Systematic Engineering Design Research Articles

Systematic engineering design approach for improvement of oil-free twin-screw compressors

Twin-screw compressors are widely used in industry, especially in compressed air, refrigeration, air-conditioning and process gas which consume a significant part of the world’s energy. Nowadays, oil-injected compressors represent the majority of twin-screw compressors in the market due to their high efficiency and reliability. The oil-free compressor is potentially a better solution in the context of the net-zero CO2 target in 2050. However, due to its high thermal deformation and small clearances, this technology still suffers from reliability issues. To remedy this problem disruptive innovative solutions are required. In this purpose, the present study uses a systematic engineering design process to develop new concepts for the improvement of the oil-free twin-screw compressor. The paper is focused on the first two phases of the design process which are the definition of problem and the conceptual design. In the problem definition, main objectives are expressed and are divided into sub-objectives and weighed using an objective tree decomposition. Moreover, a thorough functional model of the oil-free compressor is detailed with a focus on the leakage paths and heat transfers. For the conceptual design, engineering characteristics extracted from the functional analysis have been assessed against the most important objectives using Quality Function Deployment matrices (QFD). Based on the developed problem definition, new concepts have been generated and three distinct concept categories have been further explored: Secondary flow; Surface features; Clearance control and monitoring. The evaluation, embodiment and detailed designs of the concepts, using experimental and numerical analyses will follow.

Conceptual design of a small production plant for eco-friendly packaging

PurposeThis paper aims to present the application of a tailored systematic engineering design procedure to the concept design of a small production plant for compostable packaging made by straw fibres and bioplastic. In particular, the obtained boxes are intended to be used for wine bottles.Design/methodology/approachA systematic procedure has been adopted, which underpins on a comprehensive analysis of the design requirements and the function modelling of the process. By considering well-known models of the engineering design process, the work focuses on the early design stages that precede the embodiment design of the whole components of the plant.FindingsThe followed design approach allowed to preliminarily evaluate different alternatives of the process from a functional point of view, thus allowing to identify the preferred conceptual process solution. Based on the identified functional sequence, a first evaluation of the potential productivity and the required human resources has been performed.Research limitations/implicationsThe procedure shown in this work has been applied only for the considered case of compostable packaging, and other applications are needed to optimize it. Nevertheless, the adopted systematic approach can be adapted for any context where it is necessary to conceive a new production plant for artefacts made by innovative materials.Originality/valueThe work presented in this paper represents one of the few practical examples available in the literature where systematic conceptual design procedures are presented. More specifically, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the very first application of systematic design methods to compostable packaging production.

Natural Fiber Reinforced Composite Material for Product Design: A Short Review.

Natural fibers have attracted great attention from industrial players and researchers for the exploitation of polymer composites because of their “greener” nature and contribution to sustainable practice. Various industries have shifted toward sustainable technology in order to improve the balance between the environment and social and economic concerns. This manuscript aims to provide a brief review of the development of the foremost natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite (NFRPC) product designs and their applications. The first part of the manuscript presents a summary of the background of various natural fibers and their composites in the context of engineering applications. The behaviors of NFPCs vary with fiber type, source, and structure. Several drawbacks of NFPCs, e.g., higher water absorption rate, inferior fire resistance, and lower mechanical properties, have limited their applications. This has necessitated the development of good practice in systematic engineering design in order to attain optimized NRPC products. Product design and manufacturing engineering need to move in a mutually considerate manner in order to produce successful natural fiber-based composite material products. The design process involves concept design, material selection, and finally, the manufacturing of the design. Numerous products have been commercialized using natural fibers, e.g., sports equipment, musical instruments, and electronic products. In the end, this review provides a guideline for the product design process based on natural fibers, which subsequently leads to a sustainable design.

