R Ian Campbell | Loughborough University (original) (raw)

Authored Academic Journal Papers by R Ian Campbell

As a profession with a distinct remit to define the exterior form of manufactured products, indus... more As a profession with a distinct remit to define the exterior form of manufactured products, industrial designers make extensive us of physical models. Whilst the use of rapid prototyping during new product development is now well documented, no direct comparison between the use of conventional fabrication techniques and rapid prototyping for the production of appearance models has been published. This paper discusses a research programme in which the 3D computer aided industrial design (CAID) geometry for a consumer product was translated into appearance models using the contrasting techniques of workshop-based fabrication techniques and rapid prototyping using stereolithography. The research also examined the capacity to extend the use of the rapid prototype components for the production of a fully working prototype. The ability to combine an appearance model and a working prototype into a single "appearance prototype" was a significant advance in the application of RP within industrial design.

Papers by R Ian Campbell

23rd International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, 2012

ABSTRACT This paper reports an investigation into the potential for consumers designing and manuf... more ABSTRACT This paper reports an investigation into the potential for consumers designing and manufacturing their own products using a combination of “Computer Aided Consumer Design” (CaCODE) and Additive Manufacturing (AM). Recent developments in the field of AM (cheaper machines and new materials) have led to renewed interest in the manufacture of customised products and, more specifically, allowing consumers to create their own bespoke products. However, a persistent weak link in this paradigm is the inability of most consumers to create 3D models as an input for AM. Operating a conventional CAD system requires a lengthy period of specialist training and is therefore not viable in this context. Consequently, easy-to-use 3D design tools are needed to make AM more accessible to consumers. This research study investigated the suitability of such a system for enabling consumers to design their own pens for manufacture using AM. The investigation also explored the consumer acceptance of current AM capabilities when used for the production of consumer products. The results showed that careful attention must be paid to the specific needs of consumers, both in terms of their product preferences and their ability to use software. These will be used to guide the design of future CaCODE systems.

This paper provides a useful insight into the level of quality of several popular Entry-Level 3D ... more This paper provides a useful insight into the level of quality of several popular Entry-Level 3D Printing (EL3DP) systems. At their best, EL3DPs are able to produce parts for conceptual models and personalised objects. As EL3DP systems become more mainstream, the next generation of machines will continue to provide low ownership costs with a more acceptable degree of quality. This paper presents results of a benchmark analysis of several low-cost material extrusion 3D printers to enable comparison with each other and with more expensive industrial systems. Benchmarking of the parts was carried out using dimensional analysis to determine key performance characteristics as well as aesthetic evaluation by users in terms of the parts being pleasing to look at and to touch. From the study, it was found that a wide variation between different entry-level systems exists, with some of them approaching the performance level of more expensive machines. Many of the EL3DP parts had horizontally...

As end-users become more involved in personalising designs, Additive Manufacturing has become an ... more As end-users become more involved in personalising designs, Additive Manufacturing has become an enabler to deliver this service through the manipulation of three-dimensional designs using easy-to- use design toolkits. Consequently, end-users are able to fabricate their personalised designs through various types of AM systems. This study employs an experimental method to investigate end-users’ reflections on the value of 3D Printed personalised products based on Product Value and Experiential Value. The results suggest that end-users gave higher value to all measurements for the 3D Printed personalised products. This indicates that 3D Printed personalised products have increased perceived value when compared to standard mass-production counterparts.

