bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Quantitative Analysis of the Evolution of Design Automation Conference Fields
Authors: Mekhilef Mounib , Longueville Barthe´lemy
Published: July 2008

A quick look to the literature related to “Design” points out the fact that traditional fields are covered by a huge quantity of concepts and sub-topics dealing with various research fields. Some of these fields and related concepts are emerging and others are disappearing. The last two decades provided a large variations in the covered fields—probably because of the computers capacity and the knowledge sharing using the internet- We are convinced that is time now for a global understanding of the evolution of the related preoccupations in order to start a new phase that deals with the next guidelines issues in design. Many researchers and gurus have proposed evolution schemes from an epistemological point of view. However, we believe that we still need a pragmatic analysis of what have been done and what is going on now in the various publications that deals with design, conferences and journals. To do so, we present in this paper an approach that lies on the systematic analysis of the International Design Engineering Technical Conference (IDETC-ASME), the Design Conference, the Integrated Design and Manufacturing in Mechanical Engineering (IDMME) and the International Conference in Engineering Design (ICED). We also consider the major reviews and journals related to design such as Computer-Aided Design, Journal of mechanical design and many others. Our proposition, presents a global overview that shows the time-evolution of the topics, the density production, the emerging areas and concepts. We show then that some topics remain with a great interest and other are in a decreasing period. A specific study of what is going on within the Design Automation Conference is provided and an open discussion is started.
Optimization of Chemical Etching Process in Niobium Cavities
Authors: Trabia Mohamed B. , Culbreth William , Subramanian Satishkumar , Tajima Tsuyoshi
Published: July 2008

Superconducting niobium cavities are important components of linear accelerators. Buffered chemical polishing (bcp) on the inner surface of the cavity is a standard procedure to improve its performance. The quality of bcp, however, has not been optimized well in terms of the uniformity of surface smoothness. A finite element computational fluid dynamics (cfd) model was developed to simulate the chemical etching process inside the cavity. The analysis confirmed the observation of other researchers that the sections closer to the axis of the cavity received more etching than other regions. A baffle was used by lanl personnel to direct the flow of the etching fluid toward the walls of the cavity. A new baffle design was tined using optimization techniques. The redesigned baffle significantly improves the performance of the etching process. To verify these results an experimental setup for flow visualization was created. The setup consists of a high speed, high resolution ccd camera. The camera is positioned by a computer-controlled traversing mechanism. A dye injecting arrangement is used for tracking the fluid path. Experimental results are in general agreement with computational findings.
A Recursive, Line-Intersection Method for Finding the Area of a Mesh Projected Onto a Plane
Authors: Chen Yifan , Buttolo Pietro , Rankin James , Tonshal Basavaraj
Published: July 2008

In this paper, we describe a new approach for computing the area of a mesh projected onto a plane. This approach utilizes the graphics hardware’s line/object intersection capability and a recursive subdivision strategy to achieve performance and precision control. This approach starts from digitizing the projection plane into a grid of rectangular elements. For each element the graphics engine is utilized to check whether projection lines passing through the nodes of the element intersect the object in the model space. If all lines intersect the object, the element is considered “inside” and its area will be accounted towards the final projection area. If none of the lines has an intersection, the element is considered “outside” and discarded. For those elements that lay along the boundary of the projected area (which means some of their lines intersect the model while others don’t) we subdivide them until they are sufficiently small and the given area tolerance is met. Heuristics are derived for deciding the initial grid resolution and the level of subdivisions needed to meet/exceed a given area tolerance. Implementation results are demonstrated and compared with a classic polygon-clipping approach.
DRed and Design Folders: A Way of Capturing, Storing and Passing On Knowledge Generated During Design Projects
Authors: Bracewell Rob H. , Ahmed Saeema , Wallace Ken M.
Published: July 2008

