A study of information & knowledge generated during engineering design meetings

During the design process, there is a wealth of information generated, and although it may not be obvious at the time, this information can be extremely useful at a later instance when it may be no longer available. Many information capture solutions utilise tools such as video and media capture, incorporating the idea that if you capture all information then you will not miss anything. However, this creates another problem. Not all the information captured will be useful, therefore how can you distinguish the information that is useful from information that is not? The challenge many organisations face is how to capture and store valuable informal information in a way that is both simple and efficient, whilst remaining unobtrusive to the designers involved and without inhibiting the design activities. Through the undertaking of a series of case studies and test scenarios, it is possible to observe, identify and evaluate the various degrees of information and knowledge being generated and passed amongst design engineering teams whilst performing design activities in meeting situations. Using multi-media recording equipment and observation techniques, insight can be gained into the decision making process design engineering teams encounter during the course of a design project, and thus it is possible to evaluate where improved techniques can be applied to enhance the recording of information for re-use

A reflective approach to learning in a global design project

This paper describes a three-week project run jointly between the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, MA and Stanford University, CA. The purpose of this class was to provide students with an understanding of the technological and organisational issues involved in global product development teams, and to provide an experience which would prepare them for work in such environments. Reflective learning techniques were applied, including reviews of relevant literature, analyses of case studies, and a critical review of the completed project. The main result of this approach was that students had a more considered attitude towards the project process than in typical, more output-focussed student design assignments. This was crucial given the cultural and pedagogical variations across institutions. The Global Team Design Project was successful, particularly for the first year of implementation, and provides a potential framework that other institutions could employ in similar project classe

Establishing a Euro-Asia Network in Design and Manufacture Through Eu Projects

In an era of rapid economic growth and industrial development in developing countries in Asia, engineering education systems in these countries are under increasing pressure to meet the demands of the local labour markets. At the same time there is a lack of interest from students in engineering in Europe. With support from the Asia-Link Programme of European Commission, three projects on engineering design and manufacture, led by the University of Strathclyde, have been undertaken by eleven Institutions in nine countries in both Europe and Asia. These projects aim at establishing a European and Asian (EUROASIA) network in engineering design and manufacture, contributing to the demands of today’s multinational engineering industries, and promoting local development through engineering education for both Asia and Europe. One project has been successfully completed, and the other two projects are still ongoing. Overall, this network in engineering design and manufacture has been successfully built up; the proposed deliverables and achievements have been made; and the impact in the engineering sectors of Asian partner countries is positive and remarkable

The Problems of Feature Representation in Product Models

Workshop on Current Problems in Features Research, Bristol University, 14 August 1992

Rapid prototyping using the selective sintering process

Examines the process of selective laser sintering [SLS] for rapid prototyping. Begins with a brief history of [SLS] then describes the main components of the SLS system, the build materials which are used and the actually process operating cycle by which models are produced. Looks at the 3‐D CAD data preparation and factors affecting the quality of the models. Concludes that selective laser sintering is a continually developing process and in particular much effort is being spent on the development of new materials for the models