Wen-Ren Jong

Web-based navigating system for conceptual mould design with knowledge management

Efficiency and quality are essential demands in mould and moulding manufacturing. Most related enterprises have already expanded from 3C (computer, communication, consumer electronics) to 4C (3C, car) products, which is characterised by smaller quantities and more varieties. For many firms, the shortened life cycle of products presents an unprecedented challenge. This research aims at developing a web-based navigating system for conceptual mould design with knowledge management within the computer-aided design (CAD) embedded browser. This system integrates CAD and web-based management seamlessly by the dedicated application programming interface (API). Based on both customised and standardised procedures, not only does the system prevent probable engineering mistakes and accumulate valuable knowledge, but also generates consistent web reports and shortens mould-design processes from 1 ∼ 2 days by senior engineers to a couple of hours normally. In the case study of this paper, using the web-based navigating system can result in time savings up to 66%. The results show significant time savings over the conventional design process.

Applying ant colony system algorithm in the navigation process for plastic injection mould manufacturing scheduling optimisation

Under the computer-aided design (CAD) software architecture, this study aims to develop navigation processes for plastic injection mould manufacturing scheduling optimisation. Mould manufacturing is a job-shop scheduling problem, with components processing sequence under limited conditions. This study uses the search capabilities of the ant colony system (ACS) to determine a set of optimal schedules, under the condition of not violating the processing sequences, in order to minimise the total processing time and realise makespan minimisation. As the test results suggest, it can save up to 52% of manufacturing time, and also substantially shorten the processing time of the production plan. This study completes the algorithm steps and manufacturing process time estimation by operations on the navigation interface, and uses mould manufacturing scheduling to make optimised arrangements of finished components. The method can comply with the on-site manufacturing processes, improve scheduling prediction accuracy and consistently and efficiently integrate the optimisation scheduling system and mould manufacturing system. Visualised information of the scheduling results can be provided, thus allowing production management personnel to ensure smooth scheduling.

An integrated application for historical knowledge management with mould design navigating process

In a knowledge-based economy, in addition to capital, equipment, land and natural resources, the preservation and application of technology are crucial to the development of various enterprises. This study used webpage technology, combined with ontology, computer-aided design (CAD) secondary development tools and knowledge management, to construct the knowledge classification of the historical knowledge platform of plastic injection products. Meanwhile, by recording relevant product information and issues encountered in design, this study achieved standardisation and knowledge to facilitate the design, manufacturing and testing of moulds through the mould design navigating process. Valuable hand-on knowledge in the design process was accumulated to provide knowledge assistance in follow-up product and mould designs, preventing costs from improper designs and in this case effectively shortening design time by 26%. Also, the historical knowledge platform can be applied in various design stages of plastic injection moulding products. This integration could considerably improve and optimise the production efficiency of the mould industry. The proposed knowledge platform in this study could better meet the urgent needs of the mould industry, and bring competitive advantages to enterprises.

Integration and application of feature recognition and mould manufacturing planning navigating process

Plastic injection mould manufacturing is diverse and complex. Traditional mould manufacturing planning often relied on experience and techniques. Therefore, in order not to affect the operation or even cause some loss of the enterprises, geometry information of computer-aided design (CAD) should be converted into manufacturing information of computer-aided process planning (CAPP) and CAM for automatic feature recognition to shorten the lead time. This study is the secondary development in a CAD environment creating a network plastic injection mould manufacturing navigating system and CAD/CAPP for integration and application. As part design is feature-based, each processing step can be regarded as a feature. By applying the hybrid recognition technology of the graph-based approach, the rule-based approach and hint-based approach in the analysis of part feature appearances, it can automatically categorise all the manufacturing features of the part and convert them into corresponding processes. The CAPP developed in this study can convert the part manufacturing features into corresponding processes and plan the part process sequence according to the process priority constraint relations. As proved by the case studies, the use of CAPP in this study can reduce planning time by 87%. It can provide users with a reference regarding process sequence, and speed up the part planning progress. Coupled with the mould manufacturing navigating process, it can achieve automatic design and manufacturing.

Web-Based Mechanism Design of 3C Plastic Parts with Knowledge Management

The mechanism design of plastic parts provides means for assembly and strength for applications. The common mechanism designs include component separation, snap fit, boss, hook, lip, rib, gusset, etc., which are traditionally accomplished by the accumulated knowledge of well-trained designers. This paper presents a navigating system to accomplish the mechanism design of 3C products in a systematic, consistent, and scientific approach, making the design procedure transparent. This not only greatly saves the time in training and designing, but also reduces some preventable man-made errors.