Phases Of Product Development Process Research Articles

A Co-Simulation Model Integrating a Musculoskeletal Human Model with Exoskeleton and Power Tool Model

Working at and above head height with a power tool represents a common activity in craft and assembly applications. To assist and protect the user from overload and injuries in these situations, the development and use of application-specific support systems, such as exoskeletons and power tools, have greatly increased in recent years. Thus, the integration of aspects of the user-centered product development of support systems in the early phases of product development process has high potentials. A common approach to integrate the user early in the product development process is the use of musculoskeletal human models, which allow the evaluation of effects on the human body. This could also be applicable in the mentioned use case to enable the evaluation of the interactions for the user. Therefore, a co-simulation model for virtual modelling and simulating human–machine interactions is presented. The co-simulation model is made up of a musculoskeletal human model and the models of the technical systems (exoskeleton and power tool). By applying the co-simulation model, the impact of technical systems on the human body can be taken into account to derive design alternatives for the technical system due to the requirements of the user. The paper describes the design of the co-simulation model and particularly, the interaction of the submodels. The evaluation of the co-simulation model is carried out with the help of a subject study for the selected use case working at and above head height. The results show plausible results for the muscle loads considering the support by an exoskeleton. Furthermore, the comparison of simulated results to measured muscle activations via surface electromyography shows a good agreement. Thus, the co-simulation model passes the test for functionality and seems to be applicable for the derivation of design alternatives of technical systems regarding the user needs. In future, the co-simulation model will be further validated with a higher number of subjects and to implement design alterations in the technical systems.

Product development in technology based firms in innovation environments

Abstract: Technology based firms (TBFs) require innovative products to survive and compete in the market. The creation of products that sustain the competitiveness of companies depends directly on their product development process (PDP). The objective of this research was to investigate how PDP is carried out in TBFs in innovation environments. The research is qualitative, based on multiple case studies. Three companies in technology parks in the South and Southeast of Brazil were studied. The companies produced the following products: multiparametric monitor, an ondaleta and a microfiltration system. The key findings of the research were a lack of formal PDP planning and unstructured development processes. As a contribution, the study proposes that TBFs use a milestone strategy in the PDP microphases, guaranteeing greater efficiency in product development without the need to create rigid processes in project development. The study also highlights the importance of cooperation with clients and suppliers during the revision phases of PDP. The products resulting from PDP of the companies studied were identified as incremental innovation, novel for the national market, but with established technology on the international market. Future studies should assess the evolution and learning curve in the product development phase of TBFs.

The Application of Reference Ontologies for Semantic Interoperability in an Integrated Product Development Process in Smart Factories

Efficient information sharing demands formal information structures in order to make sure the semantic interoperability across different phases of Product Development Process. This research presents an application of reference ontologies to support semantic interoperability during the Product Development Process. The concepts inherent to the product development process are formalized in reference ontologies and these ontologies are specialized according to the specific product data, respecting semantic rules. As a result, the potential benefits and limitations of the ontology-driven interoperability were discussed, contributing to the semantic interoperability field and improving the product and manufacturing design.

Multi-attribute method for prioritization of sustainable prototyping technologies

The integration and quickness between the phases of product development process are key elements for companies’ competitiveness and the prototyping technologies provide relevant means for the development of new products. The prototyping of products by additive manufacturing can vary in quality, costs, materials and characteristics, however, incorporating environmental and sustainable attributes are important strategies to support the design for manufacturing. This paper proposes method for multi-attribute evaluation of prototyping technology associated with sustainable product conception. This proposal focuses on improving the decision-making process and provide the prioritization of technical characteristics and it was evaluated and validated, through case studies, applying selective laser sintering and fused deposition modelling technologies into two prototype developments: a bristles protector (lightweight composite product) and a toothbrush (single massive product). The research innovates by proposing a matrix that allows the inclusion of environmental and sustainable features in the design decision-making process, promoting the integration of multiple perspectives that involves customer, product and technology associated with sustainable concepts meeting the current demand of the society and companies for the development of sustainable products.