Progress in Additive Manufacturing, 2019

The paradigm shift towards a decentralised approach of cloud manufacturing requires tighter stand... more The paradigm shift towards a decentralised approach of cloud manufacturing requires tighter standardisation and efficient interfaces between additive manufacturing (AM) data and production. In parallel with technology advancements, it is important to consider the digital chain of information. Although a plethora of AM formats exist, only some are commonly used for data transfer. None of these AM data transfer standards specifically addresses the needs of the redistributed manufacturing (RDM) landscape. The purpose of this study is to identify the required features for AM data transfer standards to support a RDM landscape. The study examined the data flow from CAD to AM and reviewed established shortcomings of existing data exchange standards such as STL. After identifying the data exchange standards for AMF, 3MF, STEP and STEP-NC as promising replacements for STL, their premises, objectives, contributions and advantages were reviewed. The role of AM to support RDM by overcoming tooling costs and the associated need for economies of scale was also reviewed. Focus group interviews and surveys were conducted with AM and RDM experts from industry and academia and the participants' accounts were analysed for common themes and narratives. Finally, the suitability of existing data transfer formats was examined by compiling existing and expected standard features and having them rated by AM experts. The study showed that STEP-NC and AMF standards are ahead in implementing the most highly valued data transfer features. Open standards are also expected to further facilitate innovation in AM. The survey also identified that the top five features deemed most important by the participants for data exchange formats for RDM were regular internal structures/lattices, manufacturing tolerances, geometric representation, curvature representation, and surface structures. This study has contributed towards evaluating existing standards and their future development and adoption. It is hoped that the results will benefit policy makers and industry leaders to be aware of the importance of data exchange standards for AM so as to pave a clear roadmap for the Digital Economy in a RDM landscape.

Procedia Technology, 2015

This paper reports a substantial body of work that has been done in this area, which has been use... more This paper reports a substantial body of work that has been done in this area, which has been used to determine how Additive Manufacturing (AM) and subsequent processes should be optimally applied, and introduces a series of process maps that have been generated to guide future practical work with a combination of questionnaires and expert interviews for validating the process maps. The outputs from the research should prove to be valuable to anyone working in this field. The main contribution to knowledge is the characterisation of archaeological artefacts and the resultant process maps derived from this characterization.

Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Advanced Research in Virtual and Rapid Prototyping, Leiria, Portugal, 28 September - 1 October, 2011, 2011

Industrial designers employ an extensive range of media and techniques at various times during pr... more Industrial designers employ an extensive range of media and techniques at various times during professional practice. Whilst general patterns of use are acknowledged, such as loose sketches at the beginning of product development and full prototypes at the end, the nuances of use for specific design representations remain elusive. Having identified problems in communication during product development, the researchers identified a lack of understanding in the use of design representations as a key issue. This paper reports on research to enhance communication during product development by making tacit knowledge on the use of design representations explicit. This was achieved through the development of two design tools called CoLab and iD Cards. Phase 1 of the project identified barriers to communication through semi-structured interviews with 61 industrial designers and engineering designers at 17 industrial design consultancies. Phase 2 explored the nature of design representations and categorized 35 types as sketches, drawings, models or prototypes using semi-structured interviews with both industrial designers and engineering designers, with differences in use between the two groups becoming apparent. Phase 3 used a process of information design to translated the findings and data from Phase 2 into the card-based CoLab design tool that included the taxonomy and indication of when the design representations were used by industrial designers and engineering designers and for what types of information. Changes were made after appraisal and the final tool was validated through semi-structured interviews with 43 industrial design and engineering design practitioners and observation. Phase 4 disseminated the research output with the support of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) in the UK (CoLab web-based design tool) and Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) in the USA (iD Cards physical design tool). The paper concludes that the use of appropriate research methods that integrate literature based sources with practitioner engagement has the potential to elicit valuable and unexpected tacit knowledge. It also acknowledges that whilst the outcomes from such research can be enthusiastically received, translation into a format for effective dissemination can be a challenging and time-consuming process. However, with confidence in outcomes and a desire to disseminate, opportunities can be identified if researchers are prepared to be flexible and adapt to stakeholder needs

http://www.colab.lboro.ac.ukCoLab is a design tool that provides information on the use of design... more http://www.colab.lboro.ac.ukCoLab is a design tool that provides information on the use of design representations (sketches, drawings, models and prototypes) by engineering designers and industrial designers during New Product Development (NPD). There is no set way to use CoLab; it facilitates understanding and collaboration by giving a name, example and description for the key design representations and identifies the differences in how they are used by engineering designers and industrial designers. Grey cards provide information on design stages, types of information and have a taxonomy of 35 design representations that is common to both engineering designers and industrial designers. Blue cards provide specific information on the use of design representations by engineering designers and red cards on the use of design representations by industrial designers. A key role of CoLab is to facilitate understanding of how engineering designers and industrial designers use design representations in different ways.http://www.colab.lboro.ac.u

Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 2006

Conventional computer aided design (CAD) systems have not provided enough support for conceptual ... more Conventional computer aided design (CAD) systems have not provided enough support for conceptual design partly due to the lack of natural and intuitive human–computer interaction. Currently emerging virtual reality (VR) based techniques offer new ways to overcome these obstacles. In this paper, new CAD user interfaces including two-handed operation, haptic interaction, stereoscopic display and auditory feedback are investigated. The contribution of this work is to develop a new direct, natural and intuitive interaction paradigm required to support conceptual design. This paradigm enables designers to take fuller advantage of their visual, auditory and tactile sensorial channels to create, view, touch, hold, manipulate and listen to computer-generated virtual models. This is done more easily and freely in a more realistic three-dimensional (3D) environment through convenient interface device operation. A new conceptual design system called the LUCID system that fully integrates and implements these VR-based innovative interfaces into one design application is presented. As an approach to the next generation of human–computer interfaces for use in the design activity, the LUCID system has shown particular human computer interface benefits to designers during conceptual design based on the outcome from the user evaluation test.

Rapid Prototyping Journal, 2001

Rapid prototyping technologies have introduced a new generation of rapid tooling processes. Many ... more Rapid prototyping technologies have introduced a new generation of rapid tooling processes. Many of these rapid tools have been used for injection moulding where the thermal properties of the tool material are critical to the quality of parts produced. Rapid tools are often made from materials with substantially different thermal properties than conventional metal tools. Engineers wishing to make use of these technologies to produce technical prototypes must be aware of the effect this will have on final part properties. Some previous research has been undertaken in this area. Reviews the work done in the field of rapid tooling used for injection moulding. The review shows that, whereas a range of techniques and final part materials has been studied, the results obtained are incomplete and often unexplained. The authors draw conclusions as to why this is so and go on to identify areas for further work that will be pursued.

Rapid Prototyping Journal, 2005

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the development of rapid prototypin... more PurposeThis paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the development of rapid prototyping (RP) within the Republic of South Africa (RSA).Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a general review of the RP research and development effort within South Africa. It begins by looking at the progressive development of RP in the RSA to date. Next, the current situation is appraised in terms of the facilities that are now available, important emerging research areas and the development of human resources. Future prospects are then evaluated through a SWOT analysis.FindingsThe main lessons have been learnt in South Africa are as follows: it is never too late to get involved in RP; strong governmental support can enhance the growth of RP; an effective RP association can help to co‐ordinate HE and industry activities leading to a pooling of scarce resources rather than wastage through duplication of efforts; research must be aimed at local priorities to ensure industrial support and gov...

Rapid Prototyping Journal, 2011

Prototyping (RP) use within the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The paper analysed its strengths,... more Prototyping (RP) use within the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The paper analysed its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and proposed a "road-map" for future development. Much has happened in the intervening years since that article was published and this paper seeks to update readers on the current situation in RSA. In particular, it reports the extensive development of research in the field of RP and Additive Manufacturing (AM). Methodology The paper uses a literature review approach combined with reflective analysis to distill the most important developments within the RP community in RSA since 2004. These are compared to the previous road-map to ascertain if there are any required actions that have been overlooked or any additional lessons that have been learnt. Findings The paper shows that there has been good progress against the previous road-map and that current plans should remain in place with the addition of a greater educational dimension.

Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 1996

Rapid prototyping (RP) potentially offers great benefits when used during the design and manufact... more Rapid prototyping (RP) potentially offers great benefits when used during the design and manufacturing process. It can help shorten time-to-market, improve quality and reduce costs. However, RP must be used in an effective manner if these benefits are to be fully realised. It should only be used when appropriate, the most suitable system must be selected, data transfer must be

Journal of Engineering Design, 2007

There can be a tendency, even within companies who practice concurrent engineering, to limit cust... more There can be a tendency, even within companies who practice concurrent engineering, to limit customer involvement to the initial and final stages of the new product development process only. This invites the possibility that the customers' opinions will be lost or at least diluted during the intermediate stages of the process. A joint research project involving Loughborough University and the Central University of Technology, Free State has provided evidence, through several case studies, that physical models created via rapid prototyping ...

