Parametric Design Platform Research Articles

Construction and application of online parametric modeling platform for face milling cutters based on WebGL and Open CASCADE

The secondary development of traditional commercial CAD/CAE software has been widely used in the process of cutting tools design and optimization. However, limited by copyright and hardware configuration, the effect of this development is limited, and the secondary development can no longer meet the needs of rapid and accurate cutting tools design. With the rapid development of Internet, online cutting tools CAD software based on Web has become a new development direction with its characteristics of specialization and lightweight. In order to build an online cutting tools CAD software, an online parametric design platform for indexable face milling cutters is established based on Web development technology, Open CASCADE and Three.js. The platform can quickly generate a 3D basic model for NC machining programing and a 3D detailed model for finite element simulation of cutting process according to ISO 13399. Based on the built platform, the finite element simulation model of cutting process of indexable surface milling cutter is established. The establishment of the model can play an important role in improving the design efficiency and reducing the design cost for the optimal design of this kind of milling cutter.

Programming application of contemporary jewelry design forms based on Grasshopper software

Abstract In recent years, by the influence of social progress and economic development, jewelry customers have continued to expand the demand gap. Today’s requirements for jewelry design are also more stringent than other design work. Excellent design should be a combination of natural beauty, spiritual beauty, and functional beauty. With the development of the computer industry and the advent of the information age, the design industry has undergone radical changes, and the way of design realization is gradually divided into hand-drawn design and computer-aided design. Although the hand-drawn design is beautiful and free, it is inaccurate and time-consuming. Computer-aided design is fast, accurate, and efficient, and the effect is real and fantasy, which is an important way to improve designers’ design efficiency. In order to address the problem of missing design results due to the weakness of details in the construction of 3D models in the original jewelry 3D design method. In this paper, the Grasshopper parametric design platform is used to prepare a program for the rapid modeling of spatial grid structures, and the details of how the program converts architectural models into SAP2000 structural analysis models are presented. Considering the large amount of work required to construct the surface cells for load application, a secondary masking program based on azimuth calculation is developed further to improve the modeling efficiency and universality of the program. Through an engineering example application, the effectiveness and practicality of the fast modeling program for spatial grid structures are verified, which provides a reference for structural engineers to develop similar programs to improve the modeling and analysis efficiency of complex structures and complete the programming application of contemporary jewelry design forms of Grasshopper software.

A parametric 3D printed assistive device for people with cerebral palsy – assessment of outcomes and comparison with a commercial counterpart

ABSTRACT This paper presents the use of a parametric design platform and 3D printing to create personalized assistive devices (ADs) for individuals with cerebral palsy, specifically a fork/spoon holder. Five subjects participated in the study, each receiving a customized device to fit their dominant hand, and they tested both the 3D printed device and a commercially available one. The devices were evaluated based on functionality and satisfaction using two standard clinical questionnaires (IPPA and QUEST 2.0). The results showed that neither the 3D printed nor the commercial device provided substantial benefits, but the questionnaires provided valuable feedback on areas for improvement. The study highlights the need for highly personalized solutions in ADs, which could be addressed by 3D printing. A configurator for generating production files from a parametric model could facilitate personalization, but a large number of model versions should be available to meet individual needs. Future research could explore clinical evaluations and guide the development of efficient and effective frameworks for digital fabrication in terms of clinically feasible AD model sourcing.

Dynamic Features of Non-Return Mechanism in Hatch Door of Amphibious Aircraft

The non-return mechanism is the key device that plays the role of braking in the opening-and-closing electric actuator of an amphibious aircraft hatch door. The ball-and-socket contact pair, providing the pressing force, and the multi-disc friction pair, supplying the braking torque, are two core components in the non-return mechanism. In this paper, the dynamic model of the non-return mechanism is established considering the freedom of rotation-translation. Based on MATLAB/Simulink, the solution framework of the overall dynamic model is built. The dynamic response characteristics of the non-return mechanism in the process of reverse load braking, forward load braking, and continuous closing are analyzed. The braking time and the angular displacement of the output shaft in the braking phase have been presented. Compared with forward load braking, reverse load braking has a longer braking time and smaller angular displacement of the output shaft. In addition, the compaction function of the ball-and-socket contact pair is verified by experiment, and the influence of the cone angle, distribution radius of the ball socket, and the steel ball diameter on the pressing force has been discussed. This study provides a theoretical basis and parametric design platform for the design and optimization of non-return mechanisms, which can shorten the product development time.

