The Mechatronic System Model (MSM) [1] is an approach to fulfill the need to incorporate multiple disciplines and different hierarchical levels and views in the development of products. While the MSM already proved successful in some practical applications, certain aspects were worth improving, such as the handling of information and addressing the inevitable concurrency in larger projects. In this paper the goal is to enhance the MSM approach towards a general integrated design approach especially to overcome observed shortcomings e.g. through aspects from related work such as a “common repository” and “public and private work space”. For further clarification the development of a self-replicating printer is reconstructed with the MSM approach.
Abstract:Iterations are an integral part of the product design process and can become necessary when there are inconsistencies between the requirements and the solution at hand. However, not all iterations are beneficial -some are unnecessary, for example, those arising from inappropriate return points. The identification of potentially wrong assumptions about product properties can indicate promising iteration return points. This paper presents the results of survey of product development engineers about iterations and assumed values of properties in their work. Additionally, we conducted a design experiment to further analyse the influence of documenting assumed values of properties on the number of iterations, the ratio of unnecessary to useful iterations and task success. Based on the results, we recommend a network-based documentation of assumptions with meta-information about confidence in the assumptions to aid identification and prioritisation of potential iteration return points.Keywords: product property assumptions; design iterations; assumptions management; iteration return points.Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Sadlauer, A., Hehenberger, P. and Zeman, K. (2017)
A. Sadlauer et al.Klaus Zeman is Full Professor and the Head of the IMDP. He obtained his Diploma degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1979 at the Vienna Technical University, where in 1984 he also finished his PhD thesis on dynamical systems, bifurcation theory and structural stability. His actual research fields are modelling and simulation of specific manufacturing processes, model-based mechatronic design, design science and machine dynamics.
Since modern production processes are multidisciplinary , all relevant disciplines must be involved in product development in order to achieve good results. While established programs for design and simulation are successfully applied in preliminary and detail design, software support in the earlier design phases is poor. We summarise a variety of modelling approaches and analyse the application of general purpose modelling and model-based description languages within a step-wise iterative process model based on VDI-Guideline 2221 in the individual design phases. Our analysis is supported by an example application to the design of a bottling plant. We conclude that General Purpose Modelling and Model-Based Design Languages are useful methods for early product design and could facilitate multidisciplinary modelling and simulation in a future product development process by thorough integration of different model views in a system model.
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