Ola Isaksson | Chalmers University of Technology (original) (raw)
Papers by Ola Isaksson
University research is demanded to be more need-driven and user-centred in order to address and s... more University research is demanded to be more need-driven and user-centred in order to address and solve problems and needs of the market. In the present study a group of athletes and coaches has been analysed on their lead user characteristics. Some of the lead users have contributed with advanced user insights and aid in trend foresight in this sport. In a combined qualitative and quantitative approach the value of lead users in sports technology was examined and four users were identified as lead users. In consistence with previous research the results indicate that involving lead users will foster superior insight and research.
Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 2015
Purpose – Manufacturing companies are increasingly making efforts to combine products and service... more Purpose – Manufacturing companies are increasingly making efforts to combine products and services into integrated offerings. However, the companies’ success in such transformation is linked with the presence of structured routines and processes, which the authors conceptualize as product-service systems (PSS) innovation capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to address the important question of how manufacturing companies can systematically build PSS innovation capabilities and does its presence or absence significantly influence PSS innovation. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on longitudinal data from an aerospace company, which acts both as an OEM providing through-life services for aircraft engines, as well as a developer of innovative subsystem technologies. Data has been collected over three years (2009-2012) and constitutes 40 in-depth explorative and semi-structured interviews with diverse respondents. For analysis of the data, the authors have used con...
A novel method is presented, including a material criticality list and sustainability compliance ... more A novel method is presented, including a material criticality list and sustainability compliance index. The method aims to support an estimation of the vulnerability of a product concept due to material criticality and strategically guide early design decisions. A jet engine component design team evaluated the method. It was understood that the method increased communication and clarification regarding material criticality. Further, it became apparent that the method provided a collaboration link between the design team and the business development team.
DS 48: Proceedings DESIGN 2008, the 10th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 2008
This paper presents a methodology for integrating failure and lifecycle analysis related to addit... more This paper presents a methodology for integrating failure and lifecycle analysis related to additive manufacturing in a computational multidisciplinary engineering design framework. The specific goal of this framework is to quantify the impact of component design decisions on system-level performance in order to assess alternative manufacturing, re-manufacturing and repair strategies from both technical and business perspectives. The ultimate objective of this research is to enable such considerations in the early product design phases, where sufficient degree of freedom exists to identify component design solutions that can facilitate and accommodate different manufacturing and repair techniques that impact the entire lifecycle. The developed methodology is demonstrated by means of a jet engine component where repair strategies are included as variables in the computational design process. Numerical results confirm that these strategies can be used to trade among design attributes such as lifecycle cost, weight, and performance.
Computers in Industry, 2017
Successful product development requires the consideration of multiple engineering disciplines and... more Successful product development requires the consideration of multiple engineering disciplines and the quantification of tradeoffs among conflicting objectives from the very early design phases. The singlelargest challenge to do so is the lack of detailed design information. A possible remedy of this issue is knowledge-based engineering. This paper presents a knowledge-based master model approach that enables the management of concurrent design and analysis models within different engineering disciplines in relation to the same governing product definition. The approach is exemplified on an early phase structural design of a turbo-fan jet engine. The model allows geometric-, structural mechanicsand rotor-dynamic-models to be concurrently integrated into a multidisciplinary design and optimization loop.
Design .., 2018
Space industry undergoes a transformation where new business interests affect manufacturers of sp... more Space industry undergoes a transformation where new business interests affect manufacturers of space subsystems and equipment. This paper investigates consequences on development and design capabilities following the increased competition and market volumes, towards emphasis on commercial values, seeking adaptable, flexible and production efficient design solutions.