Enhancing structural design with a parametric FEM toolbox

AbstractThe Parametric FEM Toolbox is a plug‐in for the visual programming environment Grasshopper which implements the RF‐COM API of the Dlubal RFEM finite element software to establish a connection between these two platforms. Both the transfer of data from Grasshopper into RFEM and back from RFEM into Grasshopper are supported. Thus, new possibilities are enabled beyond the options of the conventional graphical user interface (GUI) of RFEM: the use of the Rhino 3D modelling tools to create NURBS curves and surfaces; the possibility of the parametric modification of an existing FE model or part of it; the export and processing of FE model data, which sometimes is not even available through the program GUI, e.g. 3D shapes of beam elements; etc. With these functionalities, the object‐oriented structure and compact GUI, this tool can easily be adapted to numerous workflows and optimization processes. This paper explores which possibilities exist for implementing a commercial FEM software in a parametric design platform. Existing approaches are reviewed, the development of the Parametric FEM Toolbox is described and some of the possible workflows with this new tool are explored through a collection of real‐world case studies.

Research and development of parametric design platform for series complex cutting tools

The performance of metal cutting tools directly affects the manufacturing efficiency and machining quality of products. With the increasing demands in manufacturing industry of cutting performance, machining efficiency, customization, and quick response, traditional tool design methods can no longer meet the above requirements due to many repetitive work, large amount of calculation, complex process, and low efficiency. Parametric design has become a new development direction of customized tool design because of its fast, stable, and accurate characteristics. Based on the parametric design of cutting tools, this paper develops a tool parametric design platform by using the method of secondary development of commercial CAD software. The platform realizes automatic operation in the background without commercial CAD software interface, completes the parametric modeling process of tools, generates 2D drawings and 3D models conforming to ISO 13399 standard, and realizes the cloud storage function of model data and the parametric design of many kinds of tools. Compare with that traditional modeling method, using this parametric modeling platform, the modeling efficiency is increased by 90% on average. This platform is of great significance to improve the design efficiency of complex customized tools and shorten the original design cycle by 30%.

Automated sizing of automotive steering ball joints in parametric CAD environment using expert knowledge and feature-based computer-assisted 3D modelling

Ball joints used in the steering systems of vehicles are exposed to fluctuating loads, which can cause fatal accidents in case of failure. The design of ball joints is an iterative and time-consuming process. Even though the automotive industry is preparing for the era of autonomous self-steering vehicles, parts such as ball joints were not designed using a fully automated parametric design methodology. Recently, parametric design of automotive ball joints based on variable design methodology using knowledge and feature-based computer-assisted-3D modelling methods was studied. However, these studies do not give details of the interactive sizing process within the part and assembly module to determine the final dimensions for avoidance of fatigue failure.This work provides methods and discusses details of the configurable sizing of a ball joint assembly under the boundaries of the developed “parametric design platform”. The platform closes the software gap for the automated reconfiguration and sizing of the ball joint assembly using a three-dimensional (3D) modelling technique. The platform can parametrically change part, material, feature, geometry, assembly and dimension features in a programmable environment. It can also reconfigure the ball joint assembly model considering various structured data conforming to technical standards and reasoning mechanisms with “engineering and geometrical relations” provided in this work, and data gathering along the life cycle of a product. Parameterised 3D solid models and a knowledge base of ball joints are stored in a database, and then an evaluation process within the platform that is capable of sizing ball joints for infinite fatigue-life has been established to verify sizing. It demonstrates the practicability and validity of the automated sizing of a steering ball joint within a configurable design environment and with minimum human expert knowledge and interaction.

Supporting the Reuse of Design Assets in ETO-Based Components—A Case Study from an Industrialised Post and Beam Building System

The ability to offer customisation has been considered as a competitive advantage for industrialised house building (IHB) companies. Product platform approaches have been acknowledged as one of the prominent ways to improve both internal and external efficiency. However, the use of traditional platform-based strategies does not suffice for the design of engineer-to-order (ETO)-based components in a building system. The purpose of this research is to test and evaluate how the reuse of design assets can be achieved by using a parametric modelling approach to support the design process of ETO-based components in a post and beam building system. This is an additional study using the design platform approach (DPA) that contributes to expanding the knowledge for designing ETO-based components. This research proposes a parametric design platform method developed by following an inductive approach based on the findings from a detailed study on bracket connection with a single case study in a Swedish multi-storey house building company. The proposed method offers flexibility in modelling ETO building components, facilitates design automation, and shows a 20-times improvement in the modelling process. This approach can be used in any building system with ETO-based components by identifying, formalising, and reusing connected design assets. A key finding is that the ETO components can be shifted towards configurable solutions to achieve platform-based design.

