Product Design Phase Research Articles

CYLINDER AND PISTON: MATERIAL SELECTION IN THE DESIGN PHASE

The piston and cylinder constitute an inseparable pair, playing a crucial role in both the mechanical and hydraulic industries. They are frequently employed to convert linear motion into rotational motion in various types of engines and are especially valuable for heavy-duty applications. Material selection for these components is conducted during the product design phase. This study aimed to identify the optimal material for each type of product. To determine the best material, a ranking of materials was carried out using the CoCoSo (COmbined COmpromise SOlution) method, with scores for criteria calculated using the Entropy method. Nine materials for cylinder construction were evaluated, including S355JR, S275JR, S235JR, BS97007M20, R35, R45, IS1030GRADE, AISI304, and 60-40-18. Additionally, seven materials for piston construction were considered: 332-T5, A336, 242-T5, 333.0-F, A213.0 F, AISI308, and A319.0F. The Entropy-CoCoSo approach was employed to rank the materials for each case (cylinder material and piston material). The results indicated that AISI304 is the optimal material for cylinder manufacturing, while A336 is the best material for piston manufacturing. Furthermore, the study extensively examined the impact of different weighting methods (Entropy, WENSLO, CRITIC, ROC, RS, EW) and normalization techniques (sum, vector, max, max-min, peldschus, decimal) on CoCoSo method results using an innovative sensitivity analysis approach, analyzing the techniques according to their sensitivity levels.

Transformation of Early Reading Ability Through Smart Wheel Media Based on the TGT Learning Model

This study introduces the Kintar/Smarwheel learning media, a one meter diameter Smart Wheel media that was developed using the Team Game Tournament (TGT) learning model to improve the initial reading skills of grade 1 elementary school students. The problem of urgency is highlighted by the low reading ability of the average grade 1 child, encouraging the development of effective learning media. This research aims to develop, validate and evaluate the effectiveness of Kintar in improving student learning outcomes in early reading. This study uses a development approach, integrating the product design phase, feasibility validation by media and materials experts, and effectiveness testing through small and large scale trials involving grade 1 students from SDN Purwoyoso 03, Semarang City. Feasibility assessments by experts confirmed a high degree of suitability for educational use, with significant improvements in student learning outcomes observed during the pilot. The small scale trial showed an average increase from pretest to posttest scores from 46.67 to 70.00, with a significant difference of 23.33. The large-scale trial showed a mean increase from 61.47 to 81.47, with a striking difference of 20.00. The N-Gain test results show a moderate impact, with values ​​of 0.3959 and 0.5298 for small and large scale tests, respectively. This study concludes that Kintar, integrated with the TGT learning model, is a powerful educational tool for improving early reading skills. Positive feedback from students and teachers underscores its effectiveness in generating engagement and improving learning outcomes in the classroom.

A Digital Twin-Based Method for Assembly Deviations Analysis

Abstract This paper proposes and develops a digital twin-based method for assembly deviation analysis, which considers the impact of product shape deviations and uses assembly data in the product design phase to enhance the performance of assembly deviation analysis. First, the overall product assembly deviation analysis process based on twin information is studied. Second, a mating algorithm, which evaluates multi-source assembly information, is proposed and developed. Third, the interaction between adjacent mating feature deviation propagation and an updated iterative mechanism is examined. Finally, a digital twin assembly deviation analysis model based on the new proposed Jacobian-twin approach is established, and validation is conducted through a case study.

