<p>This thesis proposes a new analytical self-adjoint sensitivity analysis to calculate the Jacobian of the <em>S</em>-parameters for metallic shape parameters. This method is independent of the full-wave numerical analysis and the respective system matrix. The theory works for both volumetric and infinitesimally thin metallic shapes. It exploits the computational efficiency of the self-adjoint sensitivity analysis (SASA) approach where only one EM simulation suffices to obtain both the responses and their gradients in the designable parameter space.</p> <p>There are three major advantages to this development: (1) the Jacobian computation for metallic structures is completely analytical and there is no approximation involved in the sensitivity analysis of shape parameters; (2) the implementation is straightforward and in the form of a post-processing algorithm operating on the exported field solutions on the surface or around the edge of the metallic structure; and (3) it provides the possibility for exact sensitivity analysis with all electromagnetic high-frequency simulators whose system matrices are not available to export or are not differentiable with respect to shape parameters, e.g., simulators based on the FDTD method and the MoM.</p> <p>The method was verified in a number of examples using a commercial finite-element solver. The agreement between the results calculated with the proposed method and the reference self-adjoint sensitivity curves provided with the simulator are very promising.</p> <p>Suggestions for future work are provided.</p> / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

In the highly competitive transportation industry, one way to gain a competitive advantage is to ensure the customer needs are satisfied and tailored according to each customer’s need. Scania’s one of the core values is customers first and believes that the organization is successful only when its customers are successful. In order to achieve their goals, modularization is the key to tailoring the needs of each customer. Considering this factor, an ‘n’ number of variants are required in each module of the trucks and buses offered to the customer. This thesis focuses onthe high voltage cables i.e. VCB cables in Scania’s terms, the cable harnesses are considered as the human nerves and blood vessels for automobiles. Scania is set to produce the VCB cables in-house instead of buying them from the suppliers which is the current method. The thesis focuses on the challenges in change management for new components in-house manufacturing by design-manufacturing integration as a solution. A case study is conducted for the products of electric trucks and buses to understand the design manufacturing integrations. The thesis aims to identify gaps and find where the highest risk exists for deviations in today’s process in terms of design demands, product specification, and product preparation in the production of VCB cables. The case study is conducted, including a literature review and semi-structured qualitative interviews to understand the workflow of how the information is transferred between many cross-functional groups with different business areas such as research &amp; development (R&amp;D) and production. The thesis aims to understand what challenges Scania’s METP (Engineering and process, Battery &amp; VCB production) production group faces while going through a change of organizational structure and interpreting the information via engineering drawings between different stakeholders/groups. A conceptual framework is presented by emphasizing the communication between the R&amp;D groups and the production group by benchmarking the DMI practices for collaborative product development. Furthermore, suggestions for effective drawing methods and increasing the group dynamics between R&amp;D and production are discussed in the thesis. It is hoped that the thesis provides a guide to initiate the stated tasks in results to ensure a smooth production start-up. / I den mycket konkurrensutsatta transportbranschen är ett sätt att få en konkurrensfördel att säkerställa kundens behov genom att skräddarsy produkten efter varje kunds behov. En av Scanias kärnvärdena är “kunderna först” vilket Scania anser vara ett viktigt måtto, speciellt eftersom Scanias framgång bygger på kundens framgång. För att nå sina mål är modularisering nyckeln till framgång. För att lyckas med detta krävs ett "n" antal varianter i varje modul av de produkkter som erbjuds kunden. Detta examensarbete fokuserar på högspänningskablarna. Scania utforskar möjligheten att producera högspänningskablarna i egen regi istället för att köpa dem från leverantörerna, vilket är den nuvarande metoden. Avhandlingen fokuserar på utmaningarna inom förändringsarbetet som krävs för att impementera denna typ av förändring. En fallstudie genomfördes på elektriska lastbilar och bussar för att förstå integrationen av design och tillverkning på detaljerad nivå som tidgare inte hade behövts eftersom externa leverantör tog hand om detaljerna. Avhandlingen syftar till att identifiera luckor och hitta var den största risken finns för avvikelser i dagens process vad gäller designkrav, produktspecifikationer och produktförberedelser vid tillverkning av högspänningskablage. Fallstudien genomfördes, inklusive en litteraturgenomgång och semistrukturerade kvalitativa intervjuer för att förstå arbetsflödet för hur informationen överförs mellan tvärfunktionella grupper. Dessa grupper har olika affärsområden såsom forskning &amp; utveckling (FoU) och produktion. Avhandlingen syftar till att förstå vilka utmaningar Scanias production team (Engineering and process, Battery &amp; VCB production) produktionsgrupp står inför samtidigt som de går igenom en förändring av organisationsstrukturen och tolkar informationen via tekniska ritningar mellan olika intressenter/grupper. Ett konceptuellt ramverk presenteras genom att betona kommunikationen mellan FoU-grupperna och produktionsgruppen genom att jämföra DMI:s praxis för samverkande produktutveckling. Vidare diskuteras förslag på effektiva metoder för teknisk ritning samt att öka gruppdynamiken mellan FoU och produktion. Förhoppningen är att avhandlingen ger en vägledning för att initiera de angivna målen för att säkerställa en smidig produktionsstart.