This paper describes a software tool called DRed (the Design Rationale editor), that allows engineering designers to record their design rationale (DR) at the time of its generation and deliberation. DRed is one of many proposed derivatives of the venerable IBIS concept, but by contrast with other tools of this type, practicing designers appear surprisingly willing to use it. DRed allows the issues addressed, options considered, and associated arguments for and against, to be captured graphically. The software, despite still being essentially a research prototype, is already in use on high profile design projects in an international aerospace company, including the presentation of results of design work to external customers. The paper compares DRed with other IBIS-derived software tools, to explain how it addresses problems that seem to have made them unsuitable for routine use by designers. In addition to the capture and presentation of the DR itself, the set of linked DR graphs can be used to provide a map of the contents of an electronic Design Folder, containing all the documents created by an individual or team during a design project. The structure of the knowledge model instantiated in such a Design Folder is described. By reprising a design case study published at the DTM 2003 conference, concerning the design of a Mobile Arm Support (MAS), the DRed knowledge model is compared with the previously proposed Design Data Model (DDM), to show how it addresses the shortcomings identified in the DDM. Finally the methodology and results of the preliminary evaluation of the use of DRed by aerospace designers are presented.
Development of a Production Cost Estimation Framework for Product Family Design
Authors: Park Jaeil , Simpson Timothy W.
Published: July 2008

The main task of a product family designer is to decide the right components/design variables to share among products to maintain economies of scale with minimum sacrifice in the performance of each product in the family. The decisions are usually based on several criteria, but production cost is of primary concern. Estimating the production cost of a family of products involves estimating the production cost of each product in the family including the cost effects of common and variant components/design variables in the family. In this paper, we introduce a production cost estimation framework for product family design based on Activity-Based Costing (ABC), which is composed of three stages: (1) allocation, (2) estimation, and (3) analysis. In the allocation stage, the production activities that are necessary to produce all of the products in the family are identified and modeled with an activity table, a resource table, and an activity flow. To allocate the activities to products, a product family structure is represented by a hierarchical classification of the items that form the product family. In the estimation stage, production costs are estimated by converting the production activities to costs using key cost drivers that consume main resources. In the analysis stage, components/design variables for product family design are investigated with resource sharing methods through activity analysis. As an example, the proposed framework is applied to estimate the production cost of a family of cordless power screwdrivers.
A Conceptual Design Synthesis Framework for Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
Authors: Deng Y.-M. , Lu W. F.
Published: July 2008

It is well recognized that conceptual design is the most critical stage of product development process. Yet, existing MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) design synthesis models or methods are very restrictive in supporting MEMS conceptual design, in that they are only applicable to specific or specific types of designs, where building blocks for design synthesis have to be pre-specified by the designers. To address this problem, this paper proposes a MEMS conceptual design synthesis framework, which consists of a behavior representation that caters for the multidisciplinary MEMS design characteristics and a design synthesis strategy that is able to explore multidisciplinary phenomena for the development of MEMS initial design concepts. The behavior representation incorporates information of both physical interactions and chemical/biological/other reactions that take place during a MEMS device’s behavioral process. The design synthesis is accomplished by both forward and backward synthetic search strategies in identifying the relevant phenomena for the development of the desired behavioral processes. The framework can be used to develop both the physical structure of a MEMS device and the substances that are necessary for the chemical/biological/other reactions. A software prototype implementing the proposed framework is also presented, followed by a MEMS design case study.
A Knowledge-Based System for Change Impact Analysis
Authors: Ben Ahmed Walid , Mekhilef Mounib , Bigand Michel , Page Yves
Published: July 2008

Due to the increasing complexity of the modern industrial context in an evolutionary environment, several changes (e.g. new technology, new system, human errors, etc.) may affect road safety. Analyzing the change impact on design requirements is a complex task especially when it deals with complex systems such as Vehicle Safety Systems (VSS). To handle a change impact analysis in road safety field, VSS designers require a specific knowledge stemmed from accidentology. In this paper, we develop a multi-view model of the road accident, which is crucial to extract the required knowledge. Indeed, this multi-view model allows the analysis of the impact of a given change on the Driver-Vehicle-Environment system from different viewpoints and on different grain of size. This allows an efficient approach to detect exhaustively the perturbations due to the change and thereby to anticipate and handle their effects. We use a Knowledge Engineering approach to implement the multi-view model in a Knowledge-Based System providing accidentologists and VSS designers with an efficient tool to carry out an analysis of change impact on analysis design requirements.
Creative Design, Issues and Strategies
Authors: Xu Zhi-Gang
Published: July 2008

In this paper, three points are emphasized to cope with computational creative design, decomposition, mapping and reconstitution (D-M-R for short), which is proposed to cope with divergent exploration, automatic transformation and convergent exploitation. It could be concluded that, management of creative process is the key issue to develop creative computational design tools; and the modeling of design tools could facilitate the creative thought processes. Although creative work need the tension between building and breaking out of intellectual traditions, the creative activity in CAD systems need large knowledge base to support design activities and is capable of learning. The decomposition, mapping and reconstitution model could be a common exploration, transformation and exploitation procedure for management of computational design tools, therefore helpful for creative work; specifically packages of design tools have been developed to testify creativity in design practices, and the relationship between creativity and automation.
On the Use of Kriging Models to Approximate Deterministic Computer Models
Authors: Martin Jay D. , Simpson Timothy W.
Published: July 2008