Indoor Optimal Design of Building Renovation Environment Space Layout Based on Genetic Algorithm

The design of the buildings should not only meet the requirements of structural safety and functional applicability, but also ensure that the stress of the structural system is reasonable and the amount of materials is as small as possible. And the reasonable and optimal allocation of resources should be realized. The research and application of optimization algorithms for building structures are still relatively scarce. It is difficult to obtain the optimal solution based on genetic algorithm because of the large amount of time-consuming calculation of indoor environment and the complex optimization process of indoor design. In order to realize the optimization design of parametric design combined with architectural physics and structural performance, we must use the current powerful computer platform optimization algorithm, mainly genetic algorithm. Firstly, this paper explores the implementation process of genetic algorithm in parametric design platform and the characteristics of optimization calculation. The experimental model is established based on genetic algorithm, combined with computer intelligent operation platform and modeling software. Combined with EnergyPlus energy consumption simulation engine and daysim daylighting simulation engine, the optimization design process of genetic algorithm optimization is realized through Pareto intelligent solution programming. The optimization design method can quantitatively calculate and evaluate the spatial layout, and provide visual, more accurate and intuitive output results.

Building Optimization through a Parametric Design Platform: Using Sensitivity Analysis to Improve a Radial-Based Algorithm Performance

Performance-based design using computational and parametric optimization is an effective strategy to solve the multiobjective problems typical of building design. In this sense, this study investigates the developing process of parametric modeling and optimization of a naturally ventilated house located in a region with well-defined seasons. Its purpose is to improve its thermal comfort during the cooling period by maximizing Natural Ventilation Effectiveness (NVE) and diminishing annual building energy demand, namely Total Cooling Loads (TCL) and Total Heating Loads (THL). Following a structured workflow, divided into (i) model setting, (ii) Sensitivity Analyses (SA), and (iii) Multiobjective Optimization (MOO), the process is straightforwardly implemented through a 3D parametric modeling platform. After building set up, the input variables number is firstly reduced with SA, and the last step runs with an innovative model-based optimization algorithm (RBFOpt), particularly appropriate for time-intensive performance simulations. The impact of design variables on the three-performance metrics is comprehensively discussed, with a direct relationship between NVE and TCL. MOO results indicate a great potential for natural ventilation and heating energy savings for the residential building set as a reference, showing an improvement between 14–87% and 26–34% for NVE and THL, respectively. The approach meets the current environmental demands related to reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions, which include passive design implementations, such as natural or hybrid ventilation. Moreover, the design solutions and building orientation, window-to-wall ratio, and envelope properties could be used as guidance in similar typologies and climates. Finally, the adopted framework configures a practical and replicable approach for studies aiming to develop high-performance buildings through MOO.

Intelligent optimal design of floor tiles: A goal-oriented approach based on BIM and parametric design platform

Floor tile is an essential building material, which is extensively used in the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Current existing design-aid approaches for floor tiles are based on simulating the manual design, lacking the attention to proactive planning on cut tiles. Therefore, the existing design-aid tools cannot enable users to generate accurate and comprehensive design results to reduce material and labor waste. Building information modeling (BIM) and parametric design (PD) approaches show considerable potential in optimizing building materials’ design. This research proposed a workflow based on the BIM and PD approaches to generate and optimize floor tiles’ layout design intelligently. The workflow formalizes the trades know-how cutting and planning rules of floor tiles, including the proactive planning of cut tiles, into a design algorithm to automatically generate the floor tiles planning and while reducing material waste. An evolutionary algorithm (EA) is then integrated with the workflow to conduct goal-oriented optimization for the generated planning. Moreover, due to the formalized design algorithm considering the cut tiles planning, the workflow expects to output accurate and comprehensive results, including uncut and cut tiles’ graphical and numerical results. We developed a prototype system in Rhino (a BIM platform) and Grasshopper (a PD platform) to verify the feasibility of the proposed workflow. The results show that the prototype system effectively generates and optimizes floor tiles’ layout design (using 19.1s–116.4s) and provides accurate and comprehensive coordinate points for positioning the cutting and laying of uncut and cut tiles. Compared with the industry benchmark (i.e., 10%–15%), the material waste rates of the generated layouts have been significantly reduced, which are 3.43%–5.50%. The outcomes are summarized to provide deeper insight for improving floor tile prefabrication, robot construction, and transportation, as well as the promotion of the sustainable development of the AEC industry.

A framework for designing patient-specific bioprosthetic heart valves using immersogeometric fluid-structure interaction analysis.

Numerous studies have suggested that medical image derived computational mechanics models could be developed to reduce mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases by allowing for patient-specific surgical planning and customized medical device design. In this work, we present a novel framework for designing prosthetic heart valves using a parametric design platform and immersogeometric fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis. We parameterize the leaflet geometry using several key design parameters. This allows for generating various perturbations of the leaflet design for the patient-specific aortic root reconstructed from the medical image data. Each design is analyzed using our hybrid arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian/immersogeometric FSI methodology, which allows us to efficiently simulate the coupling of the deforming aortic root, the parametrically designed prosthetic valves, and the surrounding blood flow under physiological conditions. A parametric study is performed to investigate the influence of the geometry on heart valve performance, indicated by the effective orifice area and the coaptation area. Finally, the FSI simulation result of a design that balances effective orifice area and coaptation area reasonably well is compared with patient-specific phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging data to demonstrate the qualitative similarity of the flow patterns in the ascending aorta.

