GIMLE - Digitalized collaboration for competitive and sustainable product realization
A project focusing on developing an assembly specific model-based definition representation by using a categorization encompassing all levels of the assembly domain, beyond physical attributes, in order to provide a digital product definition.
Background
Design work involves making various decisions by the designer to come up with an optimum balance between the requirements that a part/product must satisfy. Having a clear image of the results stakeholders expect would determine the success of the project. A model-based definition (MBD) integrated into a 3D representation facilitates communicating information of different nature such as product requirements. Introducing the aspect-oriented design principle, the MBD can be simplified by targeting just one aspect of the product, or in this case, one specific process.
This is important because when collaborating with other companies in PD there are challenges to deal with, such as lack of communication, trust, enough competence at the supplier, or information leakage. Then, a clear statement of product requirements is essential to avoid misunderstandings. Using representations able to better communicate information of different types, including product requirements, such as the MBD, improves the information exchange during the PD process.
As the definition of the core information required to satisfy all stakeholders needs throughout the product lifecycle is an issue in the use of MBD, a categorization of product requirements focused on the assembly process can be used as the base for the MBD data content and become a means to communicate the impact of the designer’s decisions on the assembly stage, supporting industrialization.
To transmit stakeholders’ viewpoints during the entire PD process, the categorization of requirements should encompass all levels of the assembly domain, beyond physical attributes. A classification of the product requirements focused on the assembly process was proposed based on the information gathered during the execution of a case study. It is expected that better communication results in reduced time for planning and, therefore, reduced time for product realization.
Aims and objectives
The long-term goal of this research is to develop an assembly specific MBD representation by using the proposed categorization as the base of its data content. This is a step towards the digital product definition, one of the concepts that could utilize the Industry 4.0 enabling technologies for achieving a more sustainable production.
Project plan
The Gimle pre-study is now the basis for a full project, focusing on model based collaboration and digital threads. Similarities and differences in information management of process planning the assembly versus part manufacturing were identified, going from requirements to instructions to production and back. This result will serve as a foundation to be explored in a full project, with the planned result of practical implementations as well as general principles for model-based development.
Applied interdisciplinarity
This project involves three different moments of product realization that are traditionally studied separately: design, process planning and final assembly. In addition to manufacturing specific knowledge, this project involve information management and design and aims at converging to a new broader discipline: Model Based Engineering.
Papers
Identification and Categorization of Assembly Information for Collaborative Product Realization. N Rea Minango, M Nafisi, M Hedlind, A Maffei
KTH Collaborations
Production Engineering
Duration
October 2020 – August 2021
Project participants
