The engineering design process may be seen as a series of interrelated operations that are driven by decisions: each operation is carried out as the consequence of an associated decision. Hence, an effective design process relies heavily upon effective decision-making. As a consequence, supporting decision-making may be a significant means for achieving design process improvements. This thesis concentrates on how to support selection-type decision-making in conceptual engineering design.

Computer-Aided Design systems offer considerable potential for improving design process efficiency. To reduce the 'ease of use' barrier hindering full realisation of this potential amongst general mechanical engineering industries, many commercial systems are adopting a Feature-Based Design (FBD) metaphor. Typically the user is allowed to define and manipulate the design model using interface elements that introduce and control parametric geometry clusters, with engineering meaning, representing specific product features (such as threaded holes, slots, pockets and bosses). Sculptured products, such as golf club heads, shoe lasts, crockery and sanitary ware, are poorly supported by current FBD systems and previous research, because their complex shapes cannot be accurately defined using the geometrically primitive feature sets implemented. Where sculptured surface regions are allowed for, the system interface, data model and functionality are little different from that already provided in many commercial surface modelling systems, and so offer very little improvement in ease of use, quality or efficiency. This thesis presents research to propose and develop an FBD methodology and system suitable for sculptured products.

No description available.

by Leng Jing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-79). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.v / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.vi / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Motivation --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Project Background --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Organization of the Thesis --- p.7 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- LITERATURE SURVEY --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1 --- History of Shoe Last Making --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2 --- Review of the Shoe Last Design Approach --- p.11 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- CUSTOM SHOE LAST DESIGN SYSTEM --- p.15 / Chapter 3.1 --- System Overview --- p.15 / Chapter 3.2 --- The Scanned Data and Data Alignment --- p.17 / Chapter 3.3 --- The Computation of Distance Map --- p.21 / Chapter 3.4 --- The Modification of Distance Map --- p.24 / Chapter 3.5 --- The Deformation --- p.30 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- INTERACTIVE LOCAL DEFORMATIONS --- p.35 / Chapter 4.1 --- Local Deformations --- p.37 / Chapter 4.2 --- Adaptive Deformation --- p.39 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION --- p.43 / Chapter 5.1 --- Add in Application to SolidWorks® --- p.43 / Chapter 5.2 --- The Matlab® Implementation --- p.52 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- CONCLUSIONS AND DISCUSSIONS --- p.56 / Chapter 6.1 --- Summary and Conclusions --- p.56 / Chapter 6.2 --- Recommendations for Future Research --- p.57 / APPENDEX A --- p.59 / SHOE SIZE CONVERTER --- p.59 / APPENDEX B --- p.60 / SOURCE CODE OF SHOE LAST CUSTOMIZATION SYSTEM --- p.60 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.74

A new automated system (called SOUSC) for design optimisation of a mechanical assembly has been developed. SOUSC stands for System Optimisation Using Standard Components. Based on a given layout of the assembly's components, the assembly is able to organise the design process of the assembly, collate useful information for each component's design optimisation and general design data management. In this work, the SOUSC concept has been illustrated by means of a gearbox model. To enable the system to recognise the needs and outputs of the individual component, a standardised procedure has been established for the modelling of the components and their design optimisation routine. Standard component data, as found in manufacturers' catalogues has been organised and incorporated to form part of the design constraints. The need to achieve efficient management of both the standard component data and the data arising from the design of a mechanical assembly has resulted in the development of a database management system package, TEKDEMS. TEKDBMS offers certain facilities necessary in the design process of a mechanical assembly which are not found in commercially available database management systems. The dynamic programming technique for optimisation has been employed. Coupled with the strategy of decomposition, the assembly is broken up into a series of interdependent stages and the principle of returns applied recursively. This technique has been found to be a useful and suitable method as it fitted in with the desired feature of flexibility in design optimisation of mechanical assemblies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Supervisors: Martin D.F. Wong and Aloysius K. Mok. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-71). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

The contribution to knowledge presented in this thesis is the dynamic contingency approach, supported through software, which supports the management of the early, conceptual stages of electronic engineering team design. 1he term contingency pertains to the design environment being in a contingent state, that is "dependent on uncertain issues" (Hayward & Sparkes, 1991). These issues are typically dynamic, that is ''pertaining to forces not in equilibrium, forces that produce motion" (Hayward & Sparkes, 1991). The concept for the dynamic contingency approach was developed through a soft systems analysis. This analysis drew upon an ethnographic study conducted in parallel with the present work by another researcher. Both the present work and the ethnographic study were carried out within a multidisciplinary research team in collaboration with an industrial partner (company A). This thesis discusses the evolution of this multidisciplinary research method, including the development of a software prototype (EDAPT), which enabled the requirements for the dynamic contingency approach to be established. Through this research method key issues were identified which affect the ability of design managers, and to a lesser extent design engineers, to adequately perceive the current situation of a design project; and to determine appropriate corrective responses to potential problem situations. The work indicates that this is particularly true when under pressure in such a complex, interdependent and dynamic environment. This thesis illustrates how the environment of design can be dependent upon these key issues which are often uncertain, that is, the environment is in a contingent state. Furthermore, the thesis depicts the dynamic nature of these issues. The dynamic contingency approach was developed in response to these issues in partnership with the industrial collaborator. The approach synthesises a variety of such issues to support the coordination of interdependencies, provide a view of the current project situation, alert stakeholders to potential problem situations, and present possible responses to potential problem situations. In short, what has been achieved is a design management worldview with sufficient detail to help people expect and anticipate what might happen, and how others may behave in a team design environment, together with the foundations for a system which enables and supports this perspective. In essence the approach provides a way of conceptualising the design environment which should enable improvements in the management of design teams at the early, conceptual stages of electronic engineering design projects.

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