Despite the growing awareness of sustainability issues and importance of considering sustainabili... more Despite the growing awareness of sustainability issues and importance of considering sustainability aspects in the product innovation process, the methodological support for doing so is still immature compared to the methodological support for considering other aspects in the decision-making, such as product performance and manufacturability. The immaturity is particularly pronounced regarding the social dimension of sustainability. In this paper we use a novel process for identifying sustainability criteria and estimating a sustainability compliance index, with the purpose of supporting inclusion of social sustainability aspects in the decision-making in product development. By including social sustainability aspects into a compliance metric, the foundations for strategic and operative decisions can be integrated. The process has been developed and tested collaboratively with industry representatives in a selected case company. Preliminary results show that social sustainability cr...
Design Engineering and Computers and Information in Engineering, Parts A and B, 2006
Currently, mechanical design of aero engine structural components is defined by dimensioning of D... more Currently, mechanical design of aero engine structural components is defined by dimensioning of Design Parameters (DP's) to meet Functional Requirements (FR's). FR's are typically loads, geometrical interfaces and other boundary conditions. Parameters from downstream processes are seldom actually seen as DP's. This paper proposes that downstream process parameters are treated as DP's which calls for engineering methods that can define and evaluate these extended set of DP's. Using the proposed approach manufacturing process alternatives can be used as DP's in early stages of product development. Both the capability to quantitatively assess impact of varying manufacturing DP's, and the availability of these design methods are needed to succeed as an early phase design method. One bottleneck is the preparation time to define and generate these advanced simulation models. This paper presents how these manufacturing process simulations can be made availab...
Handbook of Engineering Systems Design
Engineering systems are socio-technical systems that provide solutions to fundamental economic an... more Engineering systems are socio-technical systems that provide solutions to fundamental economic and societal challenges. Such systems are complex in both technical and human terms. Engineering systems evolve over time, and uncertainty over time plays a decisive role. Perspectives on design, design theories and design processes can be used to guide and support designers of engineering systems. This chapter provides an introduction to several well-established perspectives on design, such as Design as participatory activity, Design as unique mode of thinking etc. In the same way design theories are introduced, exemplified by C-K theory, Axiomatic Design, Domain Theory and others; and an introduction to well-known processes, including Stage-based, Agile and Set-Based models and many more is provided. It is explained how each of the discussed approaches offer valuable insights that help to address different aspects of complex systems design. The evolution of the approaches reflects the evolving recognition of users and context when designing engineering systems
Journal of Mechanical Design, 2020
Design requirements are often uncertain in the early stages of product development. Set-based des... more Design requirements are often uncertain in the early stages of product development. Set-based design is a paradigm for exploring, and keeping under consideration, several alternatives so that commitment to a single design can be delayed until requirements are settled. In addition, requirements may change over the lifetime of a component or a system. Novel manufacturing technologies may enable designs to be remanufactured to meet changed requirements. By considering this capability during the set-based design optimization process, solutions can be scaled to meet evolving requirements and customer specifications even after commitment. Such an ability can also support a circular economy paradigm based on the return of used or discarded components and systems to working condition. We propose a set-based design methodology to obtain scalable optimal solutions that can satisfy changing requirements through remanufacturing. We first use design optimization and surrogate modeling to obtain ...
Design Studies, 2022
How a research team defines their study sample can be decisive in shaping impact on both practice... more How a research team defines their study sample can be decisive in shaping impact on both practice and theory. However, sampling in design research faces several major challenges, including diverse terminology, limited prior literature, and lack of common framework for discussing sampling decisions. We address these challenges by bringing together guidance from across related research fields as well as cross-referring to examples from published design research. We offer a structured process for sample development and present eight key sampling considerations. The paper contributes to research method selection, development, and use, as well as extending discussions surrounding knowledge construction, standards of reporting, and design research impact
Proceedings of the DESIGN 2018 15th International Design Conference, 2018
This study investigates the challenge to assess value when alternative technologies-of radical na... more This study investigates the challenge to assess value when alternative technologies-of radical natureare integrated on complex products. The study highlights three main challenges: 1) value depends on how the overall product platform is impacted over time 2) value depends on combination effects between technologies and 3) value depends on how the technology balances internal and external stakeholders needs simultaneously. The paper describes how these challenges can be tackled by novel modelling methods, illustrated with an example related to structural batteries.
