Matthias Kreimeyer

Reflecting communication: a key factor for successful collaboration between embodiment design and simulation

The need for integration of computer-aided design and computer-aided engineering environments stems from the business priority to reduce product cycle times. It is exacerbated by the coexistence of two different paradigms: a topological one in embodiment design and a functional one in simulation. This dualism places increasing demands on human communication between design and simulation engineers. This paper claims that reflecting communication is a key factor for successful collaboration. Reflection is used in both senses of the Latin word ‘reflectare’: to trigger active thinking about and consideration of communication, as well as to mirror perceptions of a given situation by people collaborating. The paper reports on the development and application of a maturity-grid approach to diagnose the current and desired states of communication between design engineers and simulation engineers in the car body development of a German automotive manufacturer. Results include three themes: one, the importance of understanding of the collaborators’ information needs; two, the importance of orientation, e.g., indicated by the engineers’ overview of sequence of tasks in the design process; and three, the importance of reflection.

Complexity Metrics in Engineering Design

A solution to get the problem off, have you found it? Really? What kind of solution do you resolve the problem? From what sources? Well, there are so many questions that we utter every day. No matter how you will get the solution, it will mean better. You can take the reference from some books. And the complexity metrics in engineering design is one book that we really recommend you to read, to get more solutions in solving this problem.

Relating Two Domains via a Third: An Approach to Overcome Ambiguous Attributions Using Multiple Domain Matrices

Design Structure Matrices (DSM) and Domain Mapping Matrices (DMM) are commonly used to model and analyze the relationships within one domain (DSM) or between two domains (DMM). Being assembled into one larger square matrix, having DSMs on its diagonal and DMMs in all other fields, a so-called Multiple Domain Matrix (MDM) is formed. When relating two domains using a DMM, a problem arises when the nature of one individual relationship between the two domains is to be described. Usually, this is modeled by annotating each relationship with the additional information, much like comments in spreadsheet software. This, however, is yet impossible if the relationships should be in matrix notation to allow for algorithmic matrix analyses. Equally, this way, the annotations are not accessible as elements of another matrix, e.g. as DSM. This paper suggests a generic principle to solve the described problem in a way consistent with the matrix methodology. It proposes an approach using MDM and is thereby able to unambiguously provide the nature of each relationship between the elements of two domains. As a DSM is a mere case of a DMM having two identical domains, the approach proposed can equally be used to enrich the relationships within a DSM.Copyright

Entwicklungsprozesse hybrider Leistungsbündel – Evaluierung von Modellierungsmethoden unter Berücksichtigung zyklischer Einflussfaktoren

Die Entwicklung moderner Produkte hin zu komplexen hybriden Leistungsbundeln, bestehend aus technischen Artefakten und Dienstleistungen, erfordert eine erweiterte Betrachtung des zugehorigen Entwicklungsprozesses. Durch das temporale Verhalten interner und externer Einflussfaktoren verscharfen sich die Anforderungen an den angewandten Entwurfsprozess. Um die Voraussetzungen fur eine optimierte Modellierung des Entwicklungsprozesses zu legen, werden im Rahmen dieses Beitrags die anzulegenden Kriterien identifiziert, existierende Modellierungsmethoden evaluiert und der zukunftige Handlungsbedarf aufgezeigt.

Function-driven product design in virtual teams through methodical structuring of requirements and components

Today’s development process is mainly geometry driven and executed by a component-based organization of design departments (in automotive development e.g. one department for body design, one for interior design etc.). Yet, design departments developing complex products depend more and more on support from other departments. Therefore, these component-based organizational structures are not fully adequate. The product developed in these departments is — from the customer’s point of view — a set of functions that meet his needs, requiring the incorporation of different compromises from different aspects of design for X. Typically, the individual functions do not have a direct, one-on-one relation with single components or assemblies but overlap with several components and assemblies. Therefore, at least two perspectives coexist in the design of a product and particularly with respect to collaboration between embodiment design engineers and simulation engineers, that of functions and that of components. Hence, a manageable approach is needed to map components and functions. This paper proposes an approach to methodically compose function-oriented teams between embodiment design and simulation departments. These are meant to support cross-departmental communication to raise efficiency in the development process. The approach is implemented by interrelating components and functional requirements. To do so, the methodologies of design structure and domain mapping matrices are used. The mapping provides the engineering departments with several opportunities: First of all, it provides transparency of the product’s functions as specified by the requirements and their interrelation with the product’s topology. This offers the embodiment design engineers a possibility to understand the involvement of “their” parts into the total product and the simulation engineer the possibility to find all parts involved in a function to be simulated. Thus it serves as a means to structure communication between the involved engineers. Furthermore, it allows conclusions to compose adequate roles and teams within the design process. Adapting the approach of so-called “communities of practice”, a team structure across design and simulation departments is proposed to form function-driven teams that are able to work together efficiently and target-oriented. This establishes well-defined channels of communication to foster efficient exchange of information among different departments such as embodiment design and simulation department.Copyright

