A collaborative platform for integrating and optimising Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis requests

A Virtual Integration Platform (VIP) is described which provides support for the integration of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis tools into an environment that supports the use of these tools in a distributed collaborative manner. The VIP has evolved through previous EU research conducted within the VRShips-ROPAX 2000 (VRShips) project and the current version discussed here was developed predominantly within the VIRTUE project but also within the SAFEDOR project. The VIP is described with respect to the support it provides to designers and analysts in coordinating and optimising CFD analysis requests. Two case studies are provided that illustrate the application of the VIP within HSVA: the use of a panel code for the evaluation of geometry variations in order to improve propeller efficiency; and, the use of a dedicated maritime RANS code (FreSCo) to improve the wake distribution for the VIRTUE tanker. A discussion is included detailing the background, application and results from the use of the VIP within these two case studies as well as how the platform was of benefit during the development and a consideration of how it can benefit HSVA in the future

A framework for green manufacturing practicies in small and medium enterprises in Malaysia

Green Manufacturing Practices (GrMP) is a term used to describe manufacturing practices that do not harm the environment during any part of the manufacturing process. It emphasizes the use of processes that do not pollute the environment or harm consumers, employees, or other members of the community. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are moving toward sustainable alternatives through GrMP method. It stresses on critical factors such as organisational style, eco-knowledge, business environment, society influences, supply chain management and technology network. Large size industries are more compelled to do so compared to SMEs due to the fact that they are more influential with better organizational management and good financial stability compared to SMEs. However, SMEs are trying to adapt GrMP as a mandatory process, but lack of proper framework which guide them for implementation. Therefore, this study developes the framework of GrMP for local SMEs. The study involves enablers and barriers in implementing GrMP from previous literatures. This work formulate a framework based on relationship between criticals factors with enablers and barriers. 59 of respondents from local industries in Malaysia were selected as respondents based on six of critical factors divided into two parts which are enablers and barriers. The questionnaire are designed based on this. Survey were evaluated by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, in terms of correlation, reliability, central tendency and variability testing. The finding on this study in the term of framework will help SMEs to implementing GrMP. Framework formulate relates the critical factors from previous literature and enablers and barriers from survey based on perception of industries expert. GrMP for SMEs are the first step of environmental awareness and ecological responsibilties

Design and implementation of an integrated surface texture information system for design, manufacture and measurement

The optimised design and reliable measurement of surface texture are essential to guarantee the functional performance of a geometric product. Current support tools are however often limited in functionality, integrity and efficiency. In this paper, an integrated surface texture information system for design, manufacture and measurement, called “CatSurf”, has been designed and developed, which aims to facilitate rapid and flexible manufacturing requirements. A category theory based knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation mechanism has been devised to retrieve and organize knowledge from various Geometrical Product Specifications (GPS) documents in surface texture. Two modules (for profile and areal surface texture) each with five components are developed in the CatSurf. It also focuses on integrating the surface texture information into a Computer-aided Technology (CAx) framework. Two test cases demonstrate design process of specifications for the profile and areal surface texture in AutoCAD and SolidWorks environments respectively

An ontology-based approach for semantic level information exchange and integration in applications for product lifecycle management

