Integrating post-manufacturing issues into design and manufacturing decisions

An investigation is conducted on research into some of the fundamental issues underlying the design for manufacturing, service and recycling that affect engineering decisions early in the conceptual design phase of mechanical systems. The investigation focuses on a system-based approach to material selection, manufacturing methods and assembly processes related to overall product requirements, performance and life-cycle costs. Particular emphasis is placed on concurrent engineering decision support for post-manufacturing issues such as serviceability, recyclability, and product retirement

Product and process information interactions in assembly decision support systems

A characteristic of concurrent engineering is the intensive information interchange between areas that are involved through the product life cycle. Shared information structures to integrate different software applications have become necessary to support effectively the interchange of information. While . much work has been done into the concepts of Product and Manufacturing Models, there is a need to make them able to support Assembly related activities. The research reported in this thesis explores and defines the structures of a Product Model and. a Manufacturing Model to support assembly related information. These information models support the product development process, especially during the early stages of the product life cycle. The structures defined for the models allow information interactions between them and with application software; these interactions are essential to support an effective concurrent environment. The Product Model is a source and repository of the product information, whilst the Manufacturing Model holds information about the manufacturing processes and resources of an enterprise. A combination of methods was proposed in order to define the structure for the information models. An experimental software system was created and used to show that the structure defined for the Product Model and the Manufacturing Model can support· a range of assembly-related software applications through the concurrent development of the product, system and process, from conceptual design through to planning. The applications implemented in the experimental system were Design for Assembly and Assembly Process Planning. The real data used for the tests was obtained from an industrial collaborator who manufactures large electrical machines. This research contributes to the understanding of. the general structural requirements of the decision support systems based on information models, and to the integration of Design for Assembly and Assembly Process Planning

Agent collaboration in a multi-agent-system for analysis and optimization of mechanical engineering parts

In mechanical engineering, designers have to review a designed artefact iteratively with different domain experts, e.g. from manufacturing, to avoid later changes and find a robust, optimized design. To support the designer, knowledge-based engineering offers a set of approaches and techniques that formalize and implement engineering knowledge into generic product models or decision support systems. An implementation which satisfies especially the concurrent nature of today's design processes and allow for multi-objective decision-making is multi-agent systems. Such systems consist of entities that are capable of autonomous action, interact intelligently with their environment, communicate and collaborate. In this paper, such a multi-agent system is discussed as extension for a computer-aided design software where the agents take the role of domain experts, like e.g. manufacturing technologists and make suggestions for the optimization of the design of mechanical engineering parts. A focal point is set on the collaboration concept of the single agents. Therefore, the paper proposes the use of an action-item-list as central information and knowledge sharing platform. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V

Architecting Networked Engineering Systems

The primary goal in this dissertation is to create a new knowledge, make a transformative influence in the design of networked engineering systems adaptable to ambitious market demands, and to accommodate the Industry 4.0 design principles based on the philosophy that design is fundamentally a decision making process. The principal motivation in this dissertation is to establish a computational framework that is suitable for the design of low-cost and high-quality networked engineering systems adaptable to ambitious market demands in the context of Industry 4.0. Dynamic and ambitious global market demands make it necessary for competitive enterprises to have low-cost manufacturing processes and high-quality products. Smart manufacturing is increasingly being adopted by companies to respond to changes in the market. These smart manufacturing systems must be adaptable to dynamic changes and respond to unexpected disturbances, and uncertainty. Accordingly, a decision-based design computational framework, Design for Dynamic Management (DFDM), is proposed as a support to flexible, operable and rapidly configurable manufacturing processes. DFDM has three critical components: adaptable and concurrent design, operability analysis and reconfiguration strategies. Adaptable and concurrent design methods offer flexibility in selection of design parameters and the concurrent design of the mechanical and control systems. Operability analysis is used to determine the functionality of the system undergoing dynamic change. Reconfiguration strategies allow multiple configurations of elements in the system. It is expected that proposed computational framework results in next generation of networked engineering systems, where tools and sensors communicate with each other via the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors data would be used to create enriched digital system models, adaptable to fast-changing market requirements, which can produce higher quality products over a longer lifetime and at a lower cost. The computational framework and models proposed in this dissertation are applicable in system design, and/or product-service system design. This dissertation is a fundamental research and a way forward is DFDM transition to the industry through decision-based design platform. Decision-based design platform is a step toward new frontiers, Cyber-Physical-Social System Design, Manufacturing, and Services, contributing to further digitization

An Application of Artificial Intelligence for Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing

Presented at the International Conference on Computational Engineering Science: Supercomputing in Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design, Mauna Lani, HI, July 30 - August3, 1995.The knowledge required to integrate aircraft manufacturing characteristics and constraints into the structural design process is beyond the proficiency of a single engineer. Concurrent Engineering (CE) enables the integration of design with manufacturing to permit trades based not only on product performance, but also on other criteria not easily evaluated, such as producibility and support. A decision support system, or Knowledge-Based System, that can direct manufacturing issues during the preliminary design process would be an invaluable tool for system designers. The objective of this technical paper is to clearly describe the development of a Knowledge-Based System (KBS) for the determination of manufacturing processes for selected airframe structural components for the wing of the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). The KBS evolving with this research will be utilized within an integrated design environment along with existing tools to demonstrate its functionality as a design tool. The system will empower engineers to design the strongest, lightest possible wing structure at the least cost that meets the load-carrying requirements for a specified aircraft range. The paper outlines the knowledge- and rule-base development required to build the KBS. The interfaces and relations to CAD packages, external synthesis and analysis codes, as well as links to cost estimating software and methods are discussed

