Creative Stimulation in Conceptual Design: An Analysis of Industrial Case Studies

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Howard ◽  
Steve Culley ◽  
Elies Dekoninck
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Industrial Design ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase ◽  
Form Part ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Positive Effect

When retrospectively analyzing the design process of a creative product, the creative leap or moment of inspiration is often described by the designer in an ‘idealized way’ [1]. There is little evidence within literature describing when the ideas behind promising concepts were conceived. This study tracks several real industrial design projects in the early conceptual design phase. The development and manipulation of ideas captured during the initial group brainstorm meeting are assessed in terms of the concepts at the following stage gate meeting. In addition, several different forms of stimulus were introduced to the different groups and compared to a control group. The results showed that the frequency of idea production remained virtually constant for the first 60 minutes. However, the number of ideas to form part of a concept at the stage gate meeting dropped markedly after the first 20 minutes. The frequency of appropriate ideas featuring within stage gate concepts increased with the introduction of stimuli, highlighting the positive effect of introducing stimuli.

scholarly journals The Role of Sketching Activities and Outcomes in Conceptual Design Phase

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 399-408
Author(s):  
Marija Nikolić ◽  
Stanko Škec ◽  
Tomislav Martinec ◽  
Nikola Horvat
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Verbal Explanation ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase ◽  
Essential Form ◽  
Protocol Study ◽  
Early Phases

AbstractSketching-related activities are considered as an essential form of communication in the early phases of a design process. In the presented study, it is argued that both the sketching and the sketch-related verbalisations are reflected in the level of elaboration of the sketching outputs. Hence, a protocol study was conducted to analyse the frequencies of different sketching-related activities during team conceptual design sessions and the associated levels of elaboration for each of the sketching outputs in the form of concept drawings. The results show that although teams generate sketches of various number, complexity and clarity, there exist commonalities across the studied experiment sessions. For example, teams share a pattern of developing solutions without transformations or using lateral transformations within the first part of the sessions and using vertical transformations to produce final concepts towards the end of the sessions. Moreover, teams used associated sketch elements to start drawing new sketches and then alternated to other activities, most of all verbal explanation, for the sake of elaboration and better understanding.

scholarly journals Conception of Design Principles for Additive Manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 689-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filip Valjak ◽  
Nenad Bojčetić
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Design Principle ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase ◽  
Design And Manufacturing ◽  
Design Freedom

AbstractAdditive Manufacturing (AM) brought new design freedom and possibilities that enable design and manufacturing of products with new forms and functionalities. To utilise these possibilities a new design approach emerged, Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), that contains methods and tools for supporting AM oriented design process. Designers working with AM are aware of the need to apply DfAM and AM possibilities in conceptual design phase where they have the most significant influence on product architecture and form but are facing a lack of suitable DfAM approaches for early design phases. Therefore, the presented research is investigating possibilities of storing and representing AM knowledge in the form of design principles to be used in the conceptual design phase. The paper proposes conceiving of Design Principles for Additive Manufacturing repository where formalised AM knowledge is stored in the form of design principles and structured based on function criteria. In the paper, various elements of design principle representation are discussed, as well as their role in the conceptual design process.

Derivation of structural weight estimation for Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
A. Panahi ◽  
M. A. Vaziri Zanjani ◽  
Sh. Yousefi ◽  
N. Fazli ◽  
J. Aarabi
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Statistical Weight ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Weight Estimation ◽  
Empirical Formulas ◽  
Significant Challenge ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase ◽  
Aerial Vehicle

Abstract Estimation of the structural weight of an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) during conceptual design has proven to be a significant challenge mainly due to its unconventional configuration. We investigate development of a customised approach for structural weight estimation of UCAV based on statistical weight of the manned fighter’s components by applying minor modifications on weight formulations of fuselage, wing, empennage, power plant and landing gear. The modifications are applied by considering the corresponding differences between manned fighters and UCAVs such as manned requirements and mission variances. Some new empirical formulas for estimating the weight of UCAV’s components are proposed. Results for the empty weight estimation are validated against actual values of some well-known UCAVs. Moreover, the structural weight is validated against the benchmark UCAV case studies. The results show that the ratio of structural to takeoff weight for UCAVs is approximately between 20% to 10%. Finally, a generalised equation is developed for estimating the structural weight of UCAVs in conceptual design phase.

scholarly journals A FORMULATION OF THE PRELIMINARY DESING PHASE USING COMPLEXITY-BASED RULES

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waseem A. Khan ◽  
Jorge Angeles
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Axiomatic Design ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Independence Axiom ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase

This paper focuses on the application of complexity theory and entropy concepts in the design process. Broadly speaking, the design process involves three phases: problem definition, conceptual design and embodiment. In the conceptual design phase, concepts that satisfy the functional requirements of the desired product are identified and compared. It is said that approximately 75% of the total product life-cycle cost is committed in this phase. The conceptual design phase has two essential sub-phases, namely, obtaining a solution set and selecting the most suitable solutions. Our work focuses on the selection sub-phase. The aim within this sub-phase is to minimize the number of selected concept variants and to reduce their chances of rejection in later stages. However, the solution to this problem is quite elusive, mostly because information about concept variants is scarce and rather qualitative at this stage. A common method is to perform a cost-benefit analysis. However, the analysis relies heavily on expert intuition and is thus subjected to high uncertainties. Recently, axiomatic design is gaining popularity. This is a framework that incorporates two axioms, namely, the Independence Axiom and the Minimum Information Axiom, accompanied by several corollaries. However, criticism on the integrity of the Independence Axiom has appeared recently in the literature. Further, the formulation of axiomatic design appears to have logical flaws. Finally, the conceptual design phase, a distinct phase in the design process, cannot be distinguished clearly in axiomatic design. In this paper we try to improve the selection phase of the conceptual design by improving the existing cost-benefit approach. In this vein, performance features against which concepts would be evaluated are established. We propose the use of Kolmogorov complexity theory and entropy concepts from information theory and physics to evaluate the complexity of the performance features. The design concepts are then improved based on the rule to reduce complexity of each performance feature. Weights are finally assigned to each performance feature and an overall complexity index is obtained which is suitable to compare designs. The ideas are further elaborated on by examples.

Applying Function-Based Failure Propagation in Conceptual Design

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Krus ◽  
Katie Grantham Lough
Keyword(s):  
Risk Analysis ◽  
Product Design ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Functional Model ◽  
Thermal Control ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Historical Knowledge ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase ◽  
Failure Propagation ◽  
Potential Risks

When designing a product, the earlier the potential risks can be identified, the more costs can be saved, as it is easier to modify a design in its early stages. Several methods exist to analyze the risk in a system, but all require a mature design. However, by applying the concept of “common interfaces” to a functional model and utilizing a historical knowledge base, it is possible to analyze chains of failures during the conceptual phase of product design. This paper presents a method based on these “common interfaces” to be used in conjunction with other methods such as Risk in Early Design in order to allow a more complete risk analysis during the conceptual design phase. Finally, application of this method is demonstrated in a design setting by applying it to a thermal control subsystem.

Variantenreiche Fabrikplanung*/Variant-based factory planning - Automatically generated simulation models to support factory engineering

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (09) ◽  
pp. 640-646
Author(s):  
J. Jaensch ◽  
A. Neyrinck ◽  
A. Lechler ◽  
A. Prof. Verl
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Factory Planning ◽  
Cycle Times ◽  
Automated Generation ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase

Maschinen und besonders Anlagen werden meist in individuellen Prozessen entwickelt. Bereits in der Angebots- und Konzeptionsphase werden im direkten Austausch mit dem Auftraggeber unterschiedliche Varianten diskutiert und iteriert. Zur Bewertung der Varianten sind neben den Anschaffungskosten unter anderem laufzeitabhängige Größen wie Taktzeiten und Energieeffizienz zu untersuchen. Der Beitrag stellt einen Ansatz zur simulationsbasierten Untersuchung für die automatisierte Variantengenerierung von Anlagen vor.   The development of machines or plants is a very individual process. Within the conceptual design phase, many different variants have to be discussed with customers and adapted to their needs. For a decent evaluation of the different variants, many parameters beyond static values such as costs are important. Term-dependent values like cycle times and energy efficiency also have to be investigated. This paper presents a method for the automated generation of plant variants based on simulation.

A framework for automatic architectural synthesis in conceptual design phase

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 665-689
Author(s):  
C. Hartmann ◽  
R. Chenouard ◽  
E. Mermoz ◽  
A. Bernard
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Design ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase ◽  
Architectural Synthesis

scholarly journals Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability Usage in the Development of the 501F Combustion Turbine and Auxiliaries

1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Engel ◽  
P. J. Tyler ◽  
L. R. Wood ◽  
D. T. Entenmann
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Product Design ◽  
Conceptual Design ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Design Phase ◽  
Conceptual Design Phase ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
Reliability And Availability

Westinghouse has been a strong supporter of Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability (RAM) principles during product design and development. This is exemplified by the actions taken during the design of the 501F engine to ensure that high reliability and availability was achieved. By building upon past designs, utilizing those features most beneficial, and improving other areas, a highly reliable product was developed. A full range of RAM tools and techniques were utilized to achieve this result, including reliability allocations, modelling, and effective redesign of critical components. These activities began during the conceptual design phase and will continue throughout the life cycle of these engines until they are decommissioned.

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