During product lifecycle management (PLM), product information fromCAD/CAE applications regularly needs to be exchanged and shared between the variousapplications. However, these applications often have different product data semantics andcorresponding representations. The interoperability problem caused by the heterogeneoussemantics and data representation is critical and needs to be addressed and automated.Recent research has focused on integration frameworks for CAD/CAE applications inorder to improve interoperability. There are fundamental problems that still need to beaddressed.We identified the following important roadblocks and sought to address thesespecifically in our work: 1) The need for an adequate product knowledge representationof engineering design/analysis, which is easily expandable, and customizable fortraditional and non-traditional (e.g. virtual prototyping) design information systems thatalso allows the sharing of product data semantics across all these heterogeneous systemsto support distributed, collaborative engineering capabilities; 2) The need for a way togenerate product data semantics by using engineering design/analysis knowledge tointerpret actual product data 3) The need for a way to reconcile the differences in thedifferent product semantics by finding underlying similarities between differentknowledge representations that are from different viewports and reconcile, and use thesesimilarities to then translate product data semantics correctly.This dissertation proposes an ontology-based approach for a semantic levelexchange and integration to improve interoperability, which includes an ontologybuilding tool, ontology mapping tools and custom tools to associate ontologies to prductdata. For the purpose of semantic level integration, a way of representing engineeringdesign/analysis knowledge using an engineering ontology is proposed. A layeredstructure is used for building knowledge into engineering ontologies so as to improve thescalability and composition adaptivity. Based on the knowledge, a semantic layer is builtupon product data to use concepts/relations in ontologies to describe actual product data,which can be used to represent understandings about a product design from differentperspectives. To enable translating different understandings (product data semantics)using different ontologies, an ontology mapping method is proposed to find matchingconcepts between different ontologies, based on three basic relation types betweenconcepts: composition, inheritance and attribute.A scenario is explained to describe the working mechanism of the system and todemonstrate the concept of semantic level integration framework for a simple example. Asample assembly is designed and simulated in different software packages and anintegrated process is made to exchange information between them. The scenariosuccessfully demonstrates the ontology based approach

An IoT based industry 4.0 architecture for integration of design and manufacturing systems.

This paper proposes an Internet of Things (IoT) based 5-stage Industry 4.0 architecture to integrate the design and manufacturing systems in a Cyber Physical Environment (CPE). It considers the transfer of design and manufacturing systems data through the Cloud/Web-based (CW) services and discusses an effective way to integrate them. In the 1st stage, a Radio-Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology containing Computer Aided Design (CAD) data/models of the product with the ability to design / redesign is scanned and sent to a secure Internet/Cloud Server (CS). Here the CAD models are auto identified and displayed in the Graphical User Interface (GUI) developed for the purpose. From the scanned RFID CAD data/models, the 2nd stage adopts unique machine learning technique(s) and identifies the design & manufacturing features information required for product manufacture. Once identified, the 3rd stage handles the necessary modelling changes as required to manufacture the part by verifying the suitability of process-based product design through user input from the GUI. Then, it performs a Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP) sequence in a secure design cloud server designed using web-based scripting language. After this, the 4th stage generates Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) toolpaths by continuous data retrieval of design and tooling database in the web server by updating the RFID technology with all the information. The various processes involved the 3rd and 4th stages are completed by using ‘Agents’ (a smart program) which uses various search and find algorithms with the ability to handle the changes to the process plan as required. Finally, the 5th stage, approves the product manufacture instructions by completing the production plan with the approved sheets sent to the Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine. In this article, the proposed architecture is explained through the concept of IoT data transfer to help industries driving towards Industry 4.0 by improving productivity, reducing lead time, protecting security and by maintaining internationals standards / regulations applied in their workplace

A process model in platform independent and neutral formal representation for design engineering automation