In Britain, the ‘Building Schools for the Future’ (BSF) programme numbered among its aims: ‘the building of sustainable communities in which students and teachers alike [could] thrive’ (DfES, 2003, p.88). Modern, purpose-built and ecologically efficient architecture was regarded as central to this. What is less clear is how particular architectural features could contribute to the positive effects hypothesized in BSF literature. Vischer (2008) has identified three areas in which environmental psychology research explores the effects of workspaces and workplace design on individuals: Territoriality and Belonging (how much users feel a part of the organisation, as a result of using the space); Productivity (how the space affects the performance of the individual, the team and the organisation) and Satisfaction (how users feel about the physical and aesthetic aspects of a space). However, the experiences of children working in schools may be very different to that of adults working in offices; and the role of the architecture in these different contexts may also vary between them. In addition, there remains an opportunity to explore these issues in secondary school settings as BSF was initially set-up in response to concerns about secondary school architecture. This research re-conceptualized Vischer’s three areas as Community (Territoriality…), Working Successfully (Productivity) and Well-being (Satisfaction), to explore experiences of architecture in a school context. This study over two phases operated from a Realist perspective (Blaikie, 1993) and used an Exploratory Evaluation Research methodology (Clarke, 2005) to explore the responses of students and staff to the architecture in 8 secondary schools: Schools A-D in the South-West of England (total sample n=105 students; n=26 staff) and Schools E-H in London (total sample n=83 students; n=2 staff). Schools A, E, F and H are BSF schools; B, C, D and G are non-BSF (mixed architectural styles). Phase 1 used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to explore student and staff responses to the architecture in their schools; and how this architecture affects their sense of Community, Working Successfully and WellBeing. Phase 2 used a classroom-based computer-aided design (CAD) activity to explore whether participants could offer architectural design solutions for classrooms and schools, according to their needs. Thematic analysis revealed common definitions of Community, Working Successfully and Well-Being across all schools; design choices which aimed to maximize natural light; beliefs that SEN status is central to school functioning well as a community; and beliefs about the role of curved architecture in improving acoustical quality. Implications for EP practice are considered and future research directions proposed.

This study aims to analyze and evaluate the influence of digital technologies on the inter-action of design and manufacturing processes by representing an outlook of digital tech-nologies through developments in modeling capabilities, manufacturing techniques, mate-rial science, and design strategies. The digital era reached by the technological developments in different fields of sci-ence influenced the field of architecture, just like the others. Thus, a new kind of spa-tial and tectonic quality in architecture is emerging with the lately introduced design tools and materials that are novel to the building industry, while redefining the role of architect in this contemporary medium. The evolutionary process of Frank O. Gehry and his office, being a pioneer in using digital design and manufacturing tools in architecture, is represented with realized examples that point out the formerly discussed developments in the realm of architecture and visualize the tectonics of the digitally designed and produced buildings / culminating with the case study of Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao.