Parametric design of automotive ball joint based on variable design methodology using knowledge and feature-based computer assisted 3D modelling

Ball joints used in steering system of vehicles have hundreds of different types and configurations. The use of traditional design methods causes loss of time and increases design cost. In this study, a new platform called as “parametric design platform” has been developed for the parametric design of a ball joint using three dimensional (3D) modelling technique to reduce design time and cost. The developed platform can be used for the design of part and assembly using top-down design approach. The major advantage of the proposed system is that the system can parametrically change assembly, part, part material, feature, geometry and dimensions in a programmable environment. This provides a wide range of alternative systematic solutions to design every parts of ball joints. Whereas the current parametric systems, allow changes only in dimensions or parts of assembly in a library. The suggested approach and the platform have been tested to validate ball joint designs. The results demonstrated the practicability and validity of the proposed parametric system.

Modeling of a hydraulic arresting gear using fluid–structure interaction and isogeometric analysis

Abstract Fluid–structure interaction (FSI) analysis of a full-scale hydraulic arresting gear used to retard the forward motion of an aircraft landing on an aircraft-carrier deck is performed. The simulations make use of the recently developed core and special-purpose FSI techniques for other problem classes, specialized to the present application. A recently proposed interactive geometry modeling and parametric design platform for isogeometric analysis (IGA) is directly employed to create the arresting gear model, and illustrates a natural application of IGA to this problem class. The fluid mechanics and FSI simulation results are reported in terms of the arresting-gear rotor loads and blade structural deformation and vibration. Excellent agreement is achieved with the experimental results for the arresting gear design simulated in this work.

Strength Calculation Method and Parametric Method of the Turbine Shaft

The working principle of turbodrill is discussed in this paper, through discussing the structural characteristics of the turbine shaft, it is pointed out that the part where minimum axis diameter of the turbine shaft is, the hollow area of the turbine shaft, and the hollow place where is the thread at the bottom of the turbine shaft are the three most dangerous parts. With the structure of the turbine shaft of 195mm turbodrill as an example, the strength calculation methods and calculation results of the three most dangerous parts are given. Through comparative analysis on various advanced international parametric design platform, the SolidWorks is chosen as a basic platform for parameterization, this paper puts forward the parametric method of 195mm turbine shaft and the series design of turbine shaft have been achieved. The strength calculation method and parametric method of the turbine shaft have been developed and used in the series design in Yangtze university of China.

Research on Large Eaves' Shading Effect Based on Parametric Design Platform

Nowadays, large eaves have been widely applied in various modern large-scale public buildings. Due to their huge lengths, they can shield large areas of building facades from insolation, so their shading effect is evident. Nevertheless, little research has been conducted on precise evaluation of large eaves' shading effect. Based on these considerations, the paper set up a parametric design & analysis platform, and then generated parametric models of various sizes. In addition, shading coefficients of windows on the south façades were obtained through computational simulation. Subsequently, a mathematical relationship between shading coefficients and model size parameters was discovered. Finally, the paper discussed the heights of shading areas under large eaves. These conclusions can help ameliorate the Standard.

Research on Parametric Design Platform of Gear Based on Pro/E

A development system on gear parametric design and check based on Pro/E4.0 and Visual C++ was built in the paper. The system included three modules: the standard spur gear, helical gear and bevel gear. According to the human-machine interface, the 3D parameterization model and 2D engineering drawing of the gear were achieved. And according to the actual situation of the load, the gear was automatically calculated, checked and output results. The system was adjusted successfully

Establishment and Application of the Platform for Reverse Solution and Parametric Design Platform of the Conjugate Cam Beating-up Mechanism

In order to realize the parametric design of the conjugate cam beating-up mechanism, on the basis of the technological parameters of beating-up mechanism, ideal kinematical curves of the beating-up mechanism are builded, and the mathematical model of reverse solution for this mechanism is established. The parameters of this beating-up mechanism are obtained by reverse solution according to the kinematic requirements and the constructed ideal kinematic curves. The secondary development of UG is conducted based on VB.NET, the parametric design platform which is integrated with the functions of parametric reverse solution, motion simulation, three-dimensional modeling and virtual assembly is built. After entering the technological parameters of beating-up and essential structural parameters by users, the three-dimensional drawing of main parts such as the conjugate cam and shaft, can be obtained by this platform, also the processing data of the cam can be calculated. This platform provides a rapid approach for the parametric design of beating-up mechanism.