Mathematic models are developed to calculate the completion time of the change propagation process. Monte Carlo based simulation algorithms for finding feasible output paths and calculating impacts of input changes on tasks are developed in order to simulate the change propagation process. The objective function for scheduling design change propagations is obtained by the regression analysis of simulation results. And the best change propagation paths, which usually are not the real optimum of the original design process model, are given by optimizing the regression model with a commercial optimization package. The effect of the method is demonstrated with a study of change propagations in the motor cycle engine design process.

Modeling and managing engineering changes in a complex product development process

Today’s hypercompetitive worldwide market, demanding customers, and technological advances force corporations who develop new products to look into all the possible areas of improvement throughout the entire product life cycle management process. One of the research areas that have been overlooked in the past is engineering change management (ECM). This paper presents a simulation model for investigating the mutual impacts of ECM process and new product development (NPD) process on each other. The discrete event simulation model investigates how different NPD and ECM process characteristics are interrelated, and how these interactions eventually affect the lead time, cost, and quality of an NPD project. This model has the capacity to account for three different levels of uncertainties, namely activity uncertainty, design solution uncertainty, and environment uncertainty, and their effects on the probabilities of NPD rework. Decisions to be made by considering EC impacts are drawn from an enterprise level system perspective.

Study on Knowledge Based Complex Product Development Process Management System

According to the study of process management and knowledge management, knowledge based complex product development process management system is built, which is used to control the product development process with the supporting of knowledge. Process management system and knowledge management system are studied, and its prototype is developed on the platform of .NET Framework. Knowledge based process management system can provide necessary knowledge for designers, which can decrease errors, improve intellectualization and efficiency.

Research on Coupled Tasks’ Sequence Optimization Based on Qualitative and Quantitative Partial Order

The different sequences of the coupled tasks set lead to different development cycles, so optimizing sequences is a key for reconstructing complex product development process. As there are overall iterations stemming from activities’ coupling in complex product design process, this paper first proves two propositions of ordering coupled tasks by stochastic process theory: 1) more shorter the development cycle of a coupled activities subset is , more shorter the development cycle of the entire coupled activities set is. 2) If the execution sequence of the coupled activities set is changed, the development cycle of the coupled tasks set will also change. When execution order of two activities is converted into partial order of two elements, this paper presents a sequence optimization algorithm based on qualitative and quantitative partial order (SOQQ) from these two propositions. Simulation has been used to confirm SOQQ algorithm’ validity and high efficiency.