The role of multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) in the development process of complex engineering products
Year: 2017
Editor: Anja Maier, Stanko Škec, Harrison Kim, Michael Kokkolaras, Josef Oehmen, Georges Fadel, Filippo Salustri, Mike Van der Loos
Author: Papageorgiou, Athanasios; Ölvander, Johan
Series: ICED
Institution: Linköping University, Sweden
Section: Design Methods and Tools
Page(s): 109-118
ISBN: 978-1-904670-92-6
ISSN: 2220-4342
Abstract
The work presented in this paper explores several concepts related to the design of complex engineering products and emphasizes on the effects of considering Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) in the development process. This paper is by no means a comprehensive literature review, but instead, the aim is to discuss some key points through theory and references to common MDO applications. In this respect, the central topics which are addressed herein are the enhancement of the generic product development process, the road towards a better integration of the organization’s functions, the methods to manage complex system architectures, and finally, the shortcomings of the MDO field. As a link to more tangible industrial applications, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are chosen as an illustrative example due to their technical complexity as well as the demanding requirements of the corresponding market. Overall, the paper shows that despite the current state-of-the-art limitations, MDO can be a valuable tool within the “traditional” design process that has the potential to enable products of better quality while simultaneously reducing the total development time and effort.
Keywords: Design methods, Design process, Optimisation, New product development, Multidisciplinary Design Optimization