Tolerance allocation is an important issue in product manufacturing, ensuring on the one hand the interchangeability of parts in an assembly and on the other hand, it has a major impact on the costs of manufacturing products and quality. This paper aim is to assign in a 2D dimensional chain with, dimensional and geometric tolerances, dimensional and angular (geometrical tolerances) values to dimensions in a variation interval in order to obtain a design required variation in dimension and angle for the closing element of that chain, using the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. MC simulation randomly assigns values of the dimensions of the dimensional chain (DC) - for their module and angle - to their tolerance field, and then calculates the range for module and angle (R) caused at closing dimension in a sufficiently large number of cases. The ratio of the desired tolerance (Tdo) to the dimension chain closing element and the range (R) resulting from the simulation, respectively Tdo/R are calculated and compared with a value that must be greater or at least equal to an imposed value of an index dependent of the Cp - capability desired at the closing dimension. At the desired value that meets design requirements, the tolerance allocation process is completed.

Nowadays, new products are wanted to reach the final consumer as soon as possible, at the lowest possible costs and in the shortest possible time. This time limitation puts its mark on all the stages necessary for product development, implicitly on the stage of their conception. Given the need for products that require assembly, of major importance, in the design phase, becomes the choice of materials and ways of joining them, the parameters of the processes to be used, equipment, tools, devices with which it is made and then joint control. Having this knowledge inventoried, for the types of processes and materials possible to be used, the time in which the choice of the way of joining is made can decrease substantially. In this context, the present paper presents experimental tests on the solid-state joining of 3 mm sheets of AlMg3 alloy, a very well weldable material with WIG process, corrosion-resistant especially in the marine environment, very good formability at low temperatures. The solid-state joining procedure of the test specimens will be presented with the help of a modified milling cutter, and the conclusions of this type of joint highlighting also the destructive examination part of the tested specimens constitute a set of knowledge that can be inventoried, stored, and used, when necessary, in the products development process. The paper thus demonstrates the potential ease of applying and reproducing Friction Stir Welding (FSW) with simple machinery (CNC milling cutter), while contributing to an understanding of the mechanical behaviour (initialization of failure) of joints. This, the behaviour and the defects are very friendly explained in the macroscopic images from the paper.

This papers purpose is to highlight the positive aspects that can be drown from using a functional approach based on functional analysis and on TRIZ functional modeling in products design. Since the function notion linked to products design is present and very broadly discussed in many papers why not taken into consideration also the functional modeling from TRIZ where functions are seen as useful and harmful, combined with functional analysis for example. An enlarged view of such contradictions leads to solve problems and help to a better understanding of the product and its functions and why not in emerging new solutions. In this paper, an internal functional analysis approach followed by a useful/harmful point of view to inventoried functions is done for a mandrel. The harmful effects induced by technical functions can be used as starting points for improvements.

Abstract. Over the years, the importance of the creativity inclusively in the field of design activities was highlighted. In accordance with the opinions of certain researchers, the divergent thinking could contribute to the increase of creative processes efficiency. On the other hand, the axiomatic design method is considered as a method able to stimulate the technical creativity when the problem of designing a mechanical equipment is stated. To increase the efficiency of using the axiomatic design method, the possibility of selecting the most convenient solution among many available solutions could be discussed. The analysis revealed that there are many methods that could be applied in the process of optimum solution selection among many available solutions. In this paper, some aspects concerning the possibilities of using the method of analytic hierarchy process are analyzed, inclusively by considering a case study concerning a device for investigating the universal horizontal lathe rigidity. Afterwards, the first axiom from axiomatic design method was applied to define the selected solution for the approached device.

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Tolerance design plays a very important in any manufacturing process because this activity directly influences products cost and quality. In design activity the designer solve the quality problems selecting tight tolerances for components but this generates cost increasing. The practical problem is to assure the high quality characteristics using the maximum tolerances for components that influence them. The paper’s aim is to find optimal parameters setting which assure the desire value of quality characteristics using the DoE (Design of Experiments), and to find a mathematical model and a respective quality characteristic function of the parameters that it was influenced. Using the mathematical function, by imposing the desired tolerance for quality characteristic, it will be allocated the optimal tolerance for components. This tolerance allocation will be verified using Monte-Carlo method.

This chapter investigates collaborative scientific writing. The study presents a baseline and concepts embedded by research for an ad hoc group of authors. Transactive memory, which is a quality of a group achieving the desired synergy, is approached in literature through metaphors. The investigation focuses on a proposal to evaluate the transactive memory's quale. A specialization between group and team expresses the ability of online technology to enhance the authors' communication. The research examines synergy among the authors for different phases of experienced collaboration to achieve successful publishing. Three hypotheses were researched for the evaluation of transactive memory's quale. The findings suggest that the total amount of knowledge experienced by the group of authors, as resulting from the collaborative scientific writing, corresponds to the aggregated domains of deterministic and probabilistic spaces.

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