Positive Play

This book results from an initiative by the European university consortium EUGLOH - European University Alliance for Global Health - between the University of Porto, Portugal (U.P.), and the University of the Arctic, Norway (UiT). To support the activity consisting of a three-day masterclass and workshop at UiT, designated as “Tromsø Idea Camp 2024 - Developing ideas through co-creation using human-centred design,” which had as its motto: . “Identify the needs and expectations of Vardesenteret’s patients before, during, and after treatment, considering their and volunteers’ points of view and creating projectual answers that foster empathy and communication”, a handbook was created, which later formed the basis of this book. It has three sections dedicated to Person-Centred Design in the Context of Health and Well-being. The first section— ”Reported Experience”, — Relates to the doctoral project “Ludic Activities in Health Context: An Anorexia Nervosa Case in the Hospital Environment,” which systematizes Ludic methods and tools created in and for a clinical context to support the treatment and monitoring of Anorexia Nervosa. Part of the project stems from collaborative work with São João Central Hospital, Portugal, in a group dedicated to treating eating disorders. The second section - “Documented Experience” — Explores the concept of Positive Play, coined by Giesteira, B., Cardoso, P., and Peçaibes, V. in various papers and book chapters from 2021 onwards. It presents a group of methods and tools created by the authors in recent years, such as the SEED Toolkit - “SomaEsthetics for Enabling Designers” (Giesteira, B. 2023) and the ANgame Collab (Cardoso, P., Peçaibes, V., Giesteira, B. 2022). The first tool aims to work on the concept of Somaesthetics, promoting empathy and contributing to identifying feelings and sensations interdependent on body activities and movements. The second tool aims to mediate playful sessions of Participatory Design, especially in the ‘user research’ phase. Other tools and methods were selected because, based on the aforementioned authors’ experience, they are most suitable for applied research in Health Technology Design. The third section - “Lived Experience” — Records the three days of the workshop dedicated to the themes: “Emotional Design and Somaesthetics”; “Human-Centered and Participatory Design”; “Ideation, Lateral Thinking, and Prototype.” In addition to the aforementioned themes, the different phases of development of the participants' projects from the various universities of the EUGLOH university consortium are recorded, which, in a Participatory Design approach, involved the collaboration of volunteers and oncology patients from Vardesenteret. This section shares the tools used to support each phase of product or service design and the final results of the low-fidelity prototypes.

Long-Term Corrosion of Eutectic Gallium, Indium, and Tin (EGaInSn) Interfacing with Diamond.

Thermal transport is of grave importance in many high-value applications. Heat dissipation can be improved by utilizing liquid metals as thermal interface materials. Yet, liquid metals exhibit corrosivity towards many metals used for heat sinks, such as aluminum, and other electrical devices (i.e., copper). The compatibility of the liquid metal with the heat sink or device material as well as its long-term stability are important performance variables for thermal management systems. Herein, the compatibility of the liquid metal Galinstan, a eutectic alloy of gallium, indium, and tin, with diamond coatings and the stability of the liquid metal in this environment are scrutinized. The liquid metal did not penetrate the diamond coating nor corrode it. However, the liquid metal solidified with the progression of time, starting from the second year. After 4 years of aging, the liquid metal on all samples solidified, which cannot be explained by the dissolution of aluminum from the titanium alloy. In contrast, the solidification arose from oxidation by oxygen, followed by hydrolysis to GaOOH due to the humidity in the air. The hydrolysis led to dealloying, where In and Sn remained an alloy while Ga separated as GaOOH. This hydrolysis has implications for many devices based on gallium alloys and should be considered during the design phase of liquid metal-enabled products.

Health equity in multi-cancer early detection (MCEDs): A literature review and content analysis.

10549 Background: Multi-cancer early detection tests (MCEDs) are an emerging screening technology to identify biomarkers of up to 50 different types of cancer using a single blood sample. While there is potential for MCEDs to advance health equity in cancer screening, considerations for how to do so are not established. We sought to identify emerging health equity themes related to MCEDs, and to explore where along the MCED evaluation process they have been considered. Methods: We conducted a targeted review of white and grey literature to identify references discussing health equity and MCEDs. We searched PubMed and Google Scholar from 2015-2024, using key search terms including “MCEDs,” “health equity,” and “diversity, equity and inclusion.” We used thematic analysis to identify health-equity related themes raised across included records. We then used content analysis to describe where these themes arose along the phases of cancer screening evaluation described by the CanTest Framework (product design, test performance, clinical feasibility, clinical effectiveness, and screening implementation). Results: We identified 22 records for inclusion, which varied in their content and depth when exploring health equity considerations for MCEDs. Thematic analysis of the records revealed five overarching health equity themes: access, acceptability, affordability, bias, and disparities. Acceptability, which included topics such as patient preference and measuring benefit/harms, and disparities, such as racial/ethnic differences in cancer deaths, were the most discussed themes (55% of records; Table). Bias, including provider discrimination, was the least discussed theme (32% of records). Content analysis revealed that health equity themes mostly arose across cancer screening evaluation phases of clinical feasibility, effectiveness, and implementation (82%, 73%, 64% of records respectively). No records explored health equity themes of acceptability, access, or bias in the product design phase (0%). Conclusions: Current literature considering health equity for MCEDs consistently address equity aspects related to clinical feasibility, clinical effectiveness, and implementation, but generally fails to consider health equity in early phase evaluation. Increasing consideration of health equity across all phases of the screening lifecycle is crucial if MCEDs are to advance health equity.[Table: see text]

