Enhancing design learning using a digital repository

The process of design is context dependent and open-ended, and therefore does not revolve around a specific body of information or knowledge. The educational paradigm shift in the area of engineering design from teaching to coaching and the increased use of social constructivist learning ideals requires students to have access to as wide a range of information as possible. Digital resources provide an excellent opportunity for extending the range of information available to design students and to this end, as part of a joint research program with Stanford University, the University of Strathclyde has developed a groupware product called LauLima to provide students with a collaborative environment which allows them to gather, organise, store and share information. This paper describes the improvement to design learning, based on a Design Knowledge Framework, in a 3rd year product design engineering project from session 03/04 to 04/05 which has been facilitated by the implementation of this technology

Student search behaviour in a digital library

This paper covers student search behaviour in a digital library. It was presented at the eighth international conference of engineering and product design education, in Salzburg, in 2006

TikiWiki: a tool to support engineering design students in concept generation

For student design engineers, the concept generation stage of the design process is usually one of most creative, but poses problems in handling large amounts of information when developing new ideas. Storing such information digitally potentially makes its retrieval and utilisation quicker and easier - ideal for the inherently spontaneous nature of the concept generation task. There is, however, currently a low use of existing electronic resources amongst undergraduate students. This paper discusses how a group of product design engineering students were encouraged to use TikiWiki, a groupware product, as an integral part of a design project. It was observed that a digital repository has a positive effect on concept generation, despite the logistical problems with moving information into the digital domain. Students were able to better interact with the information, evidenced by hierarchical and well constructed topic information resources, a high number of ‘hits’ on their Wiki pages, clear references to information used in concept design templates and instances of ‘topic-led’ designs where the research carried out by a group clearly influenced design direction. Additionally, students showed a strong preference for browsing the structured Wiki pages they had created rather than searching with keywords, in keeping with the open-ended nature of concept generation

Modelling and representation of dimensions and tolerances: a survey

The paper reviews the literature on the computer modelling of dimensions and tolerances. The success of manufacturing industries is becoming more dependent on the efficient management of large amounts of product data. Included in this data is information that defines the nominal shape of a product and its dimensions and tolerances. Although representation schemes for nominal geometry are now relatively mature, there is no universally recognized representation scheme for a product's dimensions and tolerances. The paper examines recent approaches to tolerance representation, and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each

Framework of an integrated tolerance synthesis model and using FE simulation as a virtual tool for tolerance allocation in assembly design

Nominal dimensions may not be achievable during manufacturing processes, due to technological or financial limitations. Therefore, tolerance allocation is of significant importance for successful assembly. The information required to allocate tolerances for complex parts and assemblies is, however, generally not available at the initial design-stage. The research on tolerance synthesis has, therefore, been conducted to develop methods, algorithms and processes, with primary focus on manufacturing, assembly, cost and quality issues. In the reported research, a framework was proposed to compile available information for developing an integrated tolerance synthesis model and a step-by-step tolerance allocation process. Architecture of the model and the process would provide a foundation for the development of a tolerance synthesis software. The research has also been extended to explore the applications of FE simulation, as a virtual tool, to the prediction of the influence of geometric tolerances on the part distortions for complex part-forms and assembly design

Combining FE and tolerance synthesis for aesthetic assembly design of flexible components

This paper is about combining FE and tolerance synthesis for aesthetic assembly design of flexible components