Journal of Engineering Design, 1996

Feature-based design (FBD) has the potential to optimize several aspects of the design and manufa... more Feature-based design (FBD) has the potential to optimize several aspects of the design and manufacturing process. One such aspect that has not been fully investigated is the link between FBD and rapid prototyping (RP). Using features that contain information specifically tailored to the requirements of the RP process, it is possible to optimize this link. This paper describes a methodology

Computer-Aided Design, 2002

When considering the use of rapid prototyping (RP), there are many questions a designer might ask... more When considering the use of rapid prototyping (RP), there are many questions a designer might ask. One such question is “what build orientation should be used to minimise the adverse effects of surface roughness?” At present, this decision is often made in an ...

ABSTRACT This is a conference paper. Design for assembly (DFA) is a well-establish technique that... more ABSTRACT This is a conference paper. Design for assembly (DFA) is a well-establish technique that has proved beneficial in many companies in different manufacturing sectors. It aims to simplify the assembly of a product by reducing the number of components and by making sure that they fit together easily. Often, a DFA analysis will show a theoretical improvement in the assemblability of a product, but the re-design is not implemented because there is no way of verifying the findings of the analysis. Rapid prototyping (RP) enables physical models to be made directly from CAD data in a relatively short period of time. Using RP, it is possible to build the re-designed product and test the accuracy of the DFA analysis. This paper describes the procedure that can be followed to achieve this and demonstrates its practicality through use of a case study. Key words: Design for assembly, rapid prototyping, design verification.

As a profession with a distinct remit to define the exterior form of manufactured products, indus... more As a profession with a distinct remit to define the exterior form of manufactured products, industrial designers make extensive us of physical models. Whilst the use of rapid prototyping during new product development is now well documented, no direct comparison between the use of conventional fabrication techniques and rapid prototyping for the production of appearance models has been published. This paper discusses a research programme in which the 3D computer aided industrial design (CAID) geometry for a consumer product was translated into appearance models using the contrasting techniques of workshop-based fabrication techniques and rapid prototyping using stereolithography. The research also examined the capacity to extend the use of the rapid prototype components for the production of a fully working prototype. The ability to combine an appearance model and a working prototype into a single "appearance prototype" was a significant advance in the application of RP within industrial design.

23rd International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, 2012

ABSTRACT This paper reports an investigation into the potential for consumers designing and manuf... more ABSTRACT This paper reports an investigation into the potential for consumers designing and manufacturing their own products using a combination of “Computer Aided Consumer Design” (CaCODE) and Additive Manufacturing (AM). Recent developments in the field of AM (cheaper machines and new materials) have led to renewed interest in the manufacture of customised products and, more specifically, allowing consumers to create their own bespoke products. However, a persistent weak link in this paradigm is the inability of most consumers to create 3D models as an input for AM. Operating a conventional CAD system requires a lengthy period of specialist training and is therefore not viable in this context. Consequently, easy-to-use 3D design tools are needed to make AM more accessible to consumers. This research study investigated the suitability of such a system for enabling consumers to design their own pens for manufacture using AM. The investigation also explored the consumer acceptance of current AM capabilities when used for the production of consumer products. The results showed that careful attention must be paid to the specific needs of consumers, both in terms of their product preferences and their ability to use software. These will be used to guide the design of future CaCODE systems.

This paper provides a useful insight into the level of quality of several popular Entry-Level 3D ... more This paper provides a useful insight into the level of quality of several popular Entry-Level 3D Printing (EL3DP) systems. At their best, EL3DPs are able to produce parts for conceptual models and personalised objects. As EL3DP systems become more mainstream, the next generation of machines will continue to provide low ownership costs with a more acceptable degree of quality. This paper presents results of a benchmark analysis of several low-cost material extrusion 3D printers to enable comparison with each other and with more expensive industrial systems. Benchmarking of the parts was carried out using dimensional analysis to determine key performance characteristics as well as aesthetic evaluation by users in terms of the parts being pleasing to look at and to touch. From the study, it was found that a wide variation between different entry-level systems exists, with some of them approaching the performance level of more expensive machines. Many of the EL3DP parts had horizontally...