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This research investigates the potential of the general public to actively design their own products and let consumers either manufacture by themselves or send the files to manufacturers to be produced. This approach anticipates the rapid growth of fabrication technology, particularly in Additive Manufacturing (AM)/3D printing. Recent developments in the field of AM/3D printing have led to renewed interest in how to manufacture customised products and in a way that will allow consumers to create bespoke products more easily. These technologies can enhance the understanding of non-technology compliant consumers and bring the manufacturing process closer to them. Consequently, to make AM/3D printing more accessible and easier to employ by the general public, design aspects need to be developed to be as simple to operate in the same manner as AM/3D printing technologies. These technologies will then attract consumers who want to produce Do-It-Yourself (DIY) products. This study suggests a Computer-aided Consumer Design (CaCODE) system as user- friendly design software to simplify the Computer Aided Design (CAD) stages that are required to produce 3D model data required by the AM/3D printing process. This software will be an easy-to-operate design system where consumers interact with parameters of designed forms easily instead of operating conventional CAD. In addition, this research investigates the current capabilities of AM/3D printing technologies in producing consumer products. To uncover the potential of consumer-led design and manufacturing, CaCODE has been developed for consumer evaluation, which is needed to measure the appropriateness of the tool. In addition, a range of consumer product samples as pens has been built using a range of different materials, AM/3D printing technologies and additional post-processing methods. This was undertaken to evaluate consumer acceptance of the AM/3D printed product based on products perceived quality. Forty non-designer participants, 50% male and 50% female, from 5 to 64 years old, 6-7 participants per ten-year age groups in 6 groups, were recruited. The results indicated that 75% of the participants would like to design their own product using consumer design software. The study compared how consumers interacted with the 3D model to manipulate the shape by using two methods: indirect manipulation (sliders) and direct manipulation (drag points). The majority of the participants would prefer to use the direct manipulation because they felt it was easy to use and enabled them to enjoy the design process. The study concluded that the direct manipulation was more acceptable because it enabled users to touch the digital product and manipulate it, making it more intuitive and natural. The research finds that there is a potential for consumers to design a product using user-friendly design tools. Using these findings, a consumer design tool concept was created for future development. The study indicated that 53% of participants would like to use products made by AM/3D printing although they still wanted the surface finish of injection moulded parts. However, the AM/3D printing has advantages that can fulfil the participants preference such as multi-materials from the material jetting method and it is proved that additional post-processing can increase participants acceptance level.

The goal of this thesis is to create a methodic and a system, which would involve customized computing and consequent design of the transition duct using input and applied data effectively and would achieve optimized set of parameters. The methodic described in the thesis is applied on transition duct within air main ducting between the filter and gas turbine. Transition duct is a huge mounted assembly consisting of welded parts. NX 5 application was chosen as system environment of the thesis. Master model is a root for both design model and computing model. Weight and material optimization is a desired result which will serve as basis for designing. It is not the goal of this thesis to create one perfect computation model BUT to create a methodic, which would be manageable by any designer equipped by basic knowledge of engineering.

The purpose of this research is to develop and architect a preliminary multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) tool that creates multiple types of generalized rocket fairing models. These models are sized relative to input geometric models and are analyzed and optimized, taking into account the primary objectives, namely the structural, thermal, and aerodynamic aspects of standard rocket flights. A variety of standard nose cone shapes is used as optimization proof of concept examples, being sized and compared to determine optimal choices based on the input specifications, such as the rocket body geometry and the specified trajectory paths. Any input models can be optimized to their respective best nose cone style or optimized to each of the cone styles individually, depending on the desired constraints. Two proof of concept example rocket model studies are included with varying sizes and speeds. Both have been optimized using the processes described to provide delineative instances into how results are improved and time saved. This is done by optimizing shape and thickness of the fairings while ascertaining if the remaining length downstream on the designated rocket model remains within specified stress and temperature ranges. The first optimized example exhibits a region of high stress downstream on the rocket body model that champions how these tools can be used to catch weaknesses and improve the overall integrity of a rocket design. The second example demonstrates how more established rocket designs can decrease their weight and drag through optimization of the fairing design.

Truss-like shapes can occur in topology optimization described by an assembly of finite elements or its boundary represented as a polygon mesh. Such shape description does not cover a common engineering parametrization like the lines of a frame structure and its corresponding cross-section. This article addresses the truss-parametrization of such optimization using curve skeletons and Meta Balls. While the curve skeleton is common in the truss-parametrization, including Meta Balls can lead to an overall implicit and smooth shape description.

High amount of changes and increasing complexity in CAD design of wiring harnesses result in a lack of time for documentation and transfer of acquired knowledge. To be able to transfer the gained knowledge efficiently during development automating the identification, analyzation and documentation of changes is necessary. This paper shows a methodology to address this challenge for CAD data of wiring harnesses. Thus, it is shown how interrelated change elements can be combined or separated from each other according to their change intention.