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In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
Mapping of Product Functions and Design Principles for Additive Manufacturing
Filip Valjak
Type:
Year:
2022
Author:
Supervisor:
Nenad Bojčetić
Institution:
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture
Page(s):
191
Website:
Abstract:
Additive Manufacturing (AM) brought new manufacturing capabilities, new and unique design possibilities, and unprecedented design freedom. However, due to the uniqueness of AM, the designers working with AM have trouble designing products that will utilise those benefits. The issue is noticeable when the AM knowledge needs to be applied from the early phases of the design process to influence product functionality and preliminary layout. The research presented in this thesis aims to develop the Mapping Methodology for choosing AM Design Principles (DPs) used for creating a design solution for one or more functions of a product. The methodology aims to help engineers to apply DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing) in the early stages of the design process to utilise and implement the unique possibilities of AM. To develop such a methodology, the research is focused on investigating and understanding function modelling of AM products, sources of AM knowledge for early design phases and formalisation of function-to-form relation to be used in new AM product development.
The presented research follows the Design Research Methodology. It firstly provides research clarification, followed by a review of relevant literature on DfAM and function modelling. Then an empirical study based on the analysis of the pool of AM products is conducted to improve the understanding of the observed phenomena. Furthermore, based on the theoretical background from the literature review and the results of the empirical study, the Mapping Methodology is presented. The developed Mapping Methodology provides the design support for the early design phases of AM oriented design process by integrating the conceptual and early embodiment design. Through the function modelling and mapping process, the methodology supports function integration and mapping of product functions and AM DPs. Furthermore, it enables the development of concepts that, through the preliminary layout of the form, embody AM based solutions.
The results of the research are validated using the case study research method. The validation showed the Mapping Methodology's benefits in the early design phases. Through four case studies, both novice and expert designers successfully used the methodology to develop various concepts of AM products and achieved function integration and embodiment of AM design solutions. The evidence gathered through the validation process supports the research hypothesis that mapping of function model of a product and AM DPs enable function integration and embodiment of design solutions adapted for AM.
The presented research follows the Design Research Methodology. It firstly provides research clarification, followed by a review of relevant literature on DfAM and function modelling. Then an empirical study based on the analysis of the pool of AM products is conducted to improve the understanding of the observed phenomena. Furthermore, based on the theoretical background from the literature review and the results of the empirical study, the Mapping Methodology is presented. The developed Mapping Methodology provides the design support for the early design phases of AM oriented design process by integrating the conceptual and early embodiment design. Through the function modelling and mapping process, the methodology supports function integration and mapping of product functions and AM DPs. Furthermore, it enables the development of concepts that, through the preliminary layout of the form, embody AM based solutions.
The results of the research are validated using the case study research method. The validation showed the Mapping Methodology's benefits in the early design phases. Through four case studies, both novice and expert designers successfully used the methodology to develop various concepts of AM products and achieved function integration and embodiment of AM design solutions. The evidence gathered through the validation process supports the research hypothesis that mapping of function model of a product and AM DPs enable function integration and embodiment of design solutions adapted for AM.
Keywords:
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