Reduce Product Development Time Research Articles

Development of a Logic-Based Product Life-Cycle Management (LBPLM) System for Shipbuilding Industry—Conceptual Development

Product life-cycle management (PLM) has become something like "a magic wand" for various industries because of its capability to integrate different product modules via online network through the product's complete life cycle and hence to provide one-window access, thereby making the whole processes of product conception, design, manufacturing, delivery, maintenance, and disposal integrated with a reduction in product development time and cost. However, heavy industries (i.e., shipbuilding and shipbreaking) are different from consumer product industries because of high customization in design process and engineering software, widely varying scales of operations, and less compatibility between different design and production processes, for example, ship production is planned in activity-driven network scheduling system, in general, and is assumed to be more of a construction process or assembly process rather than a production process. In this paper, we present the conceptual development and the basic building concepts for a logic-based PLM system for the shipbuilding industry. Our logic bases consist of modularization, standardization, geographical zoning, and functional zoning. The logic bases of modularization and standardization are used in the ship design and production processes, and the logic bases of geographical zoning and functional zoning are used in "logically grouping" the on-board activities in the ship production process. Overall, this paper introduces a logic-driven methodology for PLM: planning and integration of ship design and production processes. Finally, in our implementation we show that by developing a logic-based PLM system the ship design and production processes become more streamlined and better planned and executed.

Modular architecture model of CSCD system

A modular architecture model of a computer-supported collaborative design (CSCD) system is proposed on the basis of the hierarchical structure characteristics of a distributed collaborative design system and advanced component object technology. The model mainly regards the module as the core organizing and managing design objects and uses the common object request broker architecture (CORBA) specifications as an interactive platform to achieve object communication. The browser/server computing model deals with the remote heterogeneous collaborative design problem. Product design strategies and mechanisms for collaborative design are separated to facilitate the application of distributed collaborative design environment for quick implementation. The open design framework for CSCD system developers can support the implementation of distributed collaborative design to improve product design speed and reduce product development time. The modular CSCD system (MCSCDS) model and its implementation are achieved in the modular CSCD, a prototype system.

Reduction of Product Development Time by Team formation Method in Lean Manufacturing

This paper deals with team formation role in product design and development for lean manufacturing. Its implementation offers the potential for faster product development with fewer engineering hours, improved manufacturability of products, higher quality products fewer start up problems and faster time to market. The concept of multi-functional teams is one of the key aspects of problem solving related to product design in many industries. The membership of a team depends on the type of product to be developed, number of customer requirements, engineering or product characteristics, and so on. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) tool is used to find the individual specialist weights over product design. In this paper the group of people available in each discipline is mentioned at lower level. The mathematical model is developed for deciding the team members in product design with constraints of number of projects, time and budget.

Reduction of product development time by team formation method in lean manufacturing

Reduction of product development time by team formation method in lean manufacturing

PSO-based back-propagation artificial neural network for product and mold cost estimation of plastic injection molding

To simplify complicated traditional cost estimation flow, this study emphasizes the cost estimation approach for plastic injection products and molds. It is expected designers and R&D specialists can consider the competitiveness of product cost in the early stage of product design to reduce product development time and cost resulting from repetitive modification. Therefore, the proposed cost estimation approach combines factor analysis (FA), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and artificial neural network with two back-propagation networks, called FAPSO-TBP. In addition, another artificial neural network estimation approach with a single back-propagation network, called FAPSO-SBP, is also established. To verify the proposed FAPSO-TBP approach, comparisons with the FAPSO-SBP and general back-propagation artificial neural network (GBP) are made. The computational results show the proposed FAPSO-TBP approach is very competitive for the product and mold cost estimation problems of plastic injection molding.

Turbocharger Nonlinear Response With Engine-Induced Excitations: Predictions and Test Data

Turbochargers (TCs) aid to produce smaller and more fuel-efficient passenger vehicle engines with power outputs comparable to those of large displacement engines. This paper presents further progress on the nonlinear dynamic behavior modeling of rotor-radial bearing system by including engine-induced (TC casing) excitations. The application is concerned with a semifloating bearing design commonly used in high speed turbochargers. Predictions from the model are validated against test data collected in an engine-mounted TC unit operating at a top speed of 160 krpm (engine speed=3600 rpm). The bearing model includes noncylindrical lubricant films as in a semifloating-ring bearing with an antirotation button. The nonlinear rotor transient response model presently includes input base motions for the measured TC casing accelerations for increasing engine load conditions. Engines induce TC casing accelerations rich in multiple harmonic frequencies; amplitudes being significant at two and four times the main engine speed. Fast Fourier transfor frequency domain postprocessing of predicted nonlinear TC shaft motions reveals a subsynchronous whirl frequency content in good agreement with test data, in particular, for operation at the highest engine speeds. Predicted total shaft motion is also in good agreement with test data for all engine loads and over the operating TC shaft speed range. The comparisons validate the rotor-bearing model and will aid in reducing product development time and expenditures.