To gain a first-mover advantage on the marketplace, manufacturers are striving to develop innovat... more To gain a first-mover advantage on the marketplace, manufacturers are striving to develop innovative products that meet the needs of a wide range of customers. Traditionally to support innovative design, the fuzzy concept stage has long been supported by heuristic design philosophies. In recent years, new supportive technologies have enabled concept generation based on the collection and reuse of existing data. Existing data can be collected from various sources; for example, customer reviews, historical data, or by studying existing products or other industrial assets such as production machines and tooling. Lately, the concept of Digital Twin (DT) has gained a wealth of attention as a means to construct a high-fidelity digital copy of a physical asset and to study its shape, position, gesture, status and motion. The common aim of the DT is to support the realistic model of system behavior that can support performance prediction and optimization. However, in providing sufficient su...
Design Science, 2020
Supporting designers is one of the main motivations for design research. However, there is an ong... more Supporting designers is one of the main motivations for design research. However, there is an ongoing debate about the ability of design research to transfer its results, which are often provided in form of design methods, into practice. This article takes the position that the transfer of design methods alone is not an appropriate indicator for assessing the impact of design research by discussing alternative pathways for impacting design practice. Impact is created by different means – first of all through the students that are trained based on the research results including design methods and tools and by the systematic way of thinking they acquired that comes along with being involved with research in this area. Despite having a considerable impact on practice, this article takes the position that the transfer of methods can be improved by moving from cultivating method menageries to facilitating the evolution of method ecosystems. It explains what is understood by a method ecos...
Proceedings of the Design Society: DESIGN Conference, 2020
Many research students find challenges when validating their research. Especially when they have ... more Many research students find challenges when validating their research. Especially when they have expectations to contribute to both practice and the research body of knowledge. This paper argues that a key to successful validation of design research lies in the ability to focus on what to validate in advance of how to validate. The paper provide a set of guidelines to support a discussion on how to converge to a claim that actually can be validated. The paper reports on experiences from PhD level course on validation in design research.
Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design, 2019
Novel product concepts are often down-selected in favour of the incremental development of availa... more Novel product concepts are often down-selected in favour of the incremental development of available designs. This can be attributed to the fact that for the development of a new product, simulations and analysis based on high-fidelity CAD models are required, which are expensive to create. To solve this problem, the use of a function model (FM) as intermediate step between ideation and embodiment is suggested.The approach has been examined in a case study with an aerospace company for the development of a turbine rear assembly, using multiple workshops and interviews with practitioners from the company. A multitude of novel solutions, even extending the functionality of the legacy design, were captured. The FM approach proved to support the representation, analysis, and configuration of 102 different concepts. Although supported by the FM model, the embodiment still showed to be a bottle neck for further development. The subsequent interviews with practitioners showed that the bene...
Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design, 2019
The engineering design community needs to development tools and methods now to support emerging t... more The engineering design community needs to development tools and methods now to support emerging technological and societal trends. While many forecasts exist for technological and societal changes, this paper reports on the findings of a workshop, which addressed trends in engineering design to 2040. The paper summarises the key findings from the six themes of the workshop: societal trends, ways of working, lifelong learning, technology, modelling and simulation and digitisation; and points to the challenge of understanding how these trends affect each other
SAE International Journal of Aerospace, 2018
Geometric variation stemming from manufacturing can be a limiting factor for the quality and reli... more Geometric variation stemming from manufacturing can be a limiting factor for the quality and reliability of products. Therefore, manufacturing assessments are increasingly being performed during the early stages of product development. In the aerospace industry, products are complex engineering systems, the development of which require multidisciplinary expertise. In such contexts, there are significant barriers against assessing the effects of geometric variation on the functionality of products. To overcome these barriers, this article introduces a new methodology consisting of a modelling approach linked to a multidisciplinary simulation environment. The modelling approach is based on the parametric point method, which allows point-scanned data to be transferred to parameterised CAD models. In a case study, the methodology is implemented in an industrial setting. The capability of the methodology is demonstrated through a few applications, in which the effects of geometric variation on the aerodynamic, thermal, and structural performance of a load-bearing turbofan component are analysed. The proposed methodology overcomes many of the current barriers, making it more feasible to assess the effects of geometric variation during the early design phases. Despite some limitations, the methodology contributes to an academic understanding of how to evaluate geometric variation in multidisciplinary simulations and provides a tool for industry.
