Matt R. Bohm

Enhancing Virtual Product Representations for Advanced Design Repository Systems

This paper describes the transformation of an existing set of heterogeneous product knowledge into a coherent design repository that supports product design knowledge archival and web-based search, display, and design model and tool generation. Guided by design theory, existing product information was analyzed and compared against desired outputs to ascertain what information management structure was needed to produce design resources pertinent to the design process. Several test products were catalogued to determine what information was essential without being redundant in representation. This set allowed for the creation of a novel single point of entry application for product information and the development of a relational database for design knowledge archival. Web services were then implemented to support design knowledge retrieval through search, browse, and real-time design tool generation. Further explored in this paper are the fundamental enabling technologies of the design repository system. Additionally, repository-generated design tools are scrutinized alongside human-generated design tools for validation. Through this process researchers have been able to improve the way in which artifact data are gathered, archived, distributed and used.

Representing Functionality to Support Reuse: Conceptual and Supporting Functions

In order to accurately produce computer generated design tools, methods of incorporating non-conventional functional representations of artifacts need to be incorporated and standardized. Without formalized representations of artifact attributes such as manufacturing, feature specific and form specific details, comprehensive design models and tools cannot be generated. This paper describes a user-need driven approach of addressing shortcomings in product representations by comparing standard hand generated design tools to computer-generated tools. By pinpointing discrepancies between the two sets of models, additional artifact functional representations are identified and defined. The additional functional representations, dubbed as supporting functions, are then used to complete the existing artifact functional representations. As a test for the newly found supporting functions, their representations are cataloged along side standard functional representations within a design repository. The results are computer-generated design tools that identically match their human-generated counterparts.Copyright

Product Design Support: Exploring a Design Repository System

This paper reports on a knowledge rich design repository system. Current design tools and methodologies are reviewed and used to identify necessary design knowledge to populate a design repository. Building on previous research, an operational design repository is reviewed. The design repository system demonstrated includes a single point of entry application for product information, a relational database for archiving design knowledge and web-based tools. Web services are used to support design knowledge retrieval through search, browse and real-time design tool generation. From the repository interface, design tools such as bills of materials and design structure and function component matrices are generated. The output design tools are tested in real world design applications and validated. The result is a useful tool — applicable to several phases of product design.Copyright

Introduction of a data schema to support a design repository

This paper presents the data schema required to capture fundamental elements of design information in a heterogeneous repository supporting design reuse. Design information captured by the repository can be divided into seven main categories of artifact-, function-, failure-, physical-, performance-, sensory- and media-related information types. Each of the seven types of design information is described in detail. The repository schema is specific to a relational database system driving the implemented design repository; however, the types of design information recorded are applicable to any implementation of a design repository. The aim of this paper is to fully describe the data schema such that it could be recreated or specialized for industrial or research applications. The result is a complete description of fundamental design knowledge to support design reuse and a data schema specification. The data schema has been vetted with the implemented design repository that contains design information for over 100 consumer electro-mechanical products.

Product Family Design Knowledge Representation, Aggregation, Reuse, and Analysis

A flexible information model for systematic development and deployment of product families during all phases of the product realization process is crucial for product-oriented organizations. In current practice, information captured while designing products in a family is often incomplete, unstructured, and is mostly proprietary in nature, making it difficult to index, search, refine, reuse, distribute, browse, aggregate, and analyze knowledge across heterogeneous organizational information systems. To this end, we propose a flexible knowledge management framework to capture, reorganize, and convert both linguistic and parametric product family design information into a unified network, which is called a networked bill of material (NBOM) using formal concept analysis (FCA); encode the NBOM as a cyclic, labeled graph using the Web Ontology Language (OWL) that designers can use to explore, search, and aggregate design information across different phases of product design as well as across multiple products in a product family; and analyze the set of products in a product family based on both linguistic and parametric information. As part of the knowledge management framework, a PostgreSQL database schema has been formulated to serve as a central design repository of product design knowledge, capable of housing the instances of the NBOM. Ontologies encoding the NBOM are utilized as a metalayer in the database schema to connect the design artifacts as part of a graph structure. Representing product families by preconceived common ontologies shows promise in promoting component sharing, and assisting designers search, explore, and analyze linguistic and parametric product family design information. An example involving a family of seven one-time-use cameras with different functions that satisfy a variety of customer needs is presented to demonstrate the implementation of the proposed framework.