As end-users become more involved in personalising designs, Additive Manufacturing has become an ... more As end-users become more involved in personalising designs, Additive Manufacturing has become an enabler to deliver this service through the manipulation of three-dimensional designs using easy-to- use design toolkits. Consequently, end-users are able to fabricate their personalised designs through various types of AM systems. This study employs an experimental method to investigate end-users’ reflections on the value of 3D Printed personalised products based on Product Value and Experiential Value. The results suggest that end-users gave higher value to all measurements for the 3D Printed personalised products. This indicates that 3D Printed personalised products have increased perceived value when compared to standard mass-production counterparts.

Progress in Additive Manufacturing, 2019

The paradigm shift towards a decentralised approach of cloud manufacturing requires tighter stand... more The paradigm shift towards a decentralised approach of cloud manufacturing requires tighter standardisation and efficient interfaces between additive manufacturing (AM) data and production. In parallel with technology advancements, it is important to consider the digital chain of information. Although a plethora of AM formats exist, only some are commonly used for data transfer. None of these AM data transfer standards specifically addresses the needs of the redistributed manufacturing (RDM) landscape. The purpose of this study is to identify the required features for AM data transfer standards to support a RDM landscape. The study examined the data flow from CAD to AM and reviewed established shortcomings of existing data exchange standards such as STL. After identifying the data exchange standards for AMF, 3MF, STEP and STEP-NC as promising replacements for STL, their premises, objectives, contributions and advantages were reviewed. The role of AM to support RDM by overcoming tooling costs and the associated need for economies of scale was also reviewed. Focus group interviews and surveys were conducted with AM and RDM experts from industry and academia and the participants' accounts were analysed for common themes and narratives. Finally, the suitability of existing data transfer formats was examined by compiling existing and expected standard features and having them rated by AM experts. The study showed that STEP-NC and AMF standards are ahead in implementing the most highly valued data transfer features. Open standards are also expected to further facilitate innovation in AM. The survey also identified that the top five features deemed most important by the participants for data exchange formats for RDM were regular internal structures/lattices, manufacturing tolerances, geometric representation, curvature representation, and surface structures. This study has contributed towards evaluating existing standards and their future development and adoption. It is hoped that the results will benefit policy makers and industry leaders to be aware of the importance of data exchange standards for AM so as to pave a clear roadmap for the Digital Economy in a RDM landscape.

Procedia Technology, 2015

This paper reports a substantial body of work that has been done in this area, which has been use... more This paper reports a substantial body of work that has been done in this area, which has been used to determine how Additive Manufacturing (AM) and subsequent processes should be optimally applied, and introduces a series of process maps that have been generated to guide future practical work with a combination of questionnaires and expert interviews for validating the process maps. The outputs from the research should prove to be valuable to anyone working in this field. The main contribution to knowledge is the characterisation of archaeological artefacts and the resultant process maps derived from this characterization.

Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Advanced Research in Virtual and Rapid Prototyping, Leiria, Portugal, 28 September - 1 October, 2011, 2011

Industrial designers employ an extensive range of media and techniques at various times during pr... more Industrial designers employ an extensive range of media and techniques at various times during professional practice. Whilst general patterns of use are acknowledged, such as loose sketches at the beginning of product development and full prototypes at the end, the nuances of use for specific design representations remain elusive. Having identified problems in communication during product development, the researchers identified a lack of understanding in the use of design representations as a key issue. This paper reports on research to enhance communication during product development by making tacit knowledge on the use of design representations explicit. This was achieved through the development of two design tools called CoLab and iD Cards. Phase 1 of the project identified barriers to communication through semi-structured interviews with 61 industrial designers and engineering designers at 17 industrial design consultancies. Phase 2 explored the nature of design representations and categorized 35 types as sketches, drawings, models or prototypes using semi-structured interviews with both industrial designers and engineering designers, with differences in use between the two groups becoming apparent. Phase 3 used a process of information design to translated the findings and data from Phase 2 into the card-based CoLab design tool that included the taxonomy and indication of when the design representations were used by industrial designers and engineering designers and for what types of information. Changes were made after appraisal and the final tool was validated through semi-structured interviews with 43 industrial design and engineering design practitioners and observation. Phase 4 disseminated the research output with the support of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) in the UK (CoLab web-based design tool) and Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) in the USA (iD Cards physical design tool). The paper concludes that the use of appropriate research methods that integrate literature based sources with practitioner engagement has the potential to elicit valuable and unexpected tacit knowledge. It also acknowledges that whilst the outcomes from such research can be enthusiastically received, translation into a format for effective dissemination can be a challenging and time-consuming process. However, with confidence in outcomes and a desire to disseminate, opportunities can be identified if researchers are prepared to be flexible and adapt to stakeholder needs

