Author(s)

Tarang Parashar, Kerry Poppa, Katie Grantham Lough, Robert B. Stone

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This paper presents a part count tool that predicts the part count for a particular product concept during the conceptual design phase. The part count tool will also aid in ranking the design concepts by the criterion of number of components for a product. This tool utilizes existing automated concept generation algorithms to generate the design concepts. It extracts the available data from the Design Engineering Lab Design Repository to determine an average number of parts per component type in the repository and then calculates an average part count for new concepts. The part count tool also uses an algorithm to determine how to connect two non-compatible components through the addition of mutually compatible components. While emphasis is placed on the average parts per product in evaluating designs, the overall functional requirement of the product is also considered.

Mechanical Design, Conceptual Design, Design for Manufacturing and Assembly

T. Parashar, K. Poppa, K. Lough and R. Stone, "The Part Count Tool (PaCT) for Design Concept Selection," Modern Mechanical Engineering, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2011, pp. 13-24. doi: 10.4236/mme.2011.12003.