Using Rapid Prototyping Data to Enhance a Knowledge-Based Framework for Product Redesign

Stefano FILIPPI, Ilaria CRISTOFOLINI

.

DOI: 10.4236/iim.2010.21001                

Abstract

The particular characteristics of Rapid Prototyping technologies, both in terms of constrains and opportunities, often require the reconfiguration of the product model to obtain the best compliance with the product functionalities and performances. Within this field of research, a knowledge-based tool named Design GuideLines Collaborative Framework (DGLs-CF) was developed to support both the designers defining the product consistently with the manufacturing technologies and the manufacturers defining the building setup consistently with the product requirements. Present work is focused on enhancing the DGLs-CF knowledge base and on updating the DGLs-CF knowledge management by using the information gathered on some RP technologies. The added-value of this research is represented by an improvement in the Redesign/Reconfig- uration Package, the final result of the DGLs-CF adoption. This is a list of actions to be performed on the product model and on the process parameters to avoid the limitations of the technology and to exploit at best its opportunities.

Keywords

rapid prototyping, knowledge-based engineering, product redesign, collaborative engineering

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	F. Alizon, K. Khadke, H. J. Thevenot, J. K. Gershenson, T. J. Marion, S. B. Shooter, and T. W. Simpson, “Frameworks for product family design and development,” Concurrent Engineering, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 187–199, 2007.
[2]	D. M. Andersen, “Design for manufacturability & concurrent engineering,” Lafayette, CIM Press, CA, 2003.
[3]	E. K. Antonsson & J. Cagan, eds., “Formal engineering design synthesis,” Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2001.
[4]	J. C. Borg, X. Yan, and N. P. Juster, “Exploring decisions’ influence on life-cycle performance to aid ‘design for Multi-X’,” Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing, Vol. 14, pp. 91–113, 2000.
[5]	J. P. Clarkson & C. Eckert, (Eds.) “Design process improvement - a review of current practice,” Springer, ISBN: 1-85233-701-X, 2005.
[6]	C. L. Dym and P. Little, “Engineering design: A project-based introduction,” Wiley and Sons, 2003.
[7]	J. S. Gero, (eds.) “Artificial intelligence in design’02,” Kluwer, Dordrecht, 2002.
[8]	K. Otto & K. Wood, Product Design, Prentice Hall. 2000.
[9]	G. Pahl & W. Beitz, “Engineering design: A systematic approach,” Springer, 1995.
[10]	D. Ullman, The Mechanical Design Process, Mac Graw Hill, 2002.
[11]	K. T. Ulrich & S. D. Eppinger, Product Design & Deve- lopment, Mac Graw Hill, 2000.
[12]	S. Filippi & I. Cristofolini, “The design guidelines (DGLs), a knowledge based system for industrial design developed accordingly to ISO-GPS (geometrical product specifications) concepts,” Research in Engineering Design, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 1–19, 2007.
[13]	R. M. Baecker, “Readings in groupware and computer- supported cooperative work,” San Francisco, CA, Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc, 1993.
[14]	R. Crabtree, M. S. Fox, and N. Baid, “Case studies of coordination activities and problems in collaborative design,” Research in Engineering Design, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 70–84, 1997.
[15]	A. H. B. Duffy, M. M. Andreasen, and F. J. O’Donnell, “Design co-ordination,” Proceedings of International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED'99), Vol. 1, pp. 113–118, 1999.
[16]	R. Houssin, A. Bernard, P. Martin, G. Ris, F. Cherrier, “Information system based on a working situation model for a new design approach in concurrent engineering,” Journal of Engineering Design, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 35–54. 2006.
[17]	H. Hung, H. Kao, and K. Ku, “Evaluation of design alternatives in collaborative development and production of modular products,” the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 33, pp. 1065–1076, 2007.
[18]	Y. E. Nahm & H. Ishikawa, “Integrated product and process modeling for collaborative design environment,” Concurrent Engineering, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 5–23, 2004.
