Bruce Mayer, PE Licensed Electrical & Mechanical Engineer BMayer@ChabotCollege

1. Engineering 11 ConfigurationDesign Bruce Mayer, PE Licensed Electrical & Mechanical EngineerBMayer@ChabotCollege.edu

2. OutLine  Configuration Design • What is a product configuration? • What is a part configuration? • Product architecture design • Part configuration design • Evaluating Configurations • Computer Aided Design (CAD) • Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)

3. OverView – Config Design • The Configuration Design moves the Design-Concept from the diagram phase to the one where specific components are now identified so that we can proceed to manufacture. • Start to Develop Specific Sizes, Shapes, and Orientations • Begin to Apply Highly Quantitative Science and Mathematics

4. What is Configuration Design? • Example Design Problem  Reduce Rotational Speed • Design Concept  Gear Pair geometry & material Physical principle:PowerIn = PowerOut embodiment

5. Possible GearPair Configurations • Alternative configuration 1 • ARRANGE Part Differently

6. Possible GearPair Configurations • Alternative configuration 2 Helical gears SpurGears • Use different FEATURES or PARTS

7. Possible GearPair Configurations • Alternative configurations 3 & 4 Wide Gear Face Similar Diameters • Use different RELATIVE DIMENSIONS

8. What is Configuration Design? • Example Design Problem  Support Vertical Load • Design Concept  Wall Bracket geometry & material Physical principle:Force Equilibrium embodiment

9. Wall Bracket Configurations AbstractEmbodiment DifferentFeatures DifferentArrangements DifferentDimensions

10. Configuration Decisions • To Create Different Configs Change one or more of these

11. Select the BEST Configuration FormulatingProblem • Use the General Design Process as a Model for Choosing Between Configuration Alternatives DESIGN Specs GeneratingAlternatives ReDesignIteration ALLAlternatives AnalyzingAlternatives FEASIBLE Alternatives EvaluatingAlternatives BEST AlternativeMANUFACTURING Specs

12. Best concept(s) ConfigurationDesign Product architecture Integral / modular Standard / special purpose Configure Product Generate Re-examine EDS Research sources Configuration requirements sketch Configure Part(s) Iterate Design for Function Design for Assembly Design for Manufacture Analyze and Refine Pugh’s Method Weighted Rating Method Evaluate Best configuration(s)

13. Product Architecture • Analogous to Building Architecture • Rooms arranged Using a logical “scheme.” • Before the details of the house are designed we determine the general layout or “architecture.”

14. Example  Product Architecture • This “System Architecture” Shows the Major SubSystems (the “rooms”), and their Physical Locations relative to each other (the “Floor Plan”)

15. Example  Product Architecture March 1992 Jun 1994

16. Product Standard Part Special purpose Part Subassembly A Subassembly B Special purpose part Special purpose part Standard part Subassembly B1 Standard part Special purpose part ReCall Product DeComposition • Shows • type, number, arrangement of components • standard or special purpose (make or buy)

17. Product Architecture • PRODUCT ARCHITECTURE is the scheme/plan by which the functional elements of a product are arranged into physical building blocks (components, subsystems or subassemblies) that interact with each other to perform the overall function of the product • Product architectures can be “modular” or “integral”

18. Modular Architecture • Product examples • Flashlight • Refrigerator • Automobile • Personal computer Modular components Batteries, bulbs Motors, compressor, switches Tires, radios, seats, brakes, engines Drives, keyboards, mice, modems • “Chunks” implement one or a few functions • Interactions between chunks are well defined (standard interfaces and/or connections)

19. Integral Architecture Product examples BMW Motorcycle engine Printer case Shaft Beverage cup Modular components engine/frame integral snap-fasteners machined bearing race integrated handle • a single chunk implements many functions • Interaction is ill defined • Physical element “shares” functions

20. Developing Architectures • Create a schematic of functional and physical elements • cluster elements into logical chunks to: • exploit standard components • to exploit standard interfaces (e.g. 115 VAC, USB) • fully utilize manufacturing process(es), or suppliers • provide for maintenance • sketch a rough geometric layout • identify interactions between elements • refine layout

21. Example  Design Printer • Identify • SubFunctions • InterActions

22. Example  Design Printer • Cluster Elements into Logical “Chunks”

23. Example  Design Printer • Sketch rough geometric “layout”

24. a REFINEDLayOut

25. Example  Design Printer • Sketch the Interaction Diagram

26. Best concept(s) Part ConfigurationDesign Product architecture Integral / modular Standard / special purpose Configure Product Re-examine EDS Research sources Configuration requirements sketch Configure Part(s) Iterate Design for Function Design for Assembly Design for Manufacture Analyze and Refine Pugh’s Method Weighted Rating Method Evaluate Best configuration(s)

27. Part Configuration Design • Many Issues Associated with Each Decision • Consider just Geometric Features

28. Generating Alternatives • RecallBracketConfigurations AbstractEmbodiment DifferentFeatures DifferentArrangements DifferentDimensions