Systematic design of an advanced open-source 3D bioprinter for extrusion and electrohydrodynamic-based processes

The goal of scaffold-based tissue engineering is to create synthetic replacements for natural tissues. Since tissues are comprised of composite structures, it is challenging for a single biomaterial to appropriately mimic the cellular and extracellular natural environment. To incorporate multiple biomaterials into multiphasic scaffolds, additive manufacturing (3D printing) technologies have arisen as a universal scaffold fabrication platform. However, combining multiple printed biomaterials is technically difficult since many printing processes rely on fundamentally different operating principles. Furthermore, commercial equipment is often cost prohibitive, and there remains limited open-source alternatives. To address the lack of equipment, systematic engineering design was applied to build an open-source 3D bioprinter capable of printing with multiple materials using multiple technologies. The design requirements were identified through a user-centred design process with the overarching aim of being a multi-material, multi-technology system while adhering to engineering standards (AS IEC 61010). The system was constructed to be open source, and detailed diagrams, parts lists, computer-aided design (CAD) models, standard operating procedures (SOP’s) and cost breakdowns on each subsystem are provided. To validate and test the design, 4 popular extrusion and electrohydrodynamic printing processes were tested: inks, solution electrospinning, melt electrospinning and melt extrusion. To demonstrate the utility of the Biofabricator for creating multi-material, multi-technology scaffolds, 4 multiphasic scaffolds were designed and presented as case studies. The open-source Biofabricator is an advanced bioprinting platform capable of fabricating multi-material, multi-technology scaffolds to support cutting-edge future research in tissue engineering.

Analysis on the Key Problems of Chinese Cotton Full Mechanization Based on System Engineering Theory

Cotton is the main economic crop in China. The whole process of mechanized cotton production is the decisive factor to ensure the stable and healthy development of China’s cotton industry. In recent years, the willingness to grow cotton has declined due to labor shortages. Based on the current situation of mechanized production in China, this paper analyzes the problems existing in the six major stages of cotton production and draws the key technical factors (technical problems, production problems, agronomic problems) that restrict the whole process of mechanization in China. Based on the theory of system engineering, combined with the development direction of national agricultural mechanization, it is proposed that the large-scale business model, systematic engineering design, and cotton industry chain integration are the main directions for solving problems, which is of great significance to the advancement of agricultural modernization and the realization of smart agriculture.

Systematic engineering design helps creating new soft machines

Soft robotics is an emerging field in the robotics community which deals with completely new types of robots. However, often new soft robotic designs depend on the ingenuity of the engineer rather being systematically derived. For this reason, in order to support the engineer in the design process, we present a design methodology for general technical systems in this paper and explain it in depth in the context of soft robotics. The design methodology consists of a combination of state-of-the-art engineering concepts that are arranged in such a way that the engineer is guided through the design process. The effectiveness of a systematic approach in soft robotics is illustrated on the design of a new gecko-inspired, climbing soft robot.

Generation of design alternatives of vertical passenger seat for standing cabin concept in commercial transport aircraft

Standing cabin concept, whereby the passengers are transported during flight in their standing position, has been proposed as one of the measures to make flying more affordable to the mass public. The vertical seat, or also known as standing seat, is an essential element for the implementation of this new cabin concept as it will determine the compliance to the governing aviation regulations and also the level of safety and comfort for the passengers. Up until now however, there is no vertical seat design that has been approved for use inside the commercial transport aircraft cabin. Therefore, this study presents the generation of alternative designs for the vertical seat through the use of systematic engineering design methodology with the use of supporting design tools such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD) chart and Morphological Matrix. Five alternative concepts of the vertical passenger seat design have been developed for further assessment study to select the best one among them.

Uterine Tamponade Device to Control Atonic Primary Postpartum Haemorrhage in Resource-Poor Settings

This paper proposes and presents the proof of concept for an improvised device adapted from the condom tamponade used for controlling atonic primary postpartum haemorrhage in resource-poor settings. The device has been designed to address the setbacks of the conventional condom tamponade. The setbacks of the condom tamponade were assessed. Using the systematic engineering design process, a device was designed to address the setbacks of the condom tamponade. The device comprises an inflation/deflation system, blood drainage system and clamping system. Results from testing show that for an inexperienced user, the device has quicker inflation (3.36 ± 1.70 minutes/ 500 ml) and faster set-up time (3.60 ± 1.50 minutes), as compared to the conventional condom tamponade. The clamping system of the device also ensures effective control of fluid dynamics and prevents backflow. The device, however, was not tested on human subjects to prove its efficacy for actual treatment of patients. The device also can be easily and quickly set-up and operated by frontline healthcare providers with limited expertise, in resource-poor settings. It has further been designed for safety (use of biocompatible materials and elimination of sharp edges for the parts expected to have direct contact with the uterus).

