Potential identification and industrial evaluation of an integrated design automation workflow

Abstract

Purpose The paper aims to raise awareness in the industry of design automation tools, especially in early design phases, by demonstrating along a case study the seamless integration of a prototypically implemented optimization, supporting design space exploration in the early design phase and an in operational use product configurator, supporting the drafting and detailing of the solution predominantly in the later design phase. Design/methodology/approach Based on the comparison of modeled as-is and to-be processes of ascent assembly designs with and without design automation tools, an automation roadmap is developed. Using qualitative and quantitative assessments, the potentials and benefits, as well as acceptance and usage aspects, are evaluated. Findings Engineers tend to consider design automation for routine tasks. Yet, prototypical implementations support the communication and identification of the potential for the early stages of the design process to explore solution spaces. In this context, choosing from and interactively working with automatically generated alternative solutions emerged as a particular focus. Translators, enabling automatic downstream propagation of changes and thus ensuring consistency as to change management were also evaluated to be of major value. Research limitations/implications A systematic validation of design automation in design practice is presented. For generalization, more case studies are needed. Further, the derivation of appropriate metrics needs to be investigated to normalize validation of design automation in future research. Practical implications Integration of design automation in early design phases has great potential for reducing costs in the market launch. Prototypical implementations are an important ingredient for potential evaluation of actual usage and acceptance before implementing a live system. Originality/value There is a lack of systematic validation of design automation tools supporting early design phases. In this context, this work contributes a systematically validated industrial case study. Early design-phases-support technology transfer is important because of high leverage potential.

Approaches for Modelling the Physical Behavior of Technical Systems on the Example of Wind Turbines

“…In spite of existing applications, computational support for the abstract initial phases of design and product-development processes is rare [60]. A major research direction can be summarized under the notion of knowledge-based engineering (KBE); the main intention is the automation and streamlining of routine/repetitive design tasks mainly occurring in the later design stages [61];…”

“…usually, the main physical phenomena are already determined in these phases, and the merit for perspectives concerning abstract physics is relatively small. Another main research direction is computational-design synthesis (CDS), main intention of which being the support of the early stages of design processes, and large and often unstructured solutions are explored [61]. CDS is researched since several years (a good overview of earlier approaches can be found in [62]).…”

“…In spite of existing applications, computational support for the abstract initial phases of design and product-development processes is rare [60]. A major research direction can be summarized under the notion of knowledge-based engineering (KBE); the main intention is the automation and streamlining of routine/repetitive design tasks mainly occurring in the later design stages [61]; usually, the main physical phenomena are already determined in these phases, and the merit for perspectives concerning abstract physics is relatively small. Another main research direction is computational-design synthesis (CDS), main intention of which being the support of the early stages of design processes, and large and often unstructured solutions are explored [61].…”

“…Current work also concerns network-based analysis of 484 transition graphs; a novel approach was proposed for analyzing grammar rules by means of 485 combining graph representation (transition graph) of generated designs and rule applications with 486 network-analysis algorithms and interactive visualizations [66]. Currently, research is being carried 487 out that aims at estimating the impact of design automation [60,61,67,68].…”

Systemizing and Automating the Concept Development Process Based on Product Configuration and User Feedback: Case Study on Automating the Design Process of Creating Concepts for a Kitchen Stand Mixer

“…Product configurators are often used in businesses utilizing mass customization [7]. These can also be used to automate the early design phase by choosing from and interactively working with automatically generated alternative solutions [8]. Other research in the area of optimizing the synthesis phase includes research by Komoto and Tomiyama [9] which aims at the development of a CAD system used to support conceptual design of multi-disciplinary complexity products through hierarchical system decomposition.…”