The use of kriging models for approximation and metamodel-based design and optimization has been steadily on the rise in the past decade. The widespread usage of kriging models appears to be hampered by (1) the lack of guidance in selecting the appropriate form of the kriging model, (2) computationally efficient algorithms for estimating the model’s parameters, and (3) an effective method to assess the resulting model’s quality. In this paper, we compare (1) Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE) and Cross-Validation (CV) parameter estimation methods for selecting a kriging model’s parameters given its form and (2) and an R2 of prediction and the corrected Akaike Information Criterion for assessing the quality of the created kriging model, permitting the comparison of different forms of a kriging model. These methods are demonstrated with six test problems. Finally, different forms of kriging models are examined to determine if more complex forms are more accurate and easier to fit than simple forms of kriging models for approximating computer models.
Decomposition-Based Assembly Synthesis of Space Frame Structures Using Joint Library
Authors: Lyu Naesung , Saitou Kazuhiro
Published: July 2008

This paper presents a method for identifying the optimal designs of components and joints in the space frame body structures of passenger vehicles considering structural characteristics, manufacturability and assembleability. Dissimilar to our previous work based on graph decomposition, the problem is posed as a simultaneous determination of the locations and types of joints in a structure and the cross sections of the joined structural frames, selected from a predefined joint library. The joint library is a set of joint designs containing the geometry of the feasible joints at each potential joint location and the cross sections of the joined frames, associated with their structural characteristics as equivalent torsional springs obtained from the finite element analyses of the detailed joint geometry. Structural characteristics of the entire structure are evaluated by finite element analyses of a beam-spring model constructed from the selected joints and joined frames. Manufacturability and assembleability are evaluated as the manufacturing and assembly costs estimated from the geometry of the components and joints, respectively. The optimization problem is solved by a multi-objective genetic algorithm using a direct crossover. A case study on an aluminum space frame (ASF) of a middle size passenger vehicle is discussed.
Design for Project Change Management: Part 2 — Attribute Design
Authors: Xue D. , Cheing S. Y. , Gu P.
Published: July 2008

This research introduces a new systematic approach to identify the optimal design configuration and attributes to minimize the potential construction project changes. The second part of this paper focuses on the attribute design aspect. In this research, the potential changes of design attribute values are modeled by probability distribution functions. Attribute values of the design whose construction tasks are least sensitive to the changes of these attribute values are identified based upon Taguchi Method. In addition, estimation of the potential project change cost due to the potential design attribute value changes is also discussed. Case studies in pipeline engineering design and construction have been conducted to show the effectiveness of the introduced approach.
An Integrated Robust Design and Marketing Approach for Product Design Selection Process
Authors: Besharati B. , Luo L. , Azarm S. , Kannan P. K.
Published: July 2008

We present an integrated engineering design and marketing approach to facilitate the selection of a robust set of product designs to carry forward to the prototype stage. Our approach considers variability (i.e., noise or uncertainty) in both (i) engineering design domain, and (ii) customer preferences in marketing domain, to prune a set of design alternatives to a manageable size. In the design domain, our approach evaluates performance and feasibility robustness of a design alternative when there are variations in uncontrollable parameters. The goal of our approach in the design domain is to obtain a set of design alternatives that shows the best possible performance while maintaining feasibility even if the alternatives are subject to applications and environments that are different from their standard laboratory conditions (i.e., nominal parameter values). In the marketing domain, our approach considers the impact of performance variations in different usage situations and conditions on customer preferences and the uncertainties and sampling errors in estimating customer preferences. In addition, competitive products and their positions are considered in pruning the set of design alternatives. We illustrate our approach in the context of the design of a cordless power tool example, which highlights the advantages of using our approach.
Structural Topology Optimization Under Impact Loads Using Beam Ground Structures
Authors: Soto Ciro A.
Published: July 2008

This work presents a methodology to find the optimal topology of a three-dimensional structure subject to impact loads, using the approach of ground structure. The method uses of the concept of topology optimization as a material allocation problem, which has been successfully used in the past to design structures modeled with shell and solid finite elements in the automotive industry. A simple example is shown to demonstrate the method.
Toward an Information Management Infrastructure for Product Family Planning and Mass Customization
Authors: Shooter Steven B. , Simpson Timothy W. , Kumara Soundar R. T. , Stone Robert B. , Terpenny Janis P.
Published: July 2008