Research in Engineering Design, 2018
Within manufacturing companies, the architectural description of how a product is built is typica... more Within manufacturing companies, the architectural description of how a product is built is typically well defined while the architecture of the product from a functional view describing how the functional requirements are met in the product is often less articulated. For products composed of many components (modular products) such descriptions are clear, whereas few representation schemes are available that treat highly functionally integrated components, where all the functions are satisfied by one integral, homogenous physical structure. In this paper, an approach to describe the architecture for integrated components in the aerospace industry is described. Different regions of the component, termed as sections, are assumed to satisfy the functions required of the structure which are often manufactured by joining (welding) different segments. By assigning sectional and functional information to different manufactured segments of the structure, graphs are created that link the functional requirements and sections. Two different methods, one based on set compositions and other on creating an enhanced function-means (EF-M) tree are used to link the functions to the sections of the component, resulting in different graphs for different types of manufacturing splits for the same component. Comparison of the methods is then carried out using properties of the graphs produced. The method that utilises set compositions performs well for entire component descriptions while the method that uses an EF-M tree to create a graph describes sections (regions) of the component well so that functional relationships can be better described (integration of already existing design knowledge). The product descriptions created can help designers to identify how alternative manufacturing splits impact the functionally defined product architecture which in turn enables both improved manufacturing and improved design decisions.
University research is demanded to be more need-driven and user-centred in order to address and s... more University research is demanded to be more need-driven and user-centred in order to address and solve problems and needs of the market. In the present study a group of athletes and coaches has been analysed on their lead user characteristics. Some of the lead users have contributed with advanced user insights and aid in trend foresight in this sport. In a combined qualitative and quantitative approach the value of lead users in sports technology was examined and four users were identified as lead users. In consistence with previous research the results indicate that involving lead users will foster superior insight and research.
Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 2015
Purpose – Manufacturing companies are increasingly making efforts to combine products and service... more Purpose – Manufacturing companies are increasingly making efforts to combine products and services into integrated offerings. However, the companies’ success in such transformation is linked with the presence of structured routines and processes, which the authors conceptualize as product-service systems (PSS) innovation capabilities. The purpose of this paper is to address the important question of how manufacturing companies can systematically build PSS innovation capabilities and does its presence or absence significantly influence PSS innovation. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on longitudinal data from an aerospace company, which acts both as an OEM providing through-life services for aircraft engines, as well as a developer of innovative subsystem technologies. Data has been collected over three years (2009-2012) and constitutes 40 in-depth explorative and semi-structured interviews with diverse respondents. For analysis of the data, the authors have used con...
A novel method is presented, including a material criticality list and sustainability compliance ... more A novel method is presented, including a material criticality list and sustainability compliance index. The method aims to support an estimation of the vulnerability of a product concept due to material criticality and strategically guide early design decisions. A jet engine component design team evaluated the method. It was understood that the method increased communication and clarification regarding material criticality. Further, it became apparent that the method provided a collaboration link between the design team and the business development team.
