Embodiment Design Phase Research Articles

A model to build manufacturing process chains during embodiment design phases

The methods for manufacturing process selection from early design phases avoid later mistakes and ensure the success during product manufacturing. Currently, the majority of the products need more than one manufacturing process to become finished parts. This is known as a manufacturing processes chain, and it is important that this manufacturing chain is well designed. This paper presents the bases and the activity model (IDEFO) to develop a decision-support system that helps designers and manufacturing engineers to configure manufacturing process chains while the product is being designed. The model schematizes all the activities and information involved in obtaining reliable manufacturing process chains. The support system has been applied to an air-bending die design process to be used to perform either air-bending or bottoming.

Computer-aided embodiment design through the hybridization of mono objective optimizations for efficient innovation process

Current product lifecycle management (PLM) systems properly support the development of a product from the embodiment design stage to detail design and manufacturing phases; on the contrary, marginal support is provided to the earliest stages of conceptual design. Besides, the front end of product development is supported by an emerging technology, namely computer-aided innovation systems (CAI), which nevertheless are still poorly integrated with the following phases of the design process. The paper presents an original computer-based approach aimed at supporting embodiment design phases, which results very efficient for improving the interoperability of CAI and PLM systems and thus at extending the domain of application of these tools. The potential of the approach proposed by the authors is clarified through three exemplary case studies.

A tool for meaning driven materials selection

There are several tools used in materials selection processes by designers. However, they are mostly engineering based tools, which are dominated by numerical (or technical) material data that is mostly of use in embodiment or detailed design phases of new product development. On the other hand, product designers consider certain aspects such as product personality, user-interaction, meanings, emotions in their material decisions. In this regard, existing tools and methods do not fully support designers in their materials selection processes. This paper describes the development of a new materials selection tool holding the idea of [meaning driven materials selection]. In addition, the paper consists of a study conducted to create data for a dummy application.

Engineering Design, 4th edition

Engineering Design, 4th edition

Computer-aided generation of modularised conceptual designs with assembly and variety considerations

Design is the foremost step in the development of any electro-mechanical product. One limitation of existing design tools is that they only focus either on the initial design phase such as customer needs gathering, or on the later phases such as design embodiment or detailed design phase. As a result, there are very few existing computational tools to aid the designers at the conceptual design stage. The proposed research seeks to eliminate this drawback by providing a computerised conceptual design framework that incorporates Modularity, design for assembly (DFA) and design for variety (DFV) principles. Conceptual design alternatives obtained from the proposed research framework are ranked based on minimum assembly time, and are composed of modules in such a way that future changes in customer needs are satisfied only by replacing certain modules. This paper provides a detailed discussion of the proposed framework obtained by amalgamating Modularity, DFA, and DFV. Working of the framework is also demonstrated with the help of an electronic toothbrush design example.

Classes de variables dans les CSP appliqués à la conception architecturale

The design process of complex mechanical systems is composed of the embodiment design phase, where the main structuring characteristics are chosen. Constraints on discrete and continuous variables are used to model such problems. The embodiment design phase is analysed and some relevant vaiable classes are highlighted and illustrated with an heat batchexchanger. Some specific search heuristics applied during the resolution phase are define in this paper.

An integrated information system for product design assistance based on artificial intelligence and collaborative tools

Most of the time, the innovative product concept identification is based on strategic and complex processes. Design actors' individual initiatives and development of new ideas emerge from conflicting contexts combining the technical, economical and social aspects. In this paper, we propose a new approach that aims at assisting design product from the early phases of the design process to the embodiment design phase. We suggest a combination of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system and specific developed tools (Meta-modelling techniques, Numeric-CSP solver and 'Innovation Development and Diffusion' (ID 2 ) system) to enhance cultural heterogeneity encountered within the team project and to take advantage of this aspect to foster design innovation and product quality.

A constraint‐based approach to the modelling and analysis of packaging machinery

AbstractTo enable packaging machinery manufacturers to compete at an international level, it is necessary to introduce them to more advanced design methods and technologies. For years, the evolution of packaging machinery has relied heavily on trial‐and‐error methods. The demands for continual increases in the performance capabilities of the machines, escalating legislation, environmental directives and changes in the characteristics of the product require rapid development of existing machine designs and the creation of new machines. This paper discusses the needs of SME packaging machinery manufacturers and identifies their requirements for methods in support of the design and redesign of packaging machinery. The need to identify, capture and manipulate design knowledge is critical for SMEs, where all too often design records are incomplete. Furthermore, a systems modelling approach that provides for support over the conceptual, embodiment and detailed design phases is essential for the rapid and effective development of designs. In order to meet these requirements, a methodology is proposed which incorporates ‘constraint modelling’ techniques. The methodology provides for experimental investigation and computer‐based modelling, which together aid the designer in gaining a fundamental understanding of the design problem. This enables the identification and representation of design knowledge, the determination of the limitations of an existing design, the evaluation of alternative designs and redesign strategies, as well as the embodiment, refinement and optimization of design solutions. The theory of ‘constraint modelling’ is discussed and the various phases of the methodology described. The applications of the methodology to a new machine design and a redesign program are also detailed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.