Accelerated durability assessment of motorcycle components in real-time simulation testing

The rapid development of the vehicle industry has made reducing product development time a major concern. This study seeks to identify a suitable accelerated approach to durability analysis for motorcycle components. This investigation involves field data acquisition, laboratory road load simulation, accelerated durability testing, and fatigue life prediction. Two methods, ‘strain range editing technique’ and ‘racetrack editing technique’, were applied to edit field strain histories for accelerated durability tests. Furthermore, four methods, including the ‘S–N approach with fatigue property of base metal’, ‘Eurocode 3 approach’, ‘BS 5400 approach’, and ‘BS 5400 approach with Gurney thickness modification’, were employed to assess fatigue life. Three road types and four damage levels were also used. The results demonstrated that the ‘BS 5400 approach with Gurney thickness modification’ is a suitable method of assessing the durability of welded motorcycle components when the fatigue properties of critical points are not available. Both the ‘strain range editing technique’ and ‘racetrack editing technique’ can effectively edit strain histories with the expected quantity of fatigue damage, and demonstrate satisfactory agreement between the experimental data and predicted data.

Updating a Modular Product: How to Set Time to Market and Component Quality

In the face of shorter product life cycles, designing products with modular component parts can shorten product development time and speed up the introduction of new products in the market. Utilizing stylized models, we examine the reuse/redesign, quality, speed-to-market, and marketing decisions for two consecutive generations of a multicomponent modular product. With modularity that assumes a stable product architecture, each component can be improved by incurring a design cost that is convex increasing in the level of quality. Our study generates the following insights. When development start-up (fixed) cost is negligible, it is profitable to upgrade every component part; otherwise, it is beneficial to reuse some of the existing parts without making any design improvements in order to save on development cost. In an effort to reduce product development time while maximizing profit, we found solid evidence that the productivity level in developing every component part can be a key driver of speed-to-market. Individually, a new product launch time postponement and an R&D budget increase can lead to improvements in component part quality and overall product quality, but our models show that better improvement in quality can be achieved from launch time postponement (budget increase) when product design teams have low (high) product development productivity. Finally, when the marginal cost of producing the new product is equal to that of the old product, it is optimal to remove the old product from the market and sell only the new product.

Investigation of polymer inserts as prototyping tooling for micro injection moulding

An increasing number of microfluidic applications linked with a strong demand for low-cost solutions has pushed research activities towards the development of polymer-based microfluidic systems. This requires the use of micro injection moulding technology to accurately replicate polymer micro parts; however, the tooling cost associated with this manufacturing route remains relatively high. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of utilising polymer inserts for prototype tooling in micro injection moulding that can reduce product development time and cost associated with the design and testing of microfluidic systems prior to mass fabrication.

An integrated approach to design for manufacturing and assembly based on reduction of product development time and cost

Time and cost reduction during product development is important to meet the competitiveness in the market. Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) plays a key role in product development, especially in industries like aerospace, wherein variety in component geometry is more. Parts count reduction is one of the basic principles of DFMA. Design for Manufacture (DFM) considerations lead to simplification and standardization of design and manufacturing processes. It also facilitates integration of function and form and optimizes the workflow. This paper outlines the DFMA considerations to sheet metal parts considering factors such as standardization of geometric shapes and integral part design through parts count reduction. A methodology for integration of parts is presented, which is partly interactive, to evolve an integral design from a multipart sub-assembly. The method proposed is applied to a sheet metal parts sub-assembly, and it also compares the time and cost of manufacture and assembly.