Complex new product development requires numerous decisions by many individuals and groups, which are often geographically and temporally distributed. There is a need to share and coordinate distributed resources and synchronize decisions, and recent advances in information technology (IT) pose an untapped potential for assisting in the capture, storage, retrieval and facilitated use of product development information. We exploit IT to address this problem through the proposed approach to Product Family Planning. By sharing assets such as components, processes and knowledge across a family of products, companies can efficiently develop differentiated products and increase the flexibility and responsiveness of their product realization process. In this paper we describe our recent efforts in realizing an information management infrastructure for product family planning and platform customization. In particular, we focus on three current research thrusts to identify product platform leveraging strategies to support future product family planning: (1) an evolutionary approach to product platforming, (2) a bottom-up approach to product platforming, and (3) industry-based platform case studies. Future research directions are also outlined.
The Role of Constraints and Human Interaction in Evolving MEMS Designs: Microresonator Case Study
Authors: Kamalian Raffi , Agogino Alice M. , Takagi Hideyuki
Published: July 2008

In this paper we review the current state of automated MEMS synthesis with a focus on generative methods. We use the design of a MEMS resonator as a case study and explore the role that geometric constraints and human interaction play in a computer-aided MEMS design system based on genetic algorithms.
Two-Level Approximation Method for Reliability-Based Design Optimization
Authors: Oza Kunjal , Gea Hae Chang
Published: July 2008

In order to model uncertainties and achieve the required reliability, Reliability Based Design Optimization (RBDO) has evolved as a dominant design tool. Many methods have been introduced in solving the RBDO problem. However, the computational expense associated with the probabilistic constraint evaluation still limits the applicability of the RBDO to practical engineering problems. In this paper, a Two-Level Approximation method (TLA) is proposed. At the first level, a reduced second order approximation is used for better optimization solution; at the second level a linear approximation is used for faster reliability assessment. The optimal solution is obtained interatively. The proposed method is tested on certain numerical examples, and results obtained are compared to evaluate the cost-effectiveness.
A Full Parametric Model for Turbomachinery Blade Design and Optimisation
Authors: Gra¨sel Ju¨rgen , Keskin Akin , Swoboda Marius , Przewozny Hans , Saxer Andre´
Published: July 2008

This paper presents a full parametric model of a turbomachinery blade. The model forms the geometric backbone of a new aerodynamic design suite, which aims at speeding up the coupled 2D/3D aerodynamic design process. The approach employed here follows the basic design concepts of turbomachinery blades, which are typically defined by a series of cross-sectional aerofoils stacked at their radial location to a three-dimensional blade. Unlike the geometry management in current design systems, the paradigm of a CAD based Master Model has been incorporated in the geometry definition and the corresponding software architecture. Therefore all blade features have been modelled as computational components in the flexible object-oriented software environment. The blade parameterisation enables the 2D aerofoil construction either from the common superposition of the camber line and thickness distribution or the direct control of the suction and pressure side. The sensitivity of the aerofoil aerodynamic performance with respect to a design parameter can be quickly assessed with a fast 2D flow solver. The parameters of the radial stacking line define the axial and tangential shift of each section. The parametric concept facilitates the inclusion of specific shape control techniques such as curvature manipulation and surface smoothing. Furthermore the use of optimisation methods is greatly simplified by the modular program structure, which allows to access single modules of the blade design tool in a batch job. Since the blade design process involves different coordinate systems, unique mapping functions are essential for a consistent update of the blade geometry during a design cycle. The interface to the CAD system is based on the standard data exchange format STEP. The CFD interface makes use of the NetCDF data format for automatic grid generation.
Relative Entropy Based Method for Global and Regional Sensitivity Analysis in Probabilistic Design
Authors: Liu Huibin , Chen Wei , Sudjianto Agus
Published: July 2008

