The integration of rapid prototyping within industrial design practice

Three-dimensional appearance models represent an essential outcome of industrial design practice, facilitating the origination, evaluation and specification of exterior form. As manufacturers face increasing pressure to reduce time scales for new product development, the production of such models using conventional fabrication techniques must be appraised. As a means of economically translating digital geometry into one-off components, rapid prototyping has the potential to contribute towards a reduction in lead times for the production of appearance models. The objective of this research is to propose a methodological approach for the effective integration of rapid prototyping within industrial design practice. The field and practice of industrial design is defined, the technology of rapid prototyping discussed, and their integration proposed through a draft computer-aided industrial design/rapid prototyping (CAID/RP) methodological approach. This is exposed to practitioner feedback, modified, and employed as a revised CAID/RP methodological approach during the industrial design of a nylon line trimmer. The product outcome is used to compare and contrast the production of an appearance model via rapid prototyping, an appearance prototype via rapid prototyping, and an appearance model via conventional fabrication techniques. Two issues arise from the use of the revised CAID/RP methodological approach: the production of stl files and the lack of physical interaction with product form. In addition, the emergence of rapid prototype sketch modelling systems following the line trimmer case study provides an opportunity for further enhancement. A strategy for the resolution of these issues is proposed, and their effectiveness evaluated through additional case studies. The resulting CAID/RP methodological approach is subject to validation through practitioner interviews and a normalised rating/weighting method. The positive feedback acknowledges the significance of the CAID/RP methodological approach through a reduction in product development lead times and enhancement of professional practice. The project makes a contribution to new knowledge and understanding in the area of professional practice through the definition and validation of operational paradigmatic change

Adaptive Manufacturing for Healthcare During the COVID-19 Emergency and Beyond

During the COVID-19 pandemic, global health services have faced unprecedented demands. Many key workers in health and social care have experienced crippling shortages of personal protective equipment, and clinical engineers in hospitals have been severely stretched due to insufficient supplies of medical devices and equipment. Many engineers who normally work in other sectors have been redeployed to address the crisis, and they have rapidly improvised solutions to some of the challenges that emerged, using a combination of low-tech and cutting-edge methods. Much publicity has been given to efforts to design new ventilator systems and the production of 3D-printed face shields, but many other devices and systems have been developed or explored. This paper presents a description of efforts to reverse engineer or redesign critical parts, specifically a manifold for an anaesthesia station, a leak port, plasticware for COVID-19 testing, and a syringe pump lock box. The insights obtained from these projects were used to develop a product lifecycle management system based on Aras Innovator, which could with further work be deployed to facilitate future rapid response manufacturing of bespoke hardware for healthcare. The lessons learned could inform plans to exploit distributed manufacturing to secure back-up supply chains for future emergency situations. If applied generally, the concept of distributed manufacturing could give rise to “21st century cottage industries” or “nanofactories,” where high-tech goods are produced locally in small batches

Design in Motion: The Everyday Object and the Global Division of Design Labour

The practice of design has become obscured by global networks of production, circulation, and consumption. Traditional design studies tend to focus on high-profile products, presenting heroic designers as the primary authors of works of design. This approach is inadequate for understanding design in the late-twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Contemporary design is better understood as an iterative and distributed process of give-and-take among actors, human and non-human, including people, tools, places, and ideas. It is a process that is influenced by conditions along the commodity chain that fall outside of the designers traditionally recognized sphere. This research demonstrates that commonly held conceptions of designers as sole authors and of design work as a largely intellectual, creative activity distanced from manufacturing, misrepresent the real practices and relations of design labour in the current global economy. Two object ethnographies follow the production, circulation, and consumption of everyday, mass-produced goods: the Vanessa steel-toe boot by Mellow Walk and the Non Stop flatware by Gourmet Settings. These case studies map networks of design labour across continents, countries, cities, and generations. Primary research includes 18 interviews, observations of environments and practices, and the analysis of material evidence. This process reveals actors whose contributions have typically been omitted from design history, and describes practices of design that contest traditional depictions of designers, design work, and evidence thereof. This research contributes a fuller and more accurate understanding of the range of creative labour and labourers involved in the design and development of goods for global markets while challenging the view of these goods as placeless and culture-free. I respond to the call by design historians to extend the scope of designs histories beyond the West, and I build on the work of design and creativity scholars who identify design thinking outside of recognized design roles. My work challenges established hierarchies of design, including who is permitted to design, which countries are perceived as superior sources of design and manufacturing expertise, and the hand-head dichotomy that underwrites how we think about design and that has been entrenched in traditional conceptions of manufacturing and the global division of labour. Understanding how the work of design is distributed and how it has changed in response to globalization gives insight into the politics of production and consumption

3D printing in tourism : an answer to sustainability challenges?