정보통신 분야 전공탐색을 위한 고교-대학간 연계 R&E 모델 및 사례연구

Since no course is offered in the area of professional ICT(Information & Communication Technology) in the high school curriculum, high school students do not have the opportunity to learn about the ICT engineering area and the possible career paths in the field. Due to this problem, high school students are not motivated to choose ICT majors at university level, and in turn, the ICT departments are struggling to recruit qualified students. In this paper, we present an R&E (research and education) model to mitigate this problem. We also present a case study on the program following the model offered by H university in collaboration with a local high school. Through the program we provided high school students with design and development experiences to solve engineering problems related to the ICT area and tried to attract their attention to ICT majors. The participants of the R&E program were able to experience the systematic engineering design process, ICT tools, teamwork, and communication skills through problem solving procedures. Based on three years of observation and the survey, it was found that more than 76% of students were motivated highly by ICT and engineering majors via the program. The main contribution of the paper is that we have proposed and proved the R&E program model and applied the ICT R&E model to a program to attract qualified students to ICT majors.

A STRATEGY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING OF SYSTEMATIC DESIGN ENGINEERING

Systematic engineering design can use thetools, models and methods recommend by Hubka to helpdesigners, especially in critical situations. These methodscan be applied for novel designing, or for re-designing.In teaching, observations of students revealed difficultiesin applying and formulating “internal and crossboundaryfunctions” of technical systems (TS), and of“operations” in a transformation process (TrfP).A strategy to overcome these difficulties is to introducesufficient theory, then to provide a re-design problem,using an existing commercial device, (a) as a cut-away toshow the inner workings, and (b) as a complete devicethat can be dis-assembled – accompanied by engineeringdrawings of each part, an assembly drawing and anexploded view. Students (1) studied the hardware anddrawings, (2) identified elemental organs, and usefulorgan groups, and (3) wrote their interpretation of whateach organ group is capable of doing – the TS-internaland/or cross-boundary functions, to be represented in aTS-function structure. An example is offered.

Development of Track Wheel for In-pipe Robot Application

At present, the application of pipelines in industries is becoming more severe. The application is not limited for home application only but it can stretch up to thousands of kilometers across countries. Pipelines are used to transport water, sewage, flammable liquid, high pressure gasses and oil. In order to ensure efficient pipelines performance, the pipelines need to undergo routine monitoring, maintenance and repairing activities. However, due to the nature of pipelines that are long, interconnected, and sometimes buried underground or far beneath the sea make it hard to accomplish the tasks. Relying on human labor for the cleaning and maintenance process is not efficient, not safe and not economical. Therefore, there is a strong demand for a robot that can help the cleaning and repairing process in the pipelines. The main aim of this research is to produce an in-pipe robot. This paper will specifically discuss about the development of hardware and software of track wheel for in-pipe robot application. The Caterpillar concept has been chosen to be considered for further development. The Caterpillar that is equipped with special made track wheel is able to move and also climb in pipelines. The scope of this project is limited to 14” inner diameter of UPVC pipe. The development of the wheel track has followed a systematic engineering design process. Experiments have been conducted to validate the software and hardware. As a result, the developed track wheel successfully climbed up to 300 without skidding or slipping. Consequently, the designed track wheel can be considered to be applied as locomotion of the in-pipe robot. The track wheel can be used to move, climb and maneuver the robot in the pipeline smoothly.

Integrated Intelligent Equipment Health Management System to Support Life Cycle Decisions Considering Environmentally Conscious Production

Integrated Intelligent Equipment Health Management System (IIEHMS) is a systematic engineering design Framework that includes multi-functional disciplines (such as mechanical, electrical, optical and software engineering, quality assurance, and manufacturing) with their partners and suppliers works together to achieve a green topology plant with respect to life cycle cost. The proposed structural framework is defined as fitness for operation at any time during plant life cycle. Plant life cycle includes the entire spectrum of activities; beginning with the identification of need and extending through plant design and development, production and/or construction, operational use and sustaining maintenance and support, and plant retirement and material disposal.