DesignFusion: Integrating Generative Models for Conceptual Design Enrichment

Abstract Conceptual design is a pivotal phase of product design and development, encompassing user requirement exploration and informed solution generation. Recent generative models with their powerful content generation capabilities have been applied to conceptual design to support designers’ ideation. However, the lack of transparency in their generation process and the shallow nature of their generated solutions constrain their performance in complex conceptual design tasks. In this study, we first introduce a conceptual design generation approach that combines generative models with classic design theory. This approach decomposes the conceptual design task based on design process and design attributes, and uses the who, what, where, when, why, how (5W1H) method, function-behavior-structure model, and Kansei Engineering to guide generative models to generate conceptual design solutions through multi-step reasoning. Then we present an interactive system using a mind-map layout to visualize multi-step reasoning, called DesignFusion. This empowers designers to track the generation process and control inputs/outputs at each reasoning step. Two user studies show that our approach significantly enhances the quality of generated design solutions and enriches designer experience in human–artificial intelligence co-creation.

Exploring designers’ cognitive abilities in the concept product design phase through traditional and digitally-mediated design environments

AbstractThis study explores design strategies that designers adapt in different design environments and assesses cognitive load associated with acquiring, comprehending, and implementing strategies in concept product design phase. The findings from qualitative and quantitative analyses show that the traditional design environment exhibits a greater intrinsic load, thereby fostering a greater diversity of ideas, design strategies, and solutions. The digitally-mediated design environment demonstrates extraneous load, resulting in a tendency towards similarity in ideas, design strategies, and solutions.

Sensors capabilities as a creativity tool for engineering product design

Smart and connected physical products enable numerous novel value creations based on embedded sensor data. However, during the product design process, it appears that these value-creation opportunities are not sufficiently explored. To address this gap, a general and accessible ideation tool is proposed to structure a systematic exploration. The tool has been developed from the data sheets of a large number of various embedded sensors. A non-exhaustive list of 14 main sensor capabilities was thus structured to form the core of the tool. During the creative phases of product design, these capabilities are combined with a convenient set of inputs to support the generation of value-creation concepts. A focus group to evaluate the tool was carried out with a medium-sized manufacturer of connected shared city bikes. Expert product designers generated concepts with and without the tool. The results of the experiment suggest that the tool enables the generation of concepts that are more novel and of better quality in comparison to traditional ideation approaches. In addition, participants reported a high level of appreciation for the tool. They also noted a high level of creative exploration and collaboration facilitated by the tool.

Environmentally Sustainable Offset Prints Exposed to Thermal Aging and NO2

The research aims to find out the crucial factors in the design phase of packaging products, which are related to the determination of environmental influences on sustainable materials. The paper presents the results of research into the influence of environmentally friendly cardboard and the separation of yellow offset ink on the optical properties of prints exposed to thermal aging without and with exposure to NO2. The samples were obtained under real conditions on a Roland 705 printing machine. The colorimetric characteristics of the print and its stability were determined in the research. The research is significant for graphic reproduction in the domain of testing the quality of the print itself, which is defined by certain raster characteristics. The research covers prints in 100%, 70% RTV, 50% RTV, and 30% RTV. The intensity of the tonal experience will depend on the interaction of the substrate with the raster and different types of inks in offset printing as a function of the experimental conditions. The ink characteristics of prints ∆L*, ∆a*, ∆b*, and ∆E were determined. The research results show that ink I1, with about 80% renewable raw materials, achieves the best stability under the specified experimental conditions.

Circular and sustainable battery design – The case of digital product passports as information providers during the design phase

The need to counteract environmental pollution and climate change has led to companies focusing on becoming more sustainable. Inter alia, product design is a huge lever for the achievement of improved environmental performance, given that about 80% of products’ environmental impacts are determined during the design phase. Hence, it is crucial to incorporate sustainability and circularity considerations into the design process. However, designers often lack the required information to make more sustainable choices during the design phase. Therefore, we aim to identify information from different life cycle phases, which designers would consider supportive in making more sustainable choices and that could be delivered by digital product passports (DPPs). Given the upcoming battery regulation that requires the introduction of DPPs, the use case of battery design was chosen, and ten semi-structured interviews were carried out with battery designers and engineers. The results show the different information from the distinct life cycle phases, which designers consider as helpful in supporting them in designing more sustainable and circular batteries. This contribution adds to the literature on design for sustainability by exploring the potential of DPPs as means of information providers during the design phase of products.