Using a Design Repository to Drive Concept Generation

This paper describes how a design repository can be used as a concept generation tool by drawing upon archived function-based design knowledge. Modern design methodologies include several types of activities to formally generate design concepts. Typical concept generation methods range from open-ended creative brainstorming activities to quantitative function-component analysis. A combination of two such methods-the chi-matrix and morphological matrix techniques-is the basis for this work. Building on existing functionality of the design repository, desired product functions can be specified in a search of stored design knowledge, returning a morphological matrix of artifacts solving the specified functions. Such a search is termed a morphological search. The repository morphological search feature is evaluated against concepts generated in a previous original design project. Results of the morphological search return are then compared to ten of the original concept variants generated during the design project. This comparison shows that 89% of the specified subfunctions return results and that, on average, 77% of the components used in the hand-generated concepts can be derived by using the morphological search feature.

Introduction of a Data Schema: The Inner Workings of a Design Repository

This paper describes the fundamental pieces of design information that compose the University of Missouri Rolla’s (UMR) design repository schema. Knowledge-based systems along with similar design information-capture schemas are reviewed. Repository schema conventions and specific implementation details are outlined to provide an understanding of the system connections and information relationships. Next, the repository schema is divided into seven main categories of design information including: artifact-, function-, failure-, physical-, performance-, sensory- and media-related information types. Each of the seven types of design information are described in detail to illustrate what elements of design information are recorded and how their relationships are established. An overview of the entire repository database is also presented. The result is a complete description and specification of the repository framework and allowable design information types such that the schema and repository could be recreated. Finally, a brief comparison is made between the UMR repository and its antecedent NIST repository framework.Copyright

Capturing Creativity: Using a Design Repository to Drive Concept Innovation

This paper describes how a design repository can be used as a concept generation tool by drawing upon archived function-based design knowledge. Modern design methodologies include several types of activities to formally generate design concepts. Typical concept generation methods range from open-ended creative brainstorming activities to quantitative function-component analysis. A combination of two such methods—the Chi Matrix and Morphological Matrix techniques—is the basis for this work. Building on existing functionality of the design repository, desired product functions can be specified in a search of stored design knowledge, returning a Morphological Matrix of artifacts solving the specified functions. Such a search is termed a Morphological Search. The repository Morphological Search feature is evaluated against concepts generated in a previous original design project. Results of the Morphological Search return are then compared to ten of the original concept variants generated during the design project. This comparison shows that 76% of the specified subfunctions return results and that, on average, 61.35% of the components used in the hand-generated concepts can be derived by using the Morphological Search feature.Copyright

Integrating Life Cycle Assessment Into the Conceptual Phase of Design Using a Design Repository

This paper describes efforts taken to further transition life cycle assessment techniques from the latter, more detailed phases of design to the early-on conceptual phase of product development. By using modern design methodologies such as automated concept generation and an archive of product design knowledge, known as the Design Repository, virtual concepts are created and specified. Streamlined life cycle assessment techniques are then used to determine the environmental impacts of the virtual concepts. As a means to benchmark the virtual results, analogous real-life products that have functional and component similarities are identified. The identified products are then scrutinized to determine their material composition and manufacturing attributes in order to perform an additional round of life cycle assessment for the actual products. The results of this research show that sufficient information exists within the conceptual phase of design (utilizing the Design Repository) to reasonably predict the relative environmental impacts of actual products based on virtual concepts.

An Interactive Morphological Matrix Computational Design Tool: A Hybrid of Two Methods

This paper builds on previous concept generation techniques explored at the University of Missouri - Rolla and presents an interactive concept generation tool aimed specifically at the early concept generation phase of the design process. Research into automated concept generation design theories led to the creation of two distinct design tools: an automated morphological search that presents a designer with a static matrix of solutions that solve the desired input functionality and a computational concept generation algorithm that presents a designer with a static list of compatible component chains that solve the desired input functionality. The merger of both the automated morphological matrix and concept generation algorithm yields an interactive concept generator that allows the user to select specific solution components while receiving instantaneous feedback on component compatibility. The research presented evaluates the conceptual results from the hybrid morphological matrix approach and compares interactively constructed solutions to those returned by the non-interactive automated morphological matrix generator using a dog food sample packet counter as a case study.Copyright