[19]	P. Wilson, “Computer supported cooperative work: an introduction,” Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1991.
[20]	Z. Wu & A. Duffy, “Mutual knowledge evolution in team design,” Workshop on Learning and Creativity, 7th Inter- national Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Design (AID’02), Cambridge, UK, 2002.
[21]	C. Bandera, I. Cristofolini, and S. Filippi, “Customizing a knowledge-based system for design optimization in fused deposition modeling RP-technique,” AMST’05 Seventh International Conference on Advanced Manufacturing Systems and Technology, Springer Wien-New York, pp. 607–616, 2005.
[22]	I. Cristofolini, S. Filippi, and C. Bandera, “How rapid prototyping process parameters could affect the product design phase: a KBS approach,” Proceedings IDETC/CIE 2006 - ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information In Engin- eering Conference DETC 2006, Philadelphia, PA, ISBN 0-7918-3784-X, 2006.
[23]	S. Filippi, C. Bandera, and G. Toneatto, “Generation and testing of guidelines for effective rapid prototyping activities,” Proceedings of “XII ADM International Con- ference on Design Tools and Methods in Industrial Engineering”, Italy, 2001.
[24]	“Draft federal information processing standards, FIPS PUB 183,” Standard for Integration Definition for Function Modeling (IDEF0), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA, 1993.
[25]	P. F. Jacobs, “Stereolithography and other RP&M tech- nologies,” American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York, 1996.
[26]	D. T. Pham and S. S. Dimov, “Rapid manufacturing,” Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, New York, 2001.
[27]	I. Raja, I. Vinesh, I. Fernandes and J. Kiran, Reverse engineering - An industrial perspective,” Spinger-Verlag London, 2008.
[28]	P. S. Banerjee, A. Sinha, and M. K. Banerjee, “A study on effect of variation of SLA process parameters over strength of built model,” Proceedings of the 2nd National Symposium on Rapid Prototyping & Rapid Tooling Tech- nologies, pp. 79–84, 2002.
[29]	H. S. Byun and K. H. Lee, “A decision support system for the selection of a rapid prototyping process using the modified TOPSIS method,” the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 26, pp. 1338– 1347, 2005.
[30]	W. Cheng, J. Y. H. Fuh, A.Y. C. Nee, Y. S. Wong, and T. Miyazawa, “Multi-objective optimization of part building orientation in stereolithography,” Rapid Prototyp Journal, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 12–23, 1995.
[31]	K. Chockalingam, N. Jawahar, K. N. Ramanathan, and P. S. Banerjee, “Optimization of stereolithography process parameters for part strength using design of experiments,” the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, DOI 10.1007/ s00170- 004-2307-0, 2005.
[32]	R. Harris, N. Hopkinso, H. Newlyn, R. Hague, and P. Dickens, “Layer thickness and draft angle selection for stereolithography injection mould tooling,” International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 719– 729, 2002.
[33]	I. Horv′ath, J. J. Broek, Z. Rus′ak, G. Kuczogi, and J. S. M. Vergeest, “Morphological segmentation of objects for thick-layered manufacturing,” Proceedings of the 1999 ASME Conference on Design for Manufacturing,” Las Vegas, pp. 18–24, 1999.
[34]	S. H. Masood and A. Soo, “A rule based expert system for rapid prototyping system selection,” Robot Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Vol. 18, pp. 267–274, 2002.
[35]	X. Qian and D. Dutta, “Feature based fabrication in layered manufacturing,” Transactions on ASME Journal Mechanism Design, Vol. 123, No. 3, pp. 337–345, 2001.
[36]	A. Rosochowski and A. Matuszak, “Rapid tooling: The state of the art,” Journal of Materials Processing Technologies, Vol. 106, pp. 191–198, 2000.
[37]	Y. Tang, H. T. Loh, J. Y. H. Fuh, Y. S. Wong, and S. H. Lee, “An algorithm for disintegrating large and complex rapid prototyping objects in a CAD environment,” International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 25, 895–901, 2005.
[38]	R. E. Williams, S. N. Komaragiri, V. L. Melton, R. R. Bishu, “Investigation of the effect of various build methods on the performance of rapid prototyping (stereolithography),” Journal of Materials Processing Technology, Vol. 61, pp. 173–178. 1996.