DS 48: Proceedings DESIGN 2008, the 10th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 2008
This paper presents a methodology for integrating failure and lifecycle analysis related to addit... more This paper presents a methodology for integrating failure and lifecycle analysis related to additive manufacturing in a computational multidisciplinary engineering design framework. The specific goal of this framework is to quantify the impact of component design decisions on system-level performance in order to assess alternative manufacturing, re-manufacturing and repair strategies from both technical and business perspectives. The ultimate objective of this research is to enable such considerations in the early product design phases, where sufficient degree of freedom exists to identify component design solutions that can facilitate and accommodate different manufacturing and repair techniques that impact the entire lifecycle. The developed methodology is demonstrated by means of a jet engine component where repair strategies are included as variables in the computational design process. Numerical results confirm that these strategies can be used to trade among design attributes such as lifecycle cost, weight, and performance.
Computers in Industry, 2017
Successful product development requires the consideration of multiple engineering disciplines and... more Successful product development requires the consideration of multiple engineering disciplines and the quantification of tradeoffs among conflicting objectives from the very early design phases. The singlelargest challenge to do so is the lack of detailed design information. A possible remedy of this issue is knowledge-based engineering. This paper presents a knowledge-based master model approach that enables the management of concurrent design and analysis models within different engineering disciplines in relation to the same governing product definition. The approach is exemplified on an early phase structural design of a turbo-fan jet engine. The model allows geometric-, structural mechanicsand rotor-dynamic-models to be concurrently integrated into a multidisciplinary design and optimization loop.
Design .., 2018
Space industry undergoes a transformation where new business interests affect manufacturers of sp... more Space industry undergoes a transformation where new business interests affect manufacturers of space subsystems and equipment. This paper investigates consequences on development and design capabilities following the increased competition and market volumes, towards emphasis on commercial values, seeking adaptable, flexible and production efficient design solutions.
Despite the growing awareness of sustainability issues and importance of considering sustainabili... more Despite the growing awareness of sustainability issues and importance of considering sustainability aspects in the product innovation process, the methodological support for doing so is still immature compared to the methodological support for considering other aspects in the decision-making, such as product performance and manufacturability. The immaturity is particularly pronounced regarding the social dimension of sustainability. In this paper we use a novel process for identifying sustainability criteria and estimating a sustainability compliance index, with the purpose of supporting inclusion of social sustainability aspects in the decision-making in product development. By including social sustainability aspects into a compliance metric, the foundations for strategic and operative decisions can be integrated. The process has been developed and tested collaboratively with industry representatives in a selected case company. Preliminary results show that social sustainability cr...
Design Engineering and Computers and Information in Engineering, Parts A and B, 2006
Currently, mechanical design of aero engine structural components is defined by dimensioning of D... more Currently, mechanical design of aero engine structural components is defined by dimensioning of Design Parameters (DP's) to meet Functional Requirements (FR's). FR's are typically loads, geometrical interfaces and other boundary conditions. Parameters from downstream processes are seldom actually seen as DP's. This paper proposes that downstream process parameters are treated as DP's which calls for engineering methods that can define and evaluate these extended set of DP's. Using the proposed approach manufacturing process alternatives can be used as DP's in early stages of product development. Both the capability to quantitatively assess impact of varying manufacturing DP's, and the availability of these design methods are needed to succeed as an early phase design method. One bottleneck is the preparation time to define and generate these advanced simulation models. This paper presents how these manufacturing process simulations can be made availab...