To overcome the limitations of existing variance-based methods for Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis (PSA) in design under uncertainty, a new PSA approach based on the concept of relative entropy is proposed. The relative entropy based method evaluates the impact of a random variable by measuring the divergence between two probability density functions of a response. The method can be applied both globally over the whole distribution of a performance response (called global response probabilistic sensitivity analysis–GRPSA) and in any regional range of a response distribution (called regional response probabilistic sensitivity analysis–RRPSA). The former is the most useful for studying variable impact on robust design objective, while the latter provides insight into reliability constraints. The proposed method is applicable to both the prior-design and post-design stages, for variable screening and uncertainty reduction, respectively. The proposed method is verified by numerical examples and industrial design cases.
A Sequential Exploratory Experimental Design Method: Development of Appropriate Empirical Models in Design
Authors: Lin Yao , Mistree Farrokh , Allen Janet K. , Tsui Kwok-Leung , Chen Victoria C. P.
Published: July 2008

Much of today’s engineering analysis work consists of running complex computer codes (simulation programs), in which a vector of responses are obtained when values of design variables are supplied. To save time and effort in simulation, sampling (design of experiments) techniques are applied to help develop metamodels (empirical models or surrogate models) that can be used to replace the expensive simulations in future design stages. The usage of metamodels also helps designers to integrate inter-disciplinary codes and grasp the relationship between inputs and outputs. In this paper, we focus on a very important topic in studies of sampling and metamodeling techniques, i.e., the sequential design of experiments and metamodeling; the research question is: How to design sequential computer experiments to get accurate metamodels? After discussion of design and metamodeling strategies, a Sequential Exploratory Experimental Design (SEED) method is developed to help identify data points at different stages in metamodeling. Given limited resources, it is expected that more accurate metamodels can be developed with SEED. A single-variable example is used to help illustrate the SEED method.
Trim Loop Closure for Enhanced CAD Interoperability
Authors: Assadi Armand D. , Oliver James H.
Published: July 2008

The transfer of design data among different CAD systems or subsequent downstream analysis applications is critically important to the acceleration of the product development cycle. Since each vendor has its own proprietary native file format, this transfer of data among differing systems is difficult at best. International standards such as IGES and STEP have evolved to address this challenge, but they are generally not sufficiently explicit. Each vendor writes its own “flavor” of the standard that other applications may not understand. This paper bridges a gap between disparate systems by developing a strategy to assess the completeness and robustness of models represented in IGES or STEP format, and a technique to either repair the representation or add missing information so that a downstream application can properly interpret it. The method ensures that the receiving system gets a full and accurate NURBS-based representation: the original surface, the corresponding full complement of model space trim curves, and the corresponding full complement of parameter space trim curves. With all the information present, the downstream system is more likely to receive the information it requires to interpret the model.
Quantifying Profit and Loss Associated With Failure Cases
Authors: Nakao Masayuki , Yabuta Naohiro , Terabe Masahiro
Published: July 2008

Failures have impact on the society as well as on the entity that caused the failure. The size of impact varies with each case. Although large scale accidents will cause great impact on the society and the originator, it is not only the size of failure that determines the size of impact on the originator. When an unethical corporate misconduct is revealed, the company at times will disappear by loss of business or administrative disposition. To measure the impact of failures on the originator and to help make decisions of whether to disclose or cover the event, we defined two quantities associated with failure; “Profit of Failure” and “Loss of Failure”. The former measures monetary gain for covering up a failure, and the later the loss in case the failure is disclosed. We applied our method of calculation to 18 cases of past failures and identified different groups. Some cases, the loss exceeds the profit and business owners are encouraged to publicly disclose the event as soon as it internally becomes known to keep the damage smaller. In other cases, the loss is smaller than the profit and in which case, business owners may decide to cover up the event. Even in the later case, business owners may want to disclose the event anyway because recently changed regulations protect the whistle blowers better and for ethical reasons.
Efficient Creation of Augmented Reality Content by Using an Intuitive Authoring System
Authors: Matysczok Carsten , Ebbesmeyer Peter , Krumm Holger , Maciej Jo¨rg
Published: July 2008

Recent advances have shown, that the base technology of augmented reality have matured the point of being usable only by specialists. But existing augmented reality applications are still prototypes. They are developed without any authoring system, only by software experts. To support the wide use of augmented reality technology, the designers of augmented reality application need methods and software tools to create the contents in a fast and cheap way. In this paper we describe an authoring system for creating augmented reality content in an easy and user friendly way. The system allows the creation of augmented reality applications in a straight forward way. By using meta-constructs like menus, selection lists or hotspots as well as illustration objects like 3D-models, videos, texts and sounds a variety of applications can be created without previous technological knowledge. A preview window is also part of the authoring system displaying the actual created AR-application.
Spreadsheet-Based Models With Object-Oriented Approach: Development of Sustainable Products
Authors: Pham-Van Tri-Ngoc , Anderl Reiner
Published: July 2008