An affordable Reverse Engineering framework for innovative rapid product development

Due to rapidly changing and specific needs of customers, product life cycles shorten and the product varieties increase significantly in today's responsive manufacturing environment. Rapid design of new, good quality and innovative products and/or redesign of existing products without detailed design information as well as the needs to reduce product development time become more critical to maintain competitiveness in the market. Reverse Engineering (RE) approach can play promising roles to compress the product development times. This paper proposes a framework for the rapid response product development using RE approach and associated techniques.

Modeling of development time for hydroelectric generators using factor and multiple regression analyses

The pressure to reduce product development time in today’s competitive industrial market has made the need for sound estimation techniques more acute than ever before. This paper reports on work done to construct a parametric model to estimate the time needed to develop future hydroelectric generators. The model uses three factors, namely, product complexity, involvement of partners in the development process, and generator speed. These factors were identified by applying factor analysis, with principal component analysis and varimax rotation to nine candidate factors. The performance of the model was tested in terms of a number of objective criteria. The results indicated that the model has a good accuracy for estimating development time.

FEA-based prediction and experimental validation of clutch transient temperature in automatic transmission

Multiple-disk clutch packs are commonly used in automotive automatic transmissions to transfer power and to change gears. Owing to packaging-space restrictions and performance requests, many clutch packs have non-uniform loading characteristics, resulting in local stress and temperatures much higher than bulk targets. Extremely high local temperatures or temperature gradients in clutch packs can cause frictional material carbonisation, debonding, coning or many other failure modes. This paper describes the development of a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model that is capable of predicting transient temperature in the multiple-disk clutch packs. The FEA predictions are correlated with experimental data. A good agreement, with 5% discrepancy in the clutch pack temperature rise during the first engagement is obtained. The developed method improves the understanding of the heat transfer characteristics during the clutch operating conditions, and reduces product development time and cost.

Physics of Failure as an Integrated Part of Design for Reliability

Summary & ConclusionsAs part of a UK DTI collaborative funded project developing a holistic methodology and assessment model for the enhancement of electronics reliability, a study into the use of Physics of Failure (PoF) methods was undertaken. It was conducted by reviewing the use made of PoF techniques by the partners and specifically by undertaking of a number of case studies. It is concluded that PoF methods, and particularly life modelling, are an essential tool in design for reliability. PoF analysis can also be used in establishing reliability enhancement testing (RET) and environmental stress screening (ESS) conditions. A guide for the effective use and inclusion of the PoF methods into product design and development process has been developed and described. The techniques offer benefits in getting a design right first time, thereby avoiding redesign and retest cycles, with consequent cost savings and reduced product development times. The PoF method has limitations associated with the fact that it is essentially a bottom up approach assessing time to failure due to known failure mechanisms. It is consequently difficult to apply to full systems, has limitations in assessing failure rate prior to the onset of life limiting wear out, and is dependent on identifying, and having a validated model, for all potential failure mechanisms.

Modified Stage‐Gate® Regimes in New Product Development*

The purpose of this research was to explore the nature of the Stage‐Gate®process in the context of innovative projects that not only vary in new product technology (i.e., radical versus incremental technology) but that also involve significant new product development technology (i.e., new virtual teaming hardware‐software systems). Results indicate that firms modify their formal development regimes to improve the efficiency of this process while not significantly sacrificing product novelty (i.e., the degree to which new technology is incorporated in the new offering). Four hypotheses were developed and probed using 72 automotive engineering managers involved in supervision of the new product development process. There was substantial evidence to creatively replicate results from previous benchmarking studies; for example, 48.6% of respondents say their companies used a traditional Stage‐Gate®process, and 60% of these new products were considered to be a commercial success. About a third of respondents said their companies are now using a modified Stage‐Gate®process for new product development. Auto companies that have modified their Stage‐Gate®procedures are also significantly more likely to report (1) use of virtual teams; (2) adoption of collaborative and virtual new product development software supporting tools; (3) having formalized strategies in place specifically to guide the new product development process; and (4) having adopted structured processes used to guide the new product development process. It was found that the most significant difference in use of phases or gates in the new product development process with radical new technology occurs when informal and formal phasing processes are compared, with normal Stage‐Gate®usage scoring highest for technology departures in new products. Modified Stage‐Gate®had a significant, indirect impact on organizational effectiveness. These findings, taken together, suggest companies optimize trade‐offs between cost and quality after they graduate from more typical stage‐process management to modified regimes. Implications for future research and management of this challenging process are discussed. In general, it was found that the long‐standing goal of 50% reduction in product development time without sacrificing other development goals (e.g., quality, novelty) is finally within practical reach of many firms. Innovative firms are not just those with new products but also those that can modify their formal development process to accelerate change.