http://www.colab.lboro.ac.ukCoLab is a design tool that provides information on the use of design... more http://www.colab.lboro.ac.ukCoLab is a design tool that provides information on the use of design representations (sketches, drawings, models and prototypes) by engineering designers and industrial designers during New Product Development (NPD). There is no set way to use CoLab; it facilitates understanding and collaboration by giving a name, example and description for the key design representations and identifies the differences in how they are used by engineering designers and industrial designers. Grey cards provide information on design stages, types of information and have a taxonomy of 35 design representations that is common to both engineering designers and industrial designers. Blue cards provide specific information on the use of design representations by engineering designers and red cards on the use of design representations by industrial designers. A key role of CoLab is to facilitate understanding of how engineering designers and industrial designers use design representations in different ways.http://www.colab.lboro.ac.u

Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 2006

Conventional computer aided design (CAD) systems have not provided enough support for conceptual ... more Conventional computer aided design (CAD) systems have not provided enough support for conceptual design partly due to the lack of natural and intuitive human–computer interaction. Currently emerging virtual reality (VR) based techniques offer new ways to overcome these obstacles. In this paper, new CAD user interfaces including two-handed operation, haptic interaction, stereoscopic display and auditory feedback are investigated. The contribution of this work is to develop a new direct, natural and intuitive interaction paradigm required to support conceptual design. This paradigm enables designers to take fuller advantage of their visual, auditory and tactile sensorial channels to create, view, touch, hold, manipulate and listen to computer-generated virtual models. This is done more easily and freely in a more realistic three-dimensional (3D) environment through convenient interface device operation. A new conceptual design system called the LUCID system that fully integrates and implements these VR-based innovative interfaces into one design application is presented. As an approach to the next generation of human–computer interfaces for use in the design activity, the LUCID system has shown particular human computer interface benefits to designers during conceptual design based on the outcome from the user evaluation test.

Rapid Prototyping Journal, 2001

Rapid prototyping technologies have introduced a new generation of rapid tooling processes. Many ... more Rapid prototyping technologies have introduced a new generation of rapid tooling processes. Many of these rapid tools have been used for injection moulding where the thermal properties of the tool material are critical to the quality of parts produced. Rapid tools are often made from materials with substantially different thermal properties than conventional metal tools. Engineers wishing to make use of these technologies to produce technical prototypes must be aware of the effect this will have on final part properties. Some previous research has been undertaken in this area. Reviews the work done in the field of rapid tooling used for injection moulding. The review shows that, whereas a range of techniques and final part materials has been studied, the results obtained are incomplete and often unexplained. The authors draw conclusions as to why this is so and go on to identify areas for further work that will be pursued.

Rapid Prototyping Journal, 2005

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the development of rapid prototypin... more PurposeThis paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the development of rapid prototyping (RP) within the Republic of South Africa (RSA).Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a general review of the RP research and development effort within South Africa. It begins by looking at the progressive development of RP in the RSA to date. Next, the current situation is appraised in terms of the facilities that are now available, important emerging research areas and the development of human resources. Future prospects are then evaluated through a SWOT analysis.FindingsThe main lessons have been learnt in South Africa are as follows: it is never too late to get involved in RP; strong governmental support can enhance the growth of RP; an effective RP association can help to co‐ordinate HE and industry activities leading to a pooling of scarce resources rather than wastage through duplication of efforts; research must be aimed at local priorities to ensure industrial support and gov...