Since 1996, the Collaborative Research Center 392 (CRC 392) has been working on the interdisciplinary research project “Development of Environmentally Sound Products — Methods and Tools”. One of the important work packages of this project is the development of the object-oriented information model. In this model, the environmental knowledge of domain experts (process data) and the product data (e.g. from CAx systems) have been integrated and serve as fundament for the ecological assessment of a technical product during the product development process. This paper describes an approach for an interdisciplinary team, which consists of IT experts and domain experts developing the object-oriented information model. With this approach a domain expert can independently, simultaneously and easily design, implement and verify his own partial models, which will be automatically connected to the complete object-oriented information model through the defined interfaces. This approach shows a combination of the Unified Modeling Language (UML), the programming language JAVA, a spreadsheet application (e.g. Microsoft-Excel) and a database.
Computable Dynamic Design Repository for Product Data Representation
Authors: Zeiny Al
Published: July 2008

The product representation for storing design information presented in this paper is based on a dynamic object-oriented data model. This model stores design data as they are generated during design in a computable format, as well as supports case-based reasoning and sharing of data among all design teams. This model represents each entity in the product as a generic container that encompasses its form, function, behavior, taxonomy, composition and relationships. Different features can be added dynamically, i.e. during run time, to the container as needed. The model integrates multiple views of various design teams, supports dynamic design evolution and exploration, and is extensible. Finally, the model is computable because it provides means of establishing quantitative and qualitative relationships between model parameters and entities. Any subsequent change of related model parameters or entities will cause an automatic controlled propagation of changes to take place in dependent parameters and entities.
A Shape Optimization Scheme With Coupling of Parametric and Freeform Shape Evolution
Authors: Shen Jie , Yoon David , Patel Nilesh
Published: July 2008

In this paper we propose a new shape optimization scheme for better geometric design starting from a base polygonal mesh model. The important features of our approach include: 1) surface partitioning scheme for handling large-scale polygonal meshes; 2) coupling of parametric and freeform shape evolution for efficient and effective solutions. 3) an optimization process constrained by constant volume in 3D cases. Numerical experiment indicates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
An Approach to Extracting Knowledge From Legacy Documents
Authors: Crowder Richard , Sim Yee-Wie
Published: July 2008

Organisations are increasingly information intensive; hence providing access to data that is trapped in various proprietary forms including catalogues, databases, human resource systems and internally generated documents is now becoming a significant and challenging task. The authors have undertaken research into approaches to capture relevant knowledge from legacy documents. This is achieved by converting the legacy documents to XML, (eXtensible Markup Language), documents where the output is semantically tagged. Once in an XML form, the data can be easily transformed. This paper describes the development of tools to automate the process of converting legacy documents to XML documents. The purpose of this work is improve the efficiency and reliability of Expertise Finder suitable for use within an engineering design environment. We will also show that by querying the resultant XML versions of legacy documents provides better results than a basic text search over the identical documents when applied used within an Expertise Finder.
An Approach to the Simulation of Robotic Systems Using XML Based Configuration Files
Authors: Sunderland Richard , Crowder Richard , Damper Bob
Published: July 2008

This paper presents a environment using the eXtensible Markup Language, XML, to describe a robotic systems in a format suitable for simulation, and to support the integration of several programming environments to create a flexible physical simulation system. Data exchange via open-standard based plain text files allows the system components to be loosely-coupled, rather than combined them into a single integrated development environment. This ensures that the most appropriate tools can be used for each component and the system can be extended with minimal disruption. Those parts of the system that require real-time data exchange use simple UNIX socket-based interactions, which are configured using shared XML configuration files. The environment is demonstrated by the simulation of a simple task using a SCARA robot.
3D Data Fusion for Multimodal Inspection of Mechanical Parts
Authors: Wu Yanyan , Gong Chunhe
Published: July 2008