Validating CSCW strategies and applications for rapid product development in the investment casting process

The aim of this study is to apply and validate a general-purpose working methodology, derived from the analysis of processes which come from two different domains (the field of medicine and the preservation of cultural heritage), in the investment casting process. CSCW methods and tools have proven to be the best ‘gluing tool’ to bond the different activities, and thus heavily exploited during the customization of the general-purpose working methodology. This paper describes a case study performed in an industrial sector and related to the investment casting application field. It was chosen to test methodology and to demonstrate its wide applicability. The case study involved the realization of a centrifugal pump impeller, where the application of this CSCW-based methodology has delivered important results such as the reduction of product development time and the drastic reduction of production costs.

A CAVE-based Multi-Material Virtual Prototyping System

This paper proposes a CAVE-based multi-material virtual prototyping (CMMVP) system for immersive stereoscopic visualisation and optimisation of multi-material layered manufacturing (MMLM) processes. The CMMVP system consists mainly of a suite of software packages for simulation of MMLM processes, integrated with a multi-screen CAVE-based virtual reality (VR) system, to create an immersive virtual environment for digital fabrication of multi-material product prototypes. In comparison with desktop-based or semi-immersive VR systems, the CMMVP system blocks out environmental disturbances such that designers can fully immerse in performing stereoscopic visualisation and quality analysis of the resulting multi-material prototypes for subsequent improvements of a product design. The CMMVP system facilitates advanced product design and helps reduce product development time and cost substantially.

The Effect of the Learning Process in Concurrent Engineering Projects

Product development projects have evolved from the traditional sequential process into Concurrent Engineering (CE), which is known for its ability to reduce product development time and cost, while increasing quality. CE achieves this by overlapping the activities and executing them in parallel, which in return significantly increases iterations. The number of iterations largely depends on uncertainties in the process and learning occurs during the subsequent iterations. In this article, the effect of learning on CE projects is presented. First, the modeling of the activity structure, activity overlapping, and iterations are explained in a CE environment. Then a simulation model, which is developed by using the Arena Simulation package, is presented to test the effect of the learning process in CE projects. The simulation model developed is used to test five well-known learning theories through an extensive amount of data gathered from an industry-based project. The results suggest that all the learning models show similar behavior in terms of number of iterations required for the ultimate learning once their maximum value is reached.

Composition of mismatched web services in distributed service oriented design activities

The composition of heterogeneous web services is a key aspect of usability and applicability of web services in different application domains such as business applications, healthcare, and e-government. Current research has developed different techniques to achieve effective composition of web services. Unfortunately, they fail to ensure a perfect match in the composition of web services. This paper investigates the composition of web services and how to effectively employ web services in the design activities. Objectives of this work are twofold. Firstly, to proposes a new technique that assists users to resolve a mismatch in the composition of web services. Secondly, to implement, validate, and evaluate the proposed technique within the context of design activities thus establishing a workbench called Service Oriented Design Activities (SODA). SODA provides a web-based design infrastructure that allows loosely coupled design teams to collaborate on different services, and to enable them to resolve any mismatch between heterogeneous design services. Other anticipated advantages include interoperability of design services, improving designer capabilities, and the reduction of product development time.

Physics of Failure as an Integrated Part of Design for Reliability

A study of the use of Physics of Failure (PoF) methods was undertaken as part of a collaboratively funded United Kingdom Government Department of Industry (UK DTI) project for developing a holistic methodology and assessment model for the enhancement of electronics reliability. Several case studies were conducted to review the use of PoF techniques. The study concluded PoF methods, and in particular life modeling, are essential tools in design for reliability. PoF analysis can also be used to establish reliability enhancement testing (RET) and environmental stress screening (ESS) conditions. A guide for the effective use and inclusion of the PoF methods in the product design and development process was developed and described. Use of the techniques facilitates accurate design right, thereby avoiding redesign and retest cycles, with consequent cost savings and reduced product development times. The PoF method has limitations. It is essentially a bottom-up approach assessing time to failure due to known failure mechanisms. Consequently, it is difficult to apply to full systems, has limitations in assessing failure rate prior to the onset of life-limiting wear out, and is dependent on identifying and having a validated model for all potential failure mechanisms.