Rapid Prototyping Journal, 2011

Prototyping (RP) use within the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The paper analysed its strengths,... more Prototyping (RP) use within the Republic of South Africa (RSA). The paper analysed its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and proposed a "road-map" for future development. Much has happened in the intervening years since that article was published and this paper seeks to update readers on the current situation in RSA. In particular, it reports the extensive development of research in the field of RP and Additive Manufacturing (AM). Methodology The paper uses a literature review approach combined with reflective analysis to distill the most important developments within the RP community in RSA since 2004. These are compared to the previous road-map to ascertain if there are any required actions that have been overlooked or any additional lessons that have been learnt. Findings The paper shows that there has been good progress against the previous road-map and that current plans should remain in place with the addition of a greater educational dimension.

Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 1996

Rapid prototyping (RP) potentially offers great benefits when used during the design and manufact... more Rapid prototyping (RP) potentially offers great benefits when used during the design and manufacturing process. It can help shorten time-to-market, improve quality and reduce costs. However, RP must be used in an effective manner if these benefits are to be fully realised. It should only be used when appropriate, the most suitable system must be selected, data transfer must be

Journal of Engineering Design, 2007

There can be a tendency, even within companies who practice concurrent engineering, to limit cust... more There can be a tendency, even within companies who practice concurrent engineering, to limit customer involvement to the initial and final stages of the new product development process only. This invites the possibility that the customers' opinions will be lost or at least diluted during the intermediate stages of the process. A joint research project involving Loughborough University and the Central University of Technology, Free State has provided evidence, through several case studies, that physical models created via rapid prototyping ...

Journal of Engineering Design, 1996

Feature-based design (FBD) has the potential to optimize several aspects of the design and manufa... more Feature-based design (FBD) has the potential to optimize several aspects of the design and manufacturing process. One such aspect that has not been fully investigated is the link between FBD and rapid prototyping (RP). Using features that contain information specifically tailored to the requirements of the RP process, it is possible to optimize this link. This paper describes a methodology

Computer-Aided Design, 2002

When considering the use of rapid prototyping (RP), there are many questions a designer might ask... more When considering the use of rapid prototyping (RP), there are many questions a designer might ask. One such question is “what build orientation should be used to minimise the adverse effects of surface roughness?” At present, this decision is often made in an ...

ABSTRACT This is a conference paper. Design for assembly (DFA) is a well-establish technique that... more ABSTRACT This is a conference paper. Design for assembly (DFA) is a well-establish technique that has proved beneficial in many companies in different manufacturing sectors. It aims to simplify the assembly of a product by reducing the number of components and by making sure that they fit together easily. Often, a DFA analysis will show a theoretical improvement in the assemblability of a product, but the re-design is not implemented because there is no way of verifying the findings of the analysis. Rapid prototyping (RP) enables physical models to be made directly from CAD data in a relatively short period of time. Using RP, it is possible to build the re-designed product and test the accuracy of the DFA analysis. This paper describes the procedure that can be followed to achieve this and demonstrates its practicality through use of a case study. Key words: Design for assembly, rapid prototyping, design verification.

In the competitive commercial environment, ‘time to market’ is a key issue. Global markets demand... more In the competitive commercial environment, ‘time to market’ is a key issue. Global markets demand well-designed products of high quality with best possible prices and short lead times. To facilitate this, manufacturers have adopted concurrent product development approaches, spearheaded by collaboration strategies. As a result, product development has seen more attempts at greater integration activity among the disciplines of industrial design (ID) and engineering design (ED). This paper gives an overview of current collaboration methodologies used by industry and investigates the level of collaboration between IDs and EDs in the Singapore context. Empirical research through interviews and observations outline three distinct issues in collaborative activity, namely: conflicts in values and principles, different tools and methods used for representation, and differences in cross-functional education. The findings reveal a continuing gap between ID and ED, and the authors propose several approaches for future research. More importantly, this study highlights the importance of design collaboration and brings to attention current industry issues with the aim of achieving a more effective product development process