Human ride comfort prediction of drive train using modeling method based on artificial neural networks

This article demontrates a systematic approach for human ride comfort objectification. The main objective is to integrate the prediction of the subjective comfort evaluation into the concept phase of product development process. By means of the human sensation model based on the Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), the subjectively sensed convenience of each passenger is estimated. In this paper, two examples of the implementation of the proposed methods are discussed. The first example represents an investigation of comfort-relevant design parameters of the drive train, such as the friction coefficient gradient of the clutch friction pair, the mass of inertia and the damping of the dual mass flywheel. The consequent vibrational properties and the subjective assessments during the start-up situation are predicted. The second example considers the determination of gear rattle tendency of a 5-speed manual transmission. To predict the gear rattle presence and to evaluate the resulted annoying level, the ANN-based models representing the NVH experts are elaborated. As a result, a good correlation of the subjective ratings and the predicted evaluations is attained. Consequently, the proposed method can be effectively applied to compare different gearbox solutions for new product concept. Hence, the development time and costs might be significantly reduced.

When ETO companies design the supply chain during new product development process

This paper outlines the interface between product development process and supply chain configuration. It highlights the relevance of product features on the time the sourcing decisions are taken with respect to the product development phases. Multiple case studies in Engineer-To-Order (ETO) industries have been performed to investigate how companies configure the product development process and choose the timing of sourcing decisions along the process. Results suggest that the time companies take supply chain configuration decisions varies according to product features:high techno-logical complexity pushes companies to re-think their supply chain in the early phases of product development process, e.g. in terms of make-or-buy decisions and suppliers selection. The proposed framework helps decisions makers arrange the product development process by defining when supply chain configuration should take place. Keywords: Supply Chain, New Product Development, Engineer To Order, Supply Chain Design DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ijest.v6i3.3S

Projeto conceitual no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos eletroeletrônicos: estudos de caso em empresas incubadas

Com base no comportamento do mercado atual e suas tendências, a excelência na gestão do Processo de Desenvolvimento de Produtos (PDP) é um fator cada vez mais determinante nas empresas. No caso de empresas incubadas do setor eletroeletrônico, a inovação tecnológica e o desenvolvimento de novos produtos, dentro de um ambiente de difícil acesso tecnológico como o Brasil, torna a gestão do PDP ainda mais crítica. O objetivo desta pesquisa é apresentar estudos de casos múltiplos que identificam as dificuldades e exploram a maneira como estas empresas realizam a fase de Projeto Conceitual do PDP, já que esta é uma fase determinante para empresas com perfil inovador. Os resultados identificam dificuldades dentro deste escopo como o acesso à tecnologia, dependência de recursos públicos de fomento, elevado grau de insatisfação com fornecedores, além da carência no uso de modelos de referência sobre o PDP.

Multiple viewpoint modelling framework enabling integrated product–process design

Nowadays, companies have to cope with numerous constraints at organisational and technical levels in order to improve their competitiveness edges such as productivity, efficiency, and flexibility. Integrated product–process design becomes more and more complex to manage because of increasingly customized products related to various stakeholders and concerns geographically distributed. It is still represents a huge challenge, especially in the early phases of product development process. In such a context, the management of information within integrated product–process design highlights needs in a consistent engineering model that enables product lifecycle management (PLM) integration. The paper presents a novel multiple viewpoint framework called multiple viewpoint assembly oriented, considering product design and assembly process domains in the broader context of concurrent engineering and PLM. The proposed framework describes the consistency, the propagation of information change, and mechanisms of views generation among the product lifecycle stages in order to support assembly oriented design philosophy. A new modelling language called System Modeling Language is used to describe the proposed model from a systems engineering point of view. The implementation of the model in a Web-service called PEGASUS as an application for PLM systems is described.