Handbook of Engineering Systems Design
Engineering systems are socio-technical systems that provide solutions to fundamental economic an... more Engineering systems are socio-technical systems that provide solutions to fundamental economic and societal challenges. Such systems are complex in both technical and human terms. Engineering systems evolve over time, and uncertainty over time plays a decisive role. Perspectives on design, design theories and design processes can be used to guide and support designers of engineering systems. This chapter provides an introduction to several well-established perspectives on design, such as Design as participatory activity, Design as unique mode of thinking etc. In the same way design theories are introduced, exemplified by C-K theory, Axiomatic Design, Domain Theory and others; and an introduction to well-known processes, including Stage-based, Agile and Set-Based models and many more is provided. It is explained how each of the discussed approaches offer valuable insights that help to address different aspects of complex systems design. The evolution of the approaches reflects the evolving recognition of users and context when designing engineering systems
Journal of Mechanical Design, 2020
Design requirements are often uncertain in the early stages of product development. Set-based des... more Design requirements are often uncertain in the early stages of product development. Set-based design is a paradigm for exploring, and keeping under consideration, several alternatives so that commitment to a single design can be delayed until requirements are settled. In addition, requirements may change over the lifetime of a component or a system. Novel manufacturing technologies may enable designs to be remanufactured to meet changed requirements. By considering this capability during the set-based design optimization process, solutions can be scaled to meet evolving requirements and customer specifications even after commitment. Such an ability can also support a circular economy paradigm based on the return of used or discarded components and systems to working condition. We propose a set-based design methodology to obtain scalable optimal solutions that can satisfy changing requirements through remanufacturing. We first use design optimization and surrogate modeling to obtain ...
Design Studies, 2022
How a research team defines their study sample can be decisive in shaping impact on both practice... more How a research team defines their study sample can be decisive in shaping impact on both practice and theory. However, sampling in design research faces several major challenges, including diverse terminology, limited prior literature, and lack of common framework for discussing sampling decisions. We address these challenges by bringing together guidance from across related research fields as well as cross-referring to examples from published design research. We offer a structured process for sample development and present eight key sampling considerations. The paper contributes to research method selection, development, and use, as well as extending discussions surrounding knowledge construction, standards of reporting, and design research impact
Proceedings of the DESIGN 2018 15th International Design Conference, 2018
This study investigates the challenge to assess value when alternative technologies-of radical na... more This study investigates the challenge to assess value when alternative technologies-of radical natureare integrated on complex products. The study highlights three main challenges: 1) value depends on how the overall product platform is impacted over time 2) value depends on combination effects between technologies and 3) value depends on how the technology balances internal and external stakeholders needs simultaneously. The paper describes how these challenges can be tackled by novel modelling methods, illustrated with an example related to structural batteries.
To gain a first-mover advantage on the marketplace, manufacturers are striving to develop innovat... more To gain a first-mover advantage on the marketplace, manufacturers are striving to develop innovative products that meet the needs of a wide range of customers. Traditionally to support innovative design, the fuzzy concept stage has long been supported by heuristic design philosophies. In recent years, new supportive technologies have enabled concept generation based on the collection and reuse of existing data. Existing data can be collected from various sources; for example, customer reviews, historical data, or by studying existing products or other industrial assets such as production machines and tooling. Lately, the concept of Digital Twin (DT) has gained a wealth of attention as a means to construct a high-fidelity digital copy of a physical asset and to study its shape, position, gesture, status and motion. The common aim of the DT is to support the realistic model of system behavior that can support performance prediction and optimization. However, in providing sufficient su...
Design Science, 2020
Supporting designers is one of the main motivations for design research. However, there is an ong... more Supporting designers is one of the main motivations for design research. However, there is an ongoing debate about the ability of design research to transfer its results, which are often provided in form of design methods, into practice. This article takes the position that the transfer of design methods alone is not an appropriate indicator for assessing the impact of design research by discussing alternative pathways for impacting design practice. Impact is created by different means – first of all through the students that are trained based on the research results including design methods and tools and by the systematic way of thinking they acquired that comes along with being involved with research in this area. Despite having a considerable impact on practice, this article takes the position that the transfer of methods can be improved by moving from cultivating method menageries to facilitating the evolution of method ecosystems. It explains what is understood by a method ecos...
Proceedings of the Design Society: DESIGN Conference, 2020
Many research students find challenges when validating their research. Especially when they have ... more Many research students find challenges when validating their research. Especially when they have expectations to contribute to both practice and the research body of knowledge. This paper argues that a key to successful validation of design research lies in the ability to focus on what to validate in advance of how to validate. The paper provide a set of guidelines to support a discussion on how to converge to a claim that actually can be validated. The paper reports on experiences from PhD level course on validation in design research.
Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design, 2019
Novel product concepts are often down-selected in favour of the incremental development of availa... more Novel product concepts are often down-selected in favour of the incremental development of available designs. This can be attributed to the fact that for the development of a new product, simulations and analysis based on high-fidelity CAD models are required, which are expensive to create. To solve this problem, the use of a function model (FM) as intermediate step between ideation and embodiment is suggested.The approach has been examined in a case study with an aerospace company for the development of a turbine rear assembly, using multiple workshops and interviews with practitioners from the company. A multitude of novel solutions, even extending the functionality of the legacy design, were captured. The FM approach proved to support the representation, analysis, and configuration of 102 different concepts. Although supported by the FM model, the embodiment still showed to be a bottle neck for further development. The subsequent interviews with practitioners showed that the bene...
Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design, 2019
The engineering design community needs to development tools and methods now to support emerging t... more The engineering design community needs to development tools and methods now to support emerging technological and societal trends. While many forecasts exist for technological and societal changes, this paper reports on the findings of a workshop, which addressed trends in engineering design to 2040. The paper summarises the key findings from the six themes of the workshop: societal trends, ways of working, lifelong learning, technology, modelling and simulation and digitisation; and points to the challenge of understanding how these trends affect each other
SAE International Journal of Aerospace, 2018
Geometric variation stemming from manufacturing can be a limiting factor for the quality and reli... more Geometric variation stemming from manufacturing can be a limiting factor for the quality and reliability of products. Therefore, manufacturing assessments are increasingly being performed during the early stages of product development. In the aerospace industry, products are complex engineering systems, the development of which require multidisciplinary expertise. In such contexts, there are significant barriers against assessing the effects of geometric variation on the functionality of products. To overcome these barriers, this article introduces a new methodology consisting of a modelling approach linked to a multidisciplinary simulation environment. The modelling approach is based on the parametric point method, which allows point-scanned data to be transferred to parameterised CAD models. In a case study, the methodology is implemented in an industrial setting. The capability of the methodology is demonstrated through a few applications, in which the effects of geometric variation on the aerodynamic, thermal, and structural performance of a load-bearing turbofan component are analysed. The proposed methodology overcomes many of the current barriers, making it more feasible to assess the effects of geometric variation during the early design phases. Despite some limitations, the methodology contributes to an academic understanding of how to evaluate geometric variation in multidisciplinary simulations and provides a tool for industry.
Research in Engineering Design, 2018
Within manufacturing companies, the architectural description of how a product is built is typica... more Within manufacturing companies, the architectural description of how a product is built is typically well defined while the architecture of the product from a functional view describing how the functional requirements are met in the product is often less articulated. For products composed of many components (modular products) such descriptions are clear, whereas few representation schemes are available that treat highly functionally integrated components, where all the functions are satisfied by one integral, homogenous physical structure. In this paper, an approach to describe the architecture for integrated components in the aerospace industry is described. Different regions of the component, termed as sections, are assumed to satisfy the functions required of the structure which are often manufactured by joining (welding) different segments. By assigning sectional and functional information to different manufactured segments of the structure, graphs are created that link the functional requirements and sections. Two different methods, one based on set compositions and other on creating an enhanced function-means (EF-M) tree are used to link the functions to the sections of the component, resulting in different graphs for different types of manufacturing splits for the same component. Comparison of the methods is then carried out using properties of the graphs produced. The method that utilises set compositions performs well for entire component descriptions while the method that uses an EF-M tree to create a graph describes sections (regions) of the component well so that functional relationships can be better described (integration of already existing design knowledge). The product descriptions created can help designers to identify how alternative manufacturing splits impact the functionally defined product architecture which in turn enables both improved manufacturing and improved design decisions.