An engineering design process as part of product development (PD) needs to satisfy ever-changing customer demands by striking a balance between time, cost and quality. In order to achieve a faster lead-time, improved quality and reduced PD costs for increased profits, automation methods have been developed with the help of virtual engineering. There are various methods of achieving Design Engineering Automation (DEA) with Computer-Aided (CAx) tools such as CAD/CAE/CAM, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Knowledge Based Engineering (KBE). For example, Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools enable Geometry Automation (GA), PLM systems allow for sharing and exchange of product knowledge throughout the PD lifecycle. Traditional automation methods are specific to individual products and are hard-coded and bound by the proprietary tool format. Also, existing CAx tools and PLM systems offer bespoke islands of automation as compared to KBE. KBE as a design method incorporates complete design intent by including re-usable geometric, non-geometric product knowledge as well as engineering process knowledge for DEA including various processes such as mechanical design, analysis and manufacturing. It has been recognised, through an extensive literature review, that a research gap exists in the form of a generic and structured method of knowledge modelling, both informal and formal modelling, of mechanical design process with manufacturing knowledge (DFM/DFA) as part of model based systems engineering (MBSE) for DEA with a KBE approach. There is a lack of a structured technique for knowledge modelling, which can provide a standardised method to use platform independent and neutral formal standards for DEA with generative modelling for mechanical product design process and DFM with preserved semantics. The neutral formal representation through computer or machine understandable format provides open standard usage. This thesis provides a contribution to knowledge by addressing this gap in two-steps: • In the first step, a coherent process model, GPM-DEA is developed as part of MBSE which can be used for modelling of mechanical design with manufacturing knowledge utilising hybrid approach, based on strengths of existing modelling standards such as IDEF0, UML, SysML and addition of constructs as per author’s Metamodel. The structured process model is highly granular with complex interdependencies such as activities, object, function, rule association and includes the effect of the process model on the product at both component and geometric attributes. • In the second step, a method is provided to map the schema of the process model to equivalent platform independent and neutral formal standards using OWL/SWRL ontology for system development using Protégé tool, enabling machine interpretability with semantic clarity for DEA with generative modelling by building queries and reasoning on set of generic SWRL functions developed by the author. Model development has been performed with the aid of literature analysis and pilot use-cases. Experimental verification with test use-cases has confirmed the reasoning and querying capability on formal axioms in generating accurate results. Some of the other key strengths are that knowledgebase is generic, scalable and extensible, hence provides re-usability and wider design space exploration. The generative modelling capability allows the model to generate activities and objects based on functional requirements of the mechanical design process with DFM/DFA and rules based on logic. With the help of application programming interface, a platform specific DEA system such as a KBE tool or a CAD tool enabling GA and a web page incorporating engineering knowledge for decision support can consume relevant part of the knowledgebase

A REVIEW OF INTELLIGENT CNC CONTROLLER DEVELOPMENT BASED ON STEP-NC

In the contemporary Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) machine tools of Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and CNC process conducted by a number of inter-related operations and parameters using G Codes and M codes set as RS274 or ISO 6983 standard. However, this programming language does not explicitly relate to each other to have control of arbitrary locations other than the motion of the block-by-block. STEP-NC is the extension to STEP, Standard for Exchange Product model data. This determines the neutral data format for digital information from a product. STEP-NC standard is on how information about CNC machining can be added to parts represented in the STEP product model data. In this paper is to review and explore the making of interoperable CNC manufacturing is then provided relating milling, turning, turn-mill through the development of information models for products, processes and new machining system controller developed base on new standard ISO 14649 standard and ISO 10303, which related to data modeling for CNC features, process planning, and machine tool. It is expected that this paper will meet a step towards the requirements for global interoperable manufacturing for real-life machining system

UML Based Specifications of PDM Product Structure and Workflow

International audienceThe paper deals with the use of UML approach for the specification of a PDM system. A PDM enables the management of the product data about its entire lifecycle. The main goal of the paper is to highlight the added value of in using an object-oriented approach to modelling and implementing a PDM in a business case study. The chosen object-oriented approach and the used UML diagrams for themodelling and integration of product, process, and resource data is detailed for a turboprop aircraft project

Modeling and Representation of Geometric Tolerances Information in Integrated Measurement Processes

Modeling and representation of geometric tolerances information across an enterprise is viable due to the advances in Internet technologies and increasing integration requirements from industry. In Integrated Measurement Processes (IMP), geometric tolerances data model must support different models from several well-defined standards: including ASME Y14.5M-1994, STEP, DMIS, and others. In this paper, we propose a layered conformance level geometric tolerances representation model. This model uses the widely applied ASME Y14.5M-1994 as its foundation layer by abstracting most information from this standard. The additional geometric tolerances information defined by DMIS and STEP is incorporated into this model to form corresponding conformance layers that support IMP. Thus, different application domains in an enterprise can use this data model to exchange product information. This model is further transformed with XML Schema that can be used to generate XML instance file to satisfy geometric tolerances representation requirements in IMP