Data fusion is a key step in multimodal inspection of mechanical parts. It combines complementary data from different inspection methods, or “modalities”, to improve inspection accuracy. Data fusion has broad applications in the disciplines of the military, medicine, and geography. It has attracted increasing attention from industry in recent years. However, its industrial application has been limited mainly to 2D (2-Dimensional) domains. The research focus of this work is to develop a data fusion system to automatically fuse and extract the most accurate information from each modality in the domain of 3D. The main process includes automatically filtering and interpolating CMM data, registering CMM data with CT data, detecting the CT slices to generate interpolated CMM constraints for iterative CT reconstruction, and replacing exterior CT data with interpolated CMM data. This technology enables us to achieve high accuracy for external structures and provide constraints for CT reconstruction to improve the accuracy for internal boundary data as well.
Exploring Semantic Web Technologies for Product Family Modeling
Authors: Nanda Jyotirmaya , Thevenot Henri J. , Simpson Timothy W. , Kumara Soundar R. T. , Shooter Steven B.
Published: July 2008

By sharing product design information across a family of products, companies can increase the flexibility and responsiveness of their product realization process while shortening lead-times and reducing cost. This paper describes a preliminary attempt at using semantic web paradigm, especially the Web Ontology Language (OWL), for product family information management. An overview of the ongoing work with Semantic Web is also presented. Formal product representation using OWL can not only store the structure of the product family but also help in capturing the evolution of different components of the product family. As an illustration, a group of single-use cameras, containing several products from the Kodak single-use camera family, is represented in OWL format. The methodology of ontology development that can support product family design is discussed in detail. Product family design representation using OWL promotes better learning across products and reduced development time, system complexity, and product design lead-time.
Real-Time Dynamic Data-Driven Simulation of Continuum Systems
Authors: Michopoulos J. G. , Farhat C. , Houstis E. N.
Published: July 2008

Recent proliferation of sensor networks in various application areas has promoted real-time behavioral monitoring of various physical systems. The opportunity to use sensor generated data dynamically for improving speed, accuracy, and general performance of predictive behavior modeling simulation is of paramount importance. The present paper identifies enabling modeling methods and computational strategies that are critical for achieving real-time or near real-time simulation response of very large and complex systems. It also discusses our choices of these technologies in the context of sample multidisciplinary computational mechanics applications and describes two examples to demonstrate the feasibility of integrating real-time data with real-time simulation.
Advancements in a Web-Based Framework in Product Family Optimization and Visualization
Authors: Mulberger Jessica L. , Simpson Timothy W.
Published: July 2008

Today’s market is becoming increasingly more competitive as companies strive to achieve success by reaching a large number of customers in a mass market while simultaneously treating them as individuals in a customized market. Many companies have begun to appreciate the benefits of using product platforms as they increase the customizability of their offered products, while reducing development costs and time to market. However, product variety is not customization; it is simply an attempt on the part of a company to meet the individual needs of their customers by flooding the market with many variations of the same product. With recent innovations in the field of information technology, web-based product development methodologies provide the capability for advanced customer involvement during the design process, which is a crucial aspect of differentiating customization from variety. Current approaches have provided web-based frameworks where users are offered a limited amount of control in the design process by assembling different configurations of given modules or by choosing a product already available in the company database. The focus in this paper is on advancements to a web-based framework where design parameters are collected from the user by means of a web-based browser interface, optimization is completed using the specified parameters, and a 3D visual representation is dynamically provided based on the results from the optimization. This proposed framework is illustrated using an example from ongoing research involving General Aviation Aircraft design.
CAFixD: A Case-Based Reasoning Fixture Design Method — Framework and Indexing Mechanisms
Authors: Boyle Iain M. , Rong Kevin , Brown David C.
Published: July 2008

Fixtures accurately locate and secure a part during machining operations such that the part can be manufactured to design specifications. To reduce design costs associated with fixturing, various computer-aided fixture design (CAFD) methods have been developed through the years to assist the fixture designer. One approach is to use a case-based reasoning (CBR) method where relevant design experience is retrieved from a design library, and adapted to provide a new fixture design solution. Indexing design cases is a critical issue in any CBR approach, and CBR systems can suffer from an inability to distinguish between cases if indexing is inadequate. This paper presents a CAFD methodology, entitled CAFixD, that adopts a rigorous approach to defining indexing attributes in which axiomatic design functional requirement decomposition is adopted. Thus, a design requirement is decomposed in terms of functional requirements, physical solutions are retrieved and adapted for each individual requirement, and the design is then re-constituted to form a complete fixture design. Furthermore, adaptability is used as the basis by which designs are retrieved in place of the normal attribute similarity approach, which can sometimes return a case that is difficult or impossible to fix. This paper presents the CAFixD framework and operation, and discusses in detail the indexing mechanisms used.
From CAD Models to F.E. Simulations Through a Feature-Based Approach
Authors: Hamri Okba , Le´on Jean-Claude , Giannini Franca , Falcidieno Bianca
Published: July 2008