TEACHING AND LEARNING MODES FOR DESIGN ENGINEERING

Important learning outcomes include students’ ability for effective communication (verbal and written, but also graphical for sketching and data interpretation) and teamwork. The ability to apply a systematic engineering design method to design or re- design technical systems is not stated, yet that capability distinguishes engineers from scientists, and artistic designing from design engineering. It is to some extent related to creativity. Applying a systematic engineering design method includes the ability to use the engineering sciences heuristically for ‘order-of-magnitude’ and ‘what-if’ estimates of future configurations. This requires understanding the physical behavior of phenomena, individually and in their relationships, both by ‘visual feel’ and by mathematical exploration, in a student’s development of expertise. These requirements indicate a need for change in the teaching and learning procedures and methods, departing from the mainly science-oriented lecturing and examination assessment that has been conventional, and therefore changes in the curriculum. A guiding premiss, also valid for design engineering, is formulated by Klaus: ‘Both theory and method emerge from the phenomenon of the subject’.

Project dynamics and emergent complexity

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of project dynamics and emergent in new product development (NPD) projects subjected to the management concept of concurrent engineering. To provide a comprehensive study, the frameworks, theories and measures that have been developed in organizational theory, systematic engineering design and basic scientific research are reviewed. For the evaluation of emergent in NPD projects, an information-theory quantity--termed effective measure complexity (EMC)--is selected from a variety of measures, because it can be derived from first principles and therefore has high construct validity. Furthermore, it can be calculated efficiently from dynamic generative models or purely from historical data, without intervening models. The EMC measures the mutual information between the infinite past and future histories of a stochastic process. According to this principle, it is particularly interesting to evaluate the time-dependent in NPD and to uncover the relevant interactions. To obtain analytical results, a model-driven approach is taken and a vector autoregression (VAR) model of cooperative work is formulated. The formulated VAR model provided the foundation for the calculation of a closed-form solution of the EMC in the original state space. This solution can be used to analyze and optimize based on the model's independent parameters. Moreover, a transformation into the spectral basis is carried out to obtain more expressive solutions in matrix form. The matrix form allows identification of the surprisingly few essential parameters and calculation of two lower bounds. The essential parameters include the eigenvalues of the work transformation matrix of the VAR model and the correlations between components of performance fluctuations.

THE USE OF RAPID PROTOTYPING IN UNDERGRADUATE DESIGN EDUCATION

The building and testing of physical prototypes has always been a key phase of the engineering design process. Often, students rush to the prototype stage with insufficient modeling and analysis. As a result, the process resembles “trial and error” more than systematic engineering design. Furthermore, engineering schools lack the facilities and students lack the skills to construct more than very crude prototypes with little resemblance to the CAD models or to the final design. On the other hand, engineering schools typically have state-of-the-art CAD software. As an alternative to physical prototyping, the emphasis is shifting to “virtual” prototyping using CAD models and simulation. Many design attributes like appearance, performance, etc. can be established through simulation with a high degree of reliability. Furthermore, the recent availability of low cost rapid prototyping technology makes it possible to quickly and easily produce physical parts directly from the CAD model. The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Engineering has recently established a rapid prototyping facility for undergraduate design projects. The facility is available to students from all programs and years. The facility is professionally managed by technicians from University Machine Services (UMS). Several rapid prototyping technologies are available, including Fused Deposition Modelling (Stratasys FDM 3000 and Stratasys Vantage SE) and 3D printing (Z-Corp Z510 3D Printer). The Z-Corp 3D printer is capable of processing a batch of parts with a total volume of 1120 cubic inches in 20 hours, at a cost in materials of under $5 per cubic inch. The Z-Corp printer has a resolution of 600 dpi and 256 colours, and is capable of accurately reproducing all the colours on a CAD model including texture maps. To have a part made, students simply save their CAD model as a VRML file, and submit the file for processing. Jobs are batched, and the machine is setup and run by UMS personnel. Some finishing work is completed by the students. The anticipated turnaround time is a day or two, and the typical prototype cost is under $50. These services became available in January 2006. The final paper will include experiences gained over the coming weeks.