29. Example  Sponge Holder • Prepare configuration requirements sketch SpongeHolder

30. Example  Sponge Holder • Prepare NON-Contiguous configuration requirements sketch

31. Example  Sponge Holder • Prepare alternative CONTIGUOUS configuration sketches

32. Example  Sponge Holder • RefineConfigs hole in back wall hole in offset wall

33. Best concept(s) ConfigurationAnalysis Product architecture Integral / modular Standard / special purpose Configure Product Re-examine EDS Research sources Configuration requirements sketch Configure Part(s) Iterate Design for Function Design for Assembly Design for Manufacture Analyze and Refine Pugh’s Method Weighted Rating Method Evaluate Best configuration(s)

34. Analysis Queries • Will the Configuration Perform the Desired FUNCTION? • Can all the Parts be MADE (manufactured)? • Can the Configuration be ASSEMBLED?

35. Design for Function (DFF) • Functional Considerations List • Strong • Stiff or flexible • Buckling • Thermal expansion • Vibrate • Quiet / Noise • Heat transfer • Fluid(s) transport and/or storage • Energy efficient • Stable • Reliable • Human factors/ergonomics • Safe • Easy to use • Maintain • Repairable • Durable (wear, corrosion) • Life-cycle costs • Styling/aesthetics

36. Design for Assembly (DFA) • Assembly≡ a process of handling components to bring them together (inserting) and then fastening them. • Design for Assembly≡ a set of design practices which reduce the manpower time required to handle, insert and fasten components of a product.

37. DFA  Reduce Handling • Handling  GMOP: Grasping, Moving, Orienting, Placing. • Design parts or products to reduce the influence on handling • Size • Thickness • Weight • Nesting • Tangling • Fragility, • Flexibility, • Slipperiness, • Stickiness • need for: 2 hands, tools, optical magnification, mechanical assistance, etc

38. DFA  Reduce Insert & Fasten • Insertion & Fastening  Mating a part to another part or sub-assembly. • Design parts or products to reduce the effort associated with inserting & fastening • Accessability • Resistance (force) to Insertion • Visibility • Ease of Alignment & Positioning • Depth of insertion • Separate operation required • Fastener used

39. DFA GuideLines from the SME • minimize part count • minimize levels of assembly (number of assemblies) • encourage modular assembly • use standard parts • stack sub-assemblies from the bottom up • design parts with self-fastening features (snap-fits, press-fits) • facilitate parts handling (grasp, orient, move) • design parts with self-locating features (e.g. chamfers, aligning recesses/dimples) • eliminate reorientation (i.e. insertion from 2 or more directions) • eliminate (electric) cables

40. PROs & CONs of DFA • Design Guidelines • pros: fast, easy, non-coupled • cons: non-quantitative; no metric to compare alterative designs • Assembly Efficiency • pros: systematic, comparative • cons: takes time to code & calculate

41. Best concept(s) ConfigurationEvalualtion Product architecture Integral / modular Standard / special purpose Configure Product Re-examine EDS Research sources Configuration requirements sketch Configure Part(s) Iterate Design for Function Design for Assembly Design for Manufacture Analyze and Refine Pugh’s Method Weighted Rating Method Evaluate Best configuration(s)

42. Evaluation Methods • Once the design concepts are generated and evaluated for feasibility, the surviving design concepts need to be evaluated to determine which one is “best.” • How does one define “best”? • One common method is to use the criteria for the design and weight the relative importance to determine “best.” • Note: the designers must be careful not to rig the weighting to make a favorite come out “best.”

43. Evaluate Sponge Holder ConFigs hole in back wall hole in offset wall

44. Eval by Weighted Rating Method • List evaluation criteria (in a column). • Determine importance weights (in an adjacent column) • List alternatives (along the top row) • Rate each alternative on each criterion • Compute the weighted rating for each criterion • Sum the ratings to produce the Overall Weighted Rating

45. Eval Sponge Holder ConFigs

46. Best concept(s) Config DesignSummary Product architecture Integral / modular Standard / special purpose Configure Product Re-examine EDS Research sources Configuration requirements sketch Configure Part(s) Iterate Design for Function Design for Assembly Design for Manufacture Analyze and Refine Pugh’s Method Weighted Rating Method Evaluate Best configuration(s)

47. Using Sketches in ConFig Dsgn • Sketches are used often in configuration design • Sketches assist creativity • Sketches are not typically used to “document” the “design” • But CAN be used to Document“IDEAS”

48. Creative Visualization • Sketching Stimulates Creativity And Helps Visualization • Sketching Ideas That Are Partially Developed Often Aids The Design Process • Do Not Wait Until You Have A Clear Picture Before You Start Sketching • Allow Yourself The Freedom To Make Mistakes • Visualization Of The Entire Design Is Essential But Often IMPOSSIBLE Without the Aid Of Sketches

49. Sketches for Patent Doc.

50. USA Patent App. 20030113451