The preparation of simulation models from CAD models is still a difficult task since shape changes are often required to adapt a component or a mechanical system to the hypotheses and specifications of the simulation model. Detail removal or idealization operations are among the current treatments performed during the preparation of simulation models. In this paper we introduce the concept of simplification features, which allows a user to improve the efficiency of the analysis model generation process. Therefore Form Feature semantics and simulation data are attached to a polyhedral model during the preparation phase, to ease the Finite Element (FE) details identification and removal. The process flow corresponding to the insertion of the FE model preparation phase into the CAD/FEA framework is described in detail to highlight the versatility of the process according to the category of the input model as well as the main steps of the simplification process. This process flow stresses also the influence of the different information sources involved in the preparation task. They consist of the geometric and feature data of the object and the mechanical data of related to the process under examination. The need of a topological model able to represent non-manifold components is discussed as well as the need for the to user to specify the analysis attributes over the boundary of components either isolated or part of an assembly. The proposed topological representation of allows the software application to combine several geometric representations such as Form feature and polyhedral representations; therefore it is possible to propagate the B-Rep information from a STEP file, as well as feature information into the polyhedral representation used during the simplification process.
Algorithmic Foundations for Consistency-Checking of Interaction-States of Mechatronic Systems
Authors: Xu Changxin , Gupta Satyandra K.
Published: July 2008

In order to reduce product development time, we need software tools that can perform automated validation of the proposed design concepts. These tools will ensure that only valid design concepts are transferred to the detailed design stage for further development. This paper provides a step towards the automated validation of proposed design concepts. We define the problem of consistency-checking of interaction-states as a key step in the design concept validation. We present a polynomial time algorithm for solving the interaction consistency-checking problem. We also present an algorithm for analyzing inconsistent interaction-states and identifying the inconsistent interactions. We believe that the framework described in this paper will provide the underlying foundations for constructing the next generation software tools for conceptual design of complex mechatronic systems.
Touch Based Interactive NURBS Modeler Using a Force/Position Input Glove
Authors: Kamerkar Ameya , Kesavadas T.
Published: July 2008

Non-Uniform Rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces form an integral part of commercial modeling systems because of its ability to represent freeform as well as common analytic shapes. The creation of complex NURBS in design environments is a tedious process because very few tools exist, that allow a designer to design intuitively in real-time. Standard input devices such as the mouse and the keyboard do not provide the designer with direct and easy capabilities for surface manipulation. We have developed a NURBS modeling system that allows the designer to edit NURBS surfaces in real-time using a pressure sensitive sculpting/molding input device designed to be worn as a glove called the ModelGlove. This input device is equipped with force and position sensors for quantifying touch and intent of the designer. A virtual block deforms in a physically realistic manner in response to the user’s direct manipulation of a hard or soft real physical object. The dynamic behavior of the NURBS model in response to the force and position input obtained from the ModelGlove, produces highly natural shape variations. Experimental results show the potential of the system for product and concept design applications.
A Comparative Study of Tolerance Analysis Methods
Authors: Shen Zhengshu , Ameta Gaurav , Shah Jami J. , Davidson Joseph K.
Published: July 2008

This paper reviews four major methods for tolerance analysis and compares them. The methods discussed are (1) 1D tolerance charts, (2) variational analysis based on Monte Carlo simulation, (3) vector loop (or kinematic) based analysis, and (4) ASU T-Maps© based tolerance analysis. Tolerance charts deal with tolerance analysis in one direction at a time and ignore possible contributions from the other directions. Manual charting is tedious and error-prone, hence attempts have been made for automation. Monte Carlo simulation based tolerance analysis is based on parametric solid modeling; its inherent drawback is that simulation results highly depend on the user-defined modeling scheme, and its inability to obey all Y14.5 rules. The vector loop method uses kinematic joints to model assembly constraints. It is also not fully consistent with Y14.5 standard. ASU T-Maps based tolerance analysis method can model geometric tolerances and their interaction in truly 3-dimensional context. It is completely consistent with Y14.5 standard but its use by designers may be quite challenging. T-Maps based tolerance analysis is still under development. Despite the shortcomings of each of these tolerance analysis methods, each may be used to provide reasonable results under certain circumstances. No guidelines exist for such a purpose. Through a comprehensive comparison of these methods, this paper will develop some guidelines for selecting the best method to use for a given tolerance accumulation problem.