Dependency modelling in complex system design

Dependency modelling techniques support complexity management by focusing attention on the elements of a system, or the parts of a design problem, and the dependencies through which they are related. The dependency modelling perspective highlights structures in systems and their environments. It can lead to a better understanding of the implications of connectivity on different aspects of system performance, and may help to structure design problem-solving more effectively. This can assist in understanding, designing, optimising and maintaining complex systems – such as products, processes and organisations. Since the ‘Design Structure System’ was first introduced in 1981 (Steward 1981), a great deal of progress has been made exploring how different forms of dependency modelling can support complex system design. Much has changed in the three decades since Prof. Steward’s seminal paper was published. Many approaches have been developed based, for example, on Design Structure Matrix (DSM), Multiple-Domain Matrix (MDM) and network analysis techniques. Tools and methods have also been transferred into practice. This special issue on Dependency Modelling in Complex System Design aims to take stock of some new developments and trends. It was conceived by members of the Organising Committee of the 12th International Dependency and Structure Modelling (DSM) Conference, which was held in Cambridge during July 2010. The Editors felt that there was scope for a journal special issue in the same research area as the conference, but with a focus on collecting mature archival publications rather than reports of work-in-progress. They also discovered that a special issue on this rapidly developing research field had never previously appeared. An open call for papers was approved by the Journal of Engineering Design, and released in September 2011. Fifty abstracts were received leading to 35 full-paper submissions. Due to space constraints, only seven articles could be published – an acceptance ratio of 1:5.All submitted papers were peerreviewed by at least three reviewers. In selecting the final articles, all manuscripts and reviewers’ comments were carefully considered by the Editors. Inevitably, many difficult decisions were needed, and some high-quality submissions could not be included.

Structural metrics for decision points within multiple-domain matrices representing design processes

When reengineering or improving an engineering process, it is important to systematically examine the process for possible weak spots. Complexity metrics, which describe how ¿complex¿ a possible part of a process is, are a means of doing so. Using them, every single element of a process (e.g. activities, resources,...) or groups of elements can be reviewed, and those exhibiting distinctive features can be further considered for improvement. Such metrics are especially of interest if no quantitative data is available but only the qualitative process architecture is at hand, e.g. as a process chart. In this paper, different metrics from software and workflow engineering (McCabe Complexity, Control-flow Complexity, Activity / Passivity) are used on a qualitative model of a process incorporating decision points. The process model is based on a Multiple-Domain Matrix extended to comprise Boolean operators that are typical for process models (i.e. AND, OR, and XOR).

Use cases for automated driving commercial vehicles

Automated driving will be one of the most important trends of the next decade and will have a sustained impact on the automotive industry itself and the way vehicles are used in the future. Automated driving is particularly important for the commercial vehicle sector in view of the high mileages trucks accumulate as compared to passenger cars.

Structure-Based System Dynamics Analysis of Engineering Design Processes

The dynamic process behavior of Engineering Design Processes EDPs needs to be understood in order to distribute resources appropriately as well as for cost and schedule calculation. Currently, structural and behavioral modeling approaches are used in the context of EDP management. In many use cases, it is essential to have at hand both the static structural view and the dynamic behavioral one. Currently, however, the two modeling approaches cannot be sufficiently combined. Within this work, a framework for the structure-based System Dynamics analysis of EDPs is presented. It uses structural models as a basis for constructing System Dynamics models to simulate the process behavior and thereby supports understanding the correlation of process structure and behavior. This framework was iteratively developed by conducting case studies and consists of three layers, a five-step procedure and special support for the transformation of the models. For the validation, a subset of the design process at a large German commercial vehicle manufacturer has been chosen. Based on the application of the framework during a six-month project at the company, the industrial experts rated the framework as beneficial for the purpose of optimizing EDPs. Furthermore, they stated that the transparent representation of the sequence of the process, influencing factors and control variables in combination with the quantitative data had improved their understanding of the overall process.

Implementing Product Architecture in Industry: Impact of Engineering Design Research

This chapter details the setup of how a new engineering design approach, namely the systematic design of “product architecture” in the early phases of the engineering design process at the commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus AG, was integrated into an existing process landscape. As part of this implementation, models, methods, and tools from engineering design research were drawn upon, and their impact as part of the implementation is discussed.