Digital Twins: Enhancing Circular Economy through Digital Tools

In the drive towards sustainable design, the push for products with greater longevity, reparability, and recyclability has never been more crucial. Central to this is the integration of eco-design principles within manufacturing processes. However, there is a gap: manufacturers lack both standardized processes and digital tools to support them, even though the promising digital product passport largely focuses on product lifespan.Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are paramount, serving as benchmarks for both the manufacturing process and environmental sustainability of a product. These KPIs encompass factors like energy, water, compressed air, and material resource consumption. To emphasize the importance of these metrics, Europe is vulnerable to supply disruptions due to its high dependence on raw materials from non-EU countries.This paper discusses the state of the art of digital twins and presents a digital shadow—a comprehensive digital tool design to support manufacturers during the product design phase. Drawing from a case study in the automotive sector, this tool not only aligns with recycling and sustainability objectives but also mitigates risks associated with raw material dependencies.

Methods for the environmental and economic assessment in early product design – a case study-based overview for wind turbines in urban areas

The assessment of environmental impacts has become an inevitable necessity for many manufacturing companies – not only from a mere retrospective viewpoint but also for product design decisions. At the same time, economic feasibility must be constantly considered throughout all product design phases. For both dimensions, many different decision-support methods exist. However, there is a lack of combined assessment methods especially in early product design phases, when product characteristics, manufacturing technologies and corresponding data are still uncertain. The paper provides an overview and qualitative evaluation of different methods for economic and ecological assessment in product design stages. Based on this, a generalized procedure for combined economic and ecological decision-making during product design is derived, highlighting possible coping mechanisms for uncertain or insufficient data. Both, the evaluation of available assessment methods as well as the derived procedure are transferred to the specific requirements of wind turbines in urban areas. As a result, open research aspects and the next steps for method development are derived.

A product performance rapid simulation approach driven by digital twin data: Part 2. For variable operating conditions

As mentioned in Part 1, for product iterative design, the digital simulation method, as the product performance analysis method, has the problems of time cost and computing resources. To address this issue, a product performance rapid simulation approach driven by digital twin (DT) data for variable product structures in Part 1 was proposed, which could replace the digital simulation method. Meanwhile, for performance analysis under variable operating conditions during the product design and operation phase, digital simulation also has the above problems. Therefore, based on the method for variable product structures proposed in Part 1, a product performance rapid simulation approach driven by DT data for variable operating conditions is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the framework for variable operating conditions is designed based on the makeTwin reference architecture, including twin source data acquisition for the product under different operating conditions, twin data-driven product performance rapid simulation model (RSM) construction for variable operating conditions, and rapid evaluation of product critical performance based on RSM. Then, the implementation of the framework is introduced in detail. At last, a case study for critical loosening load evaluation of bolted joint is carried out. The result indicates that the proposed method is feasible, as well as costs shorter simulation time than the traditional digital simulation method.

Development of a design space for dissimilar materials joining in aerospace applications

Abstract This research paper presents an application of the integrated process and product design (IPPD) approach for selecting the best joint configuration for dissimilar material joining in the early product design phase. The proposed methodology integrates the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach with quality function deployment (QFD) to identify the key criteria for joint selection, including load-carrying capacity, size, cost per joint, ease of manufacturing, time consumption and deformation. Three types of joints (rivet, weld and adhesive) and two hybrid joints (adhesive-weld and adhesive-rivet) are considered for three dissimilar material configurations: carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) aluminum, CFRP steel, and aluminum-steel. QFD is utilised to transform job requirements into design criteria, and in the second phase, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is employed to choose the optimal joint configuration based on the weighted criteria acquired in the previous phase. The selected joint configuration is then validated through experimental study. The findings demonstrate that the proposed IPPD approach with QFD-TOPSIS techniques is highly effective for selecting mechanical joints for dissimilar material joining in the early design phase. The study concludes that the adhesive-rivet hybrid joint is the optimal solution among all alternatives. The proposed methodology can ultimately lead to improved product reliability and performance, as well as reduced development time and cost.

