Set-Based Concurrent Engineering Model for Automotive Electronic/Software Systems Development

Organised by: Cranfield UniversityThis paper is presenting a proposal of a novel approach to automotive electronic/software systems development. It is based on the combination of Set-Based Concurrent Engineering, a Toyota approach to product development, with the standard V-Model of software development. Automotive industry currently faces the problem of growing complexity of electronic/software systems. This issue is especially visible at the level of integration of these systems which is difficult and error-prone. The presented conceptual proposal is to establish better processes that could handle the electronic/software systems design and development in a more integrated and consistent manner.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Compan

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

Set-based design of mechanical systems with design robustness integrated

This paper presents a method for parameter design of mechanical products based on a set-based approach. Set-based concurrent engineering emphasises on designing in a multi-stakeholder environment with concurrent involvement of the stakeholders in the design process. It also encourages flexibility in design through communication in terms of ranges instead of fixed point values and subsequent alternative solutions resulting from intersection of these ranges. These alternative solutions can then be refined and selected according to the designers’ preferences and clients’ needs. This paper presents a model and tools for integrated flexible design that take into account the manufacturing variations as well as the design objectives for finding inherently robust solutions using QCSP transformation through interval analysis. In order to demonstrate the approach, an example of design of rigid flange coupling with a variable number of bolts and a choice of bolts from ISO M standard has been resolved and demonstrated

Comparing concurrent engineering approaches: set-based versus point-based

Neste trabalho são comparados, por meio de modelagens matemáticas, os resultados econômicos do emprego de duas estratégias de gestão do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos: engenharia simultânea ponto a ponto (point-based), na qual se conduz o desenvolvimento por meio de melhorias a partir de um único conceito inicial, e a engenharia simultânea baseada em conjunto de alternativas (set-based), em que o desenvolvimento se dá em paralelo a partir de um conjunto de alternativas inicialmente viáveis. Modelos matemáticos foram desenvolvidos para comparar o desempenho econômico de projetos de novos produtos sob diferentes condições de incertezas técnicas e de ambiente de negócios. Análises de risco e do time-to-market também foram desenvolvidas. O principal resultado foi a obtenção do mapeamento de regiões estratégicas, definidas por condições do projeto e do ambiente de negócios. Tal mapeamento apresenta implicações gerenciais no sentido de que possibilita a determinação da melhor estratégia a ser empregada em cada inovação, conhecidas as condições do projeto e do ambiente de negócios. Os resultados apontam o set-based como a estratégia mais econômica para gerenciar projetos sob condições mais desfavoráveis, além de grandes superioridade e robustez com relação aos níveis de risco e de time-to-market.En este estudio se comparan, por medio de modelos matemáticos, los resultados económicos del empleo de dos estrategias de gestión del proceso de desarrollo de productos: la ingeniería concurrente point-based, en que se conduce el desarrollo por medio de mejoras desde un único concepto inicial, y la ingeniería concurrente basada en conjunto de alternativas (set-based), donde los trabajos del proceso de desarrollo ocurren en paralelo a partir de un conjunto de conceptos inicialmente viables. Los modelos matemáticos fueron desarrollados con el objetivo de comparar el desempeño económico de proyectos de nuevos productos según diferentes condiciones de incertidumbres técnicas y de ambiente de negocios. También se desarrollaron análisis de riesgo y de time-to-market. Como principal resultado, se obtuvo la identificación de regiones estratégicas, definidas por condiciones del proyecto y del ambiente de negocios. Dicha identificación tiene implicaciones directivas, dado que permite determinar la mejor estrategia a aplicarse para cada innovación, conocidas las condiciones del proyecto y las características del ambiente de negocios. Los resultados señalan el set-based como la estrategia más económica para administrar proyectos con condiciones más desfavorables, asimismo, presenta gran superioridad y robustez con respecto a los niveles de riesgo y de time-to-market.This study compares, applying mathematical modeling, the economic results of the employment of two strategies of new product development management: Point-Based Concurrent Engineering which conducts the development through improvements from an unique initial concept and Set-Based Concurrent Engineering where the development process works in parallel from a set of initially viable concepts. Mathematical models were developed to compare the economic performance of new product projects with different technical uncertainties and business environment conditions. Time-to-market and risk analyses are also developed. The main result is the strategic regions mapping, defined by project and business environment conditions. Such mapping brings managerial implications because it determines the best strategy to be employed in any innovation, well-known the project and the business environment characteristics. The results show Set-Based as the most economic strategy to manage projects under the most unfavorable conditions besides presenting great superiority and robustness regarding the risk levels and time-to-market

The application of set-based concurrent engineering to enhance the design performance of surface jet pump

Set-Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE) is an approach that has the capability to improve the efficiencies of the product development process. SBCE provides an environment where design space is explored thoroughly which lead to enhance innovation. This is achieved by considering an alternative set of solutions after gaining the right knowledge to support decision to narrow down the set of solutions until the single optimal design solution is reached. This paper presents a novel application SBCE in order to generate alternative design to enhance the efficiency of the Surface Jet Pump (SJP) in term of its productivity and performance of producing the oil and gas in oil and gas well

The Dark Side of Concurrent Design: A Story of Improvisations, Workarounds, Nonsense and Success

The Concurrent Design is a powerful way to harmonize the work of many specialists in an iterative manner, especially in the early phases of a development project. Several agencies and industry in the space sector as well as related academic institutions are applying this Systems Engineering methodology increasingly for the last two decades. Concurrent Design is a customer-oriented, result-driven approach which facilitates both creativity and structured processes by continuously guided and highly-interactive working sessions. It is a serious business in which efficiency and effectiveness are given high priority in order to reduce time and cost of the design activity. All of this is true. However, what happens when you put between 15 and 30 very well educated people in one room? What happens when mechanical engineers instantly have to use a model-based systems engineering tool although their last software course was Fortran and took place about 20 years ago? How does it end if four different nationalities discuss in a fifth language (i.e. English) the various applicable methods for option selection- and decision making processes in a study. And can you imagine what happens if scientists talk to engineers (and vice versa) about the minimum required and maximum desired scientific output of an exploration mission? It could go into chaos. But it does not need to. The present paper describes a set of e.g. technical, infrastructural, social and cultural issues, which may rise and rose already in Concurrent Design studies. It points out the major important steps of how to handle them in general, based on experiences. Special attention is given to the fact, that with such a diverse set-up of experts, using various (new) tools within a complex multi-media environment, the key is a good atmosphere amongst the people and the awareness that the dark side of concurrent engineering could appear everywhere and should be turned into: fun

Design Methods in the Aerospace Industry: Looking for Evidence of Set-Based Methods

Overview: - Introduction - What is set-based concurrent engineering (SBCE)? - Investigating aerospace industry design practices - Lessons and recommendationsResearch Sponsored by the Lean Aerospace Initiativ

Analysing the effect of lean on the performance of NPD projects using system dynamics modelling

To be able to survive in today’s fast-changing market environment companies are looking for innovative ways to improve the performance of their new product development (NPD) processes. However, uncertainty and rework are among characteristics of NPD which make them difficult to manage. Implementing lean in NPD is an innovative approach to address this issue. Using system dynamics approach to model set-based concurrent engineering as a fundamental element of lean product development, this paper shows the positive effect on of adopting this strategy on the time, cost and quality of NPD projects, in comparison with the traditional point-based design

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