The design co-ordination framework : key elements for effective product development

This paper proposes a Design Co-ordination Framework (DCF) i.e. a concept for an ideal DC system with the abilities to support co-ordination of various complex aspects of product development. A set of frames, modelling key elements of co-ordination, which reflect the states of design, plans, organisation, allocations, tasks etc. during the design process, has been identified. Each frame is explained and the co-ordination, i.e. the management of the links between these frames, is presented, based upon characteristic DC situations in industry. It is concluded that while the DCF provides a basis for our research efforts into enhancing the product development process there is still considerable work and development required before it can adequately reflect and support Design Co-ordination

Integrated product relationships management : a model to enable concurrent product design and assembly sequence planning

The paper describes a novel approach to product relationships management in the context of concurrent engineering and product lifecycle management (PLM). Current industrial practices in product data management and manufacturing process management systems require better efficiency, flexibility, and sensitivity in managing product information at various levels of abstraction throughout its lifecycle. The aim of the proposed work is to manage vital yet complex and inherent product relationship information to enable concurrent product design and assembly sequence planning. Indeed, the definition of the product with its assembly sequence requires the management and the understanding of the numerous product relationships, ensuring consistency between the product and its components. This main objective stresses the relational design paradigm by focusing on product relationships along its lifecycle. This paper gives the detailed description of the background and models which highlight the need for a more efficient PLM approach. The proposed theoretical approach is then described in detail. A separate paper will focus on the implementation of the proposed approach in a PLM-based application, and an in-depth case study to evaluate the implementation of the novel approach will also be given

Knowledge creation and visualisation by using trade-off curves to enable set-based concurrent engineering

The increased international competition forces companies to sustain and improve market share through the production of a high quality product in a cost effective manner and in a shorter time. Set‑based concurrent engineering (SBCE), which is a core element of lean product development approach, has got the potential to decrease time‑to‑market as well as enhance product innovation to be produced in good quality and cost effective manner. A knowledge‑based environment is one of the important requ irements for a successful SBCE implementation. One way to provide this environment is the use of trade‑off curves (ToC). ToC is a tool to create and visualise knowledge in the way to understand the relationships between various conflicting design parame ters to each other. This paper presents an overview of different types of ToCs and the role of knowledge‑based ToCs in SBCE by employing an extensive literature review and industrial field study. It then proposes a process of generating and using knowledg e‑based ToCs in order to create and visualise knowledge to enable the following key SBCE activities: (1) Identify the feasible design space, (2) Generate set of conceptual design solutions, (3) Compare design solutions, (4) Narrow down the design sets, (5) Achieve final optimal design solution. Finally a hypothetical example of a car seat structure is presented in order to provide a better understanding of using ToCs. This example shows that ToCs are effective tools to be used as a knowledge sou rce at the early stages of product development process

An assembly oriented design framework for product structure engineering and assembly sequence planning

The paper describes a novel framework for an assembly-oriented design (AOD) approach as a new functional product lifecycle management (PLM) strategy, by considering product design and assembly sequence planning phases concurrently. Integration issues of product life cycle into the product development process have received much attention over the last two decades, especially at the detailed design stage. The main objective of the research is to define assembly sequence into preliminary design stages by introducing and applying assembly process knowledge in order to provide an assembly context knowledge to support life-oriented product development process, particularly for product structuring. The proposed framework highlights a novel algorithm based on a mathematical model integrating boundary conditions related to DFA rules, engineering decisions for assembly sequence and the product structure definition. This framework has been implemented in a new system called PEGASUS considered as an AOD module for a PLM system. A case study of applying the framework to a catalytic-converter and diesel particulate filter sub-system, belonging to an exhaust system from an industrial automotive supplier, is introduced to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed AOD methodology

Principles for aerospace manufacturing engineering in integrated new product introduction

This article investigates the value-adding practices of Manufacturing Engineering for integrated New Product Introduction. A model representing how current practices align to support lean integration in Manufacturing Engineering has been defined. The results are used to identify a novel set of guiding principles for integrated Manufacturing Engineering. These are as follows: (1) use a data-driven process, (2) build from core capabilities, (3) develop the standard, (4) deliver through responsive processes and (5) align cross-functional and customer requirements. The investigation used a mixed-method approach. This comprises case studies to identify current practice and a survey to understand implementation in a sample of component development projects within a major aerospace manufacturer. The research contribution is an illustration of aerospace Manufacturing Engineering practices for New Product Introduction. The conclusions will be used to indicate new priorities for New Product Introduction and the cross-functional interactions to support flawless and innovative New Product Introduction. The final principles have been validated through a series of consultations with experts in the sponsoring company to ensure that correct and relevant content has been defined