Shaping the Conscious Behaviors of Product Designers in the Early Stages of Projects: Promoting Correct Material Selection and Green Self-Identity through a New Conceptual Model

Material selection for product design is a complex task. Thus, one of the objectives of this work is to analyze and understand and to promote the importance of material selection to conceive quality products with the help of designers that promote green self-identity in the early stage of new product conception. A questionnaire was sent to professional designers and engineers. Thirty-eight responses were validated, which represented the sample for this study. The aspects that influence the complex material selection process and the final quality of the products through the design and production process are presented. Taking into consideration the responses from product designers who work in the market, as well as some engineers and students who are graduating in product design, a new approach for material selection was developed. Based on a collection of main ideas from the traditional and non-traditional material selection methods, seeking to group the maximum requirements of both methods, and inspired by the “canvas” model on the basic modular methodology, a new model for new product projects is presented. Our study focuses on material selection, since this aspect is one of the most relevant steps in the early stage of the prototyping phase of new products, with a view to reducing CO2 from the air in the atmosphere that we all breathe. The classification of materials is complex due to the diversity of available options. The novelty of this model is that all the properties of a newly designed product, such as technical, aesthetic, productive, and environmental properties, are grouped in the model, which serves as an innovative support. Thus, designers have a tool at their disposal that can help them to select the best materials for the products they design. The results of this study contribute to the field of material selection, to the quality and design of new products, and to promoting green self-identity of designers in the initial phase of product design. Consequently, all consumers in search of a sustainable planet will profit from this study.

Improving the Process of Product Design in a Phase of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

The early phases of product development effect fundamental changes in products throughout their life cycle. Therefore, the objective of the investigation was to develop a simplified model that supports the process of product design simultaneously in terms of qualitative and environmental factors. The model is dedicated to the design phase in the life cycle assessment of the product (LCA). The originality of the model consists in: (i) analysis of customers’ satisfaction from qualitative alternatives of products; (ii) assessments of the environmental impact of these alternatives; (iii) definition of the importance of qualitative and environmental attributes of products; and (iv) prediction of favourable changes in products according to qualitative–environmental levels. The model was tested for photovoltaic panels (PVs). The model is mainly dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for support in making decisions in the design phases of products in their life cycles.

Novel method to predict the energy consumption of machined parts in the design phase to attain sustainability goals

To reduce CO2 emissions, besides the automotive industry, manufacturing industries are increasingly under pressure to optimize processes and procedures for energy efficiency. These optimizations mainly involve the production processes, where most energy demand occurs. Alternatively, when most of this energy demand can be determined during the product design phase, the product designer can make energy-efficient decisions in the design phase. Most product designers are unaware of their decisions’ significant impact on a product’s energy demand. Therefore, this paper presents a workflow and novel method for predicting the energy demand of parts of their machining operation during the design phase. For this purpose, 29 energy consumption models for machining processes are examined, and the data published in the literature are summarized. Four resulting comprehensive process maps are derived, which enable the prediction of a part’s energy consumption due to machining, specifically, the milling operation, based on the geometric features of the part. This was further verified on three machined parts. The workflow and methods presented in this paper are some of the first steps to facilitate conscious decisions already in the product design phase. The benefits of the method were demonstrated in a final survey: Both product designers and machine operators showed in this survey that their estimation of the energy consumption of the parts investigated differed by orders of magnitude.

MODAL ANALYSIS OF MOTORIZED SPINDLE USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD

Dynamic market conditions shows contant need to significantly shorten the time cycle of the product design phase, with demands for the lowest possible price and highest possible quality. Motorized spindle is already widely used as the main spindle of modern machine tools. Predict dynamic characteristic through numerical simulations is trend among machine tool manufacturers, especially when high accuracy is involved. Finite element method (FEM) is the most commonly used method for analyzing the dynamic behavior of the main spindle. In this work, a model was developed based on the finite element method. The obtained results are compared with experimental test.

DEVELOPMENT OF VIDEO MULTIMEDIA “LET'S LEARN THE MEASUREMENT OF TIME, WEIGHT AND LENGTH” IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The development of instructional media is essential for educators to convey abstract learning content effectively. Multimedia offers a concrete visualization of abstract concepts. This study aims to create an efficient and practical multimedia-based instructional media. The research subjects were third-grade elementary school students. Employing a modified Research and Development (R&D) design, the study utilized questionnaires and interviews for data collection. The research encompassed phases of problem analysis, data collection, product design, design validation, design revision, and product testing. Multimedia was validated by media experts, subject matter experts, and language experts. The obtained scores from media experts were 85.57%, subject matter experts scored 83%, and language experts scored 93.27%. This research contributes to the creation of effective and practical multimedia-based instructional media.