Analysis of systematic engineering design paradigms in industrial practice: Scaled experiments

In a forerunner paper (Spitas, C., 2010, Analysis of systematic engineering design paradigms in industrial practice: A survey. Journal of Engineering Design), it was shown that engineering design, as applied in industrial practice, can be characterised in terms of three different paradigms including the abstraction-to-detail paradigm mostly associated with systematic design. Further insights into the usage of each paradigm were obtained by means of a survey. However, further study is needed to penetrate into the reasons that make each paradigm unique, and thus uniquely advantageous in different contexts. To this end, the human intellectual process behind systematic design is studied and reduced to four different activities, namely analysis, heuresis, evaluation, and choice. An understanding of these activities helps to explain the properties associated with the different design paradigms and their strengths and weaknesses. This analysis is supported by a set of scaled experiments conducted with volunteers to quantify critical pertinent aspects of the intellectual process. The insight gained by these results, also in consideration of the previous survey results, allows a plausible explanation of the observed discrepancy between the formal systematic design theory and many current design practices in the industry.

Theory of Technical Systems – Relationships to Engineering Sciences

Products (process or tangible systems) are defined with reference to standard ISO9000:2005. Designing products with a substantial engineering content, technical systems (TS), means to fully describe them ready for manufacture – in detail and assembly drawings, parts lists, adjustment instructions, customer instructions, etc. Designing must take into account all recognized requirements, especially implied and stated requirements for the designing-manufacturing-distributing organization, the intended transformation process (TrfP), and all other phases of the TS-life cycle, including societal norms, economic considerations, etc. The theory of technical systems (TTS) and its associated engineering design science (EDS) provides a framework for design considerations about engineering products, including the technology, TS-life cycle, properties, and other aspects of artificial transformations and their operators. The triad ‘theory - subject - method’ suggests that a systematic enginee-ring design method can be derived from TTS and EDS, to augment the usual intuitive design procedure, especially where the design problem is not routine. Engineering sciences are essential in this design process, (a) for analysis of existing systems and/or proposals for synthesis of designed systems, and (b) to assist as heuristics during design synthesis. Design synthesis is the more difficult operation, it requires iterative working. Several case examples have been published to demonstrate the application of the recommended systematic design method. Some of the relationships between engineering sciences and systematic design processes are explored to show their interdependence, and the need to provide a wider context in this area.

Analysis of systematic engineering design paradigms in industrial practice: A survey

The engineering design process is analysed and different contributing paradigms are identified, including the abstraction-to-detail paradigm mostly associated with systematic design. This analysis is supported by a questionnaire-based survey of design engineers to evaluate the industry's perception and use of systematic design paradigms. The insight gained by these results helps build an understanding of the observed discrepancy between the formal systematic design theory and many current design practices in the industry.

THE DESIGN OF EDDY-CURRENT MAGNET BRAKES

The eddy-current is created by the relative motion between a magnet and a metal (or alloy) conductor. The current induces the reverse magnetic field and results in the deceleration of motion. The proposed mechanism implements this phenomenon in developing a braking system. The potential applications of the braking system can be a decelerating system to increase the safety of an elevator or any guided rail transportation system. To provide scientific investigation for industrial application of magnetic braking, this study presents four systematic engineering design scenarios to design a braking system. The constant magnetic field is the simplest and easiest design to implement. The optimal magnetic field distribution is obtained by minimizing the deceleration effort. The piecewise-constant magnetic field distribution offers a compromise between performance and magnetic field requirements. The advantages of the section-wise guide rail are tolerable deceleration; and simple design requirement and manufacturing processes. In the study, an experimental braking system using constant magnetic field is build to demonstrate the design procedure.

Engineering Design for Six Sigma—a systematic approach

AbstractWhile the concept of engineering design is well established and clearly defined, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is a relatively new concept aiming at Six Sigma performance by improved design activity. There are different engineering design models available in the literature which characterize design stages and thereby describe how engineering design activity can be systematized. The actual connection of DFSS with the more established contents of engineering design activity has been less emphasized in the literature. By reviewing the existing literature this paper clarifies the contributions of DFSS to the different stages of a systematic engineering design process. First engineering design models available in the literature are presented and the choice for one systematic design process is motivated. This process is then used as a reference for where and how DFSS contributions can take place. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.