Rapid prototyping for biomedical engineering: current capabilities and Challenges

A new set of manufacturing technologies has emerged in the past decades to address market requirements in a customized way and to provide support for research tasks that require prototypes. These new techniques and technologies are usually referred to as rapid prototyping and manufacturing technologies, and they allow prototypes to be produced in a wide range of materials with remarkable precision in a couple of hours. Although they have been rapidly incorporated into product development methodologies, they are still under development, and their applications in bioengineering are continuously evolving. Rapid prototyping and manufacturing technologies can be of assistance in every stage of the development process of novel biodevices, to address various problems that can arise in the devices' interactions with biological systems and the fact that the design decisions must be tested carefully. This review focuses on the main fields of application for rapid prototyping in biomedical engineering and health sciences, as well as on the most remarkable challenges and research trends

A design framework for the mass customisation of custom-fit bicycle helmet models

Mass customisation (MC) can provide significant benefits to the customers. For example, custom-fit design approaches can improve the users’ perceived comfort of products where the fit is an important feature. MC can also bring major value to the producers, where for instance, premium prices can be implemented to the products. Research show that MC can bring competitive advantages especially when the system is new. It is therefore surprising that MC of helmets has not been studied more extensively, especially given the advances in 3D scanning, computational analyses, parametric design, and additive manufacturing techniques. The purpose of this study was to present a novel MC framework for the design of custom-fit bicycle helmet models. In the proposed design framework, we first categorized a subset of the Australian population into four groups of individuals based on their similar head shapes. New customers were then classified inside one of these groups. The customisation took place inside these groups to ensure that only small variations of the helmet liner were implemented. During the design process, the inside surfaces of a generic helmet model was modified to match the customer's head shape. We demonstrated that all the customized models created complied with the relevant drop impact test standard if their liner thickness was between the worst and best case helmets of each group. Fit accuracy was verified using an objective evaluation method. Future work should include detailed description of the manufacturing methods engaged in our MC framework

Modular product design and customization

Organised by: Cranfield UniversityThe paper deals with modular design architecture and its capabilities for easy and fast customization in products. The basic principles of modularity are mentioned and the most known methodologies and tools for modular product design are reported. The way modularity can facilitate a product’s customization is being addressed. With the help of a modular real test case, a motorcycle helmet, the capabilities of modularity in customization are illustrated and a customization procedure is described. The conclusions drawn in the final section of the paper indicate that although many modular design methods exist none of them is capable to provide the optimum design solution. However, all of these methods undeniably facilitate the customization of products.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Compan

Design methos for the control of products' design architecture

Objective of the present study is the development of design methods for the control of products‘ architecture in order to obtain modular designs. Towards this target, an integrated approach is proposed, investigating the design architecture from two aspects: the -functions to parts- mapping as well as the point of view related to parts‘ interactions. For the first aspect, an approach utilizing Axiomatic Design Theory is described in order to control the design architecture with regards to the -functions to parts- mapping. As far as the second aspect is concerned, two indexes are developed quantifying the design architecture in terms of the parts‘ interactions perspective. Furthermore, an algorithm for clustering of product‘s parts into clusters/modules is introduced. The algorithm utilizes Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Design Structure Matrices (DSMs). The aforementioned developments were incorporated into a CAD based software tool, having as objective the support of modular design. Its main functions are: (a) DSM generation from product CAD model, (b) calculation of the aforementioned indexes, (c) facilitation of clustering and (d) representation of clustered DSM in CAD form. Application of the tool to real case studies from the automotive industry, provide an evaluation of the developed methods. The main outcome of the present work is the integrated approach that was proposed and realized through the software tool, which integrates methods for the handling of a product‘s design architecture. This process assists in real time (during the design process) design engineers to the generation of modular designs. The evaluation of the case studies reveals the efficiency of the proposed approach to produce such designs and validates its applicability to industry

Public-Private Partnership

202 σ.Η παρούσα Διπλωματική Εργασία έχει ως αντικείμενο το θεσμό των Συμπράξεων Δημοσίου και Ιδιωτικού Τομέα (ΣΔΙΤ). Στα πλαίσια αυτής γίνεται η ανάλυση των βασικών χαρακτηριστικών τους, παρουσιάζονται και αναλύονται οι μορφές που συναντώνται στην Ελλάδα αλλά και την υπόλοιπη Ευρώπη, παρουσιάζεται το θεσμικό πλαίσιο που τις διέπει, τα συγκριτικά πλεονεκτήματα και μειονεκτήματα σε σχέση με τις συνήθεις συμπράξεις, τα χρηματοδοτικά εργαλεία που χρησιμοποιούνται και οι μέχρι σήμερα εφαρμογές τους στην Ελλάδα.The present thesis is concerned with the institution of Partnerships Public Private Partnership (PPP). Within this analysis is the basic characteristics are presented and analyzed the forms found in Greece and the rest of Europe, presented the institutional framework governing, comparative advantages and disadvantages compared with the usual arrangements, financial instruments used and applications to date in Greece.Παναγιώτης Α. Πανδρεμένο

Energy Efficient Process Planning System – The ENEPLAN Project

Part 1: SustainabilityInternational audienceThe key factor to success, towards a competitive energy consumption reduction, is the effective involvement of SMEs both in the use of more efficient machines and in the Design of an Environment for new products. A specific product can be manufactured in different ways, based on cost optimization rather than on production flexibility and energy efficiency with the involvement of different suppliers. The ENEPLAN project aims at the development of a digital and real, energy-efficient, multi-process, networked, manufacturing system, adapted to the functional specifications of metal formed or machined parts for automotive, aeronautic and domestic appliances. Seventeen partners, coming from seven European countries and the participation of OEMs, SMEs, RTD and technology providers, who work jointly to deliver through ENEPLAN a manufacturing planning decision support tool (meta-CAM tool), for the optimization of the plant operation. This tool will be used from the conceptual phase of the product (final blueprints) to its final dispatch to the customer. This paper will provide a short overview of the ENEPLAN project and its ongoing developments, while the existing results will be presented and discussed and the next steps will be described