Purpose: The paper aims to explore the potential for using 3D printing technology as a more sustainable tool in various areas of the tourism and hospitality industry in Cyprus. Design/methodology/approach: For the purpose of this study, qualitative research was conducted to explore the potential for 3D printing technology deployment in Cyprus and specifically in tourism and hospitality settings. Interviews were conducted with industry professionals and practitioners using a snowball sampling method. Findings: The tourism and hospitality industry currently uses 3D printing technology mainly to assist with the restoration of cultural heritage, sites but there is significant potential to implement 3D printing more widely in support of other building work, souvenirs and food items. Originality/value: The paper explores current applications and the wider potential for using 3D technology in building, restoration of cultural heritage, souvenirs and food-related printing that together could contribute to a more sustainable tourism and hospitality industry in Cyprus

Critical appraisal of product development expertise in Irish SMEs

The focus of this research was on the product development expertise of Irish SMEs. In particular, SMEs developing physical products (a physical product is defined as an electronic, medical device, plastic or general engineering product). A survey of Irish SMEs was conducted across industry sectors developing physical products with the objective of understanding how indigenous SMEs and therefore Ireland is progressing towards becoming a knowledge economy. SME characteristics (customers and markets, organisational structures, systems, processes and procedures, human and financial resources, culture and behaviour) were researched and used to understand the issues SMEs have with product development (PD research is mostly considered from the perspective of large companies). In relation to product development: strategy, innovation and learning, strategic techniques, organisational structure, product development process design, types of product development processes, tools and methodologies, technology, intellectual property, change management, marketing and branding and performance measurement were all examined. Survey items (variables) were identified from the literature review and used to create a survey designed based on ‘best practice’ PD and SME characteristics. This survey was conducted based on identified survey best practice in order to increase response rate and went through two pre-tests and a pilot before the final study. Descriptive analysis, reliability/consistency analysis and regression analysis were conducted on the constructs of product development. Specific relationships identified in the literature review were examined. The results of this analysis revealed that Irish SMEs are operating in a ‘Knowledge Based Development’ or learning environment. They carry out many of the techniques associated with various tools and methodologies but reported no use of these T&M which could aid their approach. There is a high use of technology, especially CAD and technology is mostly developed within the product development process. There was a high use of Cross Functional Teams and in general strategy and fuzzy front end/voice of the customer usage was carried out well. There were no issues with change management and in relation to intellectual property the use of an IP policy, strategy and portfolios was low. Generally, Irish SMEs are ready to reach the next stage of company evolution by linking ‘organisational (innovation) processes’

A comparison of measurement reliability between a sonic digitizer and a tape measure on a complex three-dimensional object

Digitizers and scanners have begun to replace traditional devices for measuring three dimensional objects. However, there is a shortage of relevant research to compare digitizer tools with other measuring devices. The objective of this study was to compare the measurement reliability of a sonic digitizer to a traditional measuring tool, the tape measure, for measuring a complex, three-dimensional object. It was hypothesized that: H1 Data from measurements with the digitizer vary less than data from measurements with a tape measure at the 0.05 level of significance. H2 The data from eight complex surface measurements taken with a digitizer vary less than data from a tape measure at the 0.05 level of significance. Locations on a complex three-dimensional object which replicated a human body (a half-size dress form) were selected for measurement. Measurements were made by individuals who had experience in measuring the human body with a tape measure. The digitizer was a more reliable (i.e. showed less variability) measurement tool than a tape measure for five measurement locations on the complex object, especially for the object\u27s poorly-defined areas. Measurement data from one location with body landmarks (center front) had less variability with the tape measure than with the digitizer tool. The measurements with the two tools did not show overall differences in mean values (tool x location) when examined with a two-way analysis of variance. However, when using the Levene\u27s ANOVA Transformation, variances of location and tool by location effects were significant. Based on the statistical analysis, both hypotheses were supported by the results and were accepted

Mass Production Processes

It is always hard to set manufacturing systems to produce large quantities of standardized parts. Controlling these mass production lines needs deep knowledge, hard experience, and the required related tools as well. The use of modern methods and techniques to produce a large quantity of products within productive manufacturing processes provides improvements in manufacturing costs and product quality. In order to serve these purposes, this book aims to reflect on the advanced manufacturing systems of different alloys in production with related components and automation technologies. Additionally, it focuses on mass production processes designed according to Industry 4.0 considering different kinds of quality and improvement works in mass production systems for high productive and sustainable manufacturing. This book may be interesting to researchers, industrial employees, or any other partners who work for better quality manufacturing at any stage of the mass production processes