Technology and design (a brief overview)

Technology and design

By Arbnor Hoxhaj

Technology and design

• Technology and design, or T.D., is the study, design, development, application, implementation, support and management of computer and non-computer based technologies for the express purpose of communicating, using various mediums, product design intent and constructability as well as to facilitate product operation and maintenance and to ultimately improve overall product design realization, construction, operation and maintenance.

Technology and design

• Design is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system (as in architectural blueprints, engineering drawings, business processes, circuit diagrams and sewing patterns).

• Technology (from Greek τέχνη, techne, "art, skill, cunning of hand"; and -λογία, -logia[1]) is the collection of tools, including machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures used by humans. Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species' ability to control and adapt to their natural environments. The term can either be applied generally or to specific areas: examples include construction technology, medical technology and information technology.

Automation

• Automation or automatic control, is the use of various control systems for operating equipment such as machinery, processes in factories, boilers and heat treating ovens, switching in telephone networks, steering and stabilization of ships, aircraft and other applications with minimal or reduced human intervention.

• Some processes have been completely. The biggest benefit of automation is that it saves labor, however, it is also used to save energy and materials and to improve quality, accuracy and precision.

Process simulation

• Process simulation is used for the design, development, analysis, and optimization of technical processes such as: chemical plants, chemical processes, environmental systems, power stations, complex manufacturing operations, biological processes, and similar technical functions.

• Process simulation is a model-based representation of chemical, physical, biological, and other technical processes and unit operations in software. Basic prerequisites are a thorough knowledge of chemical and physical properties of pure components and mixtures, of reactions, and of mathematical models which, in combination, allow the calculation of a process in computers.

Modeling and engineering processes

• The development of models for a better representation of real processes is the core of the further development of the simulation software.

• Engineering process focuses on the design, operation, control and optimization of chemical, physical, and biological processes. Engineering process includes a wide range of industries, such as chemical, petrochemical, mineral processing, advanced materials, food, pharmaceutical industries and biotechnology industries.

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

• Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computer systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.

• CAD software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve communications through documentation, and to create a database for manufacturing.[2] CAD output is often in the form of electronic files for print, machining, or other manufacturing operations. Computer-aided design is used in many fields. Its use in designing electronic systems is known as electronic design automation, or EDA.

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

• In mechanical design it is known as mechanical design automation (MDA) or computer-aided drafting (CAD), which includes the process of creating a technical drawing with the use of computer software. CAD software for mechanical design uses either vector-based graphics to depict the objects of traditional drafting, or may also produce raster graphics showing the overall appearance of designed objects. However, it involves more than just shapes.

• As in the manual drafting of technical and engineering drawings, the output of CAD must convey information, such as materials, processes, dimensions, and tolerances, according to application-specific conventions.

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Figure 1: 2D CAD drawing

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

• CAD is an important industrial art extensively used in many applications, including automotive, shipbuilding, and aerospace industries, industrial and architectural design, prosthetics, and many more. CAD is also widely used to produce computer animation for special effects in movies, advertising and technical manuals, often called DCC digital content creation. CAD has been a major driving force for research in computational geometry, computer graphics (both hardware and software), and discrete differential geometry.

• The design of geometric models for object shapes, in particular, is occasionally called computer-aided geometric design (CAGD).

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Figure 2: 3D CAD drawing

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Figure 3: Computer Aided Design Geometry – CADG

Usage

• Computer-aided design is one of the many tools used by engineers and designers and is used in many ways depending on the profession of the user and the type of software in question. CAD is also used for the accurate creation of photo simulations that are often required in the preparation of Environmental Impact Reports, in which computer-aided designs of intended buildings are superimposed into photographs of existing environments to represent what that locale will be like were the proposed facilities allowed to be built.

Technology

• Originally software for Computer-Aided Design systems was developed with computer languages such as Fortran, ALGOL but with the advancement of object-oriented programming methods this has radically changed.

• Today, CAD systems exist for all the major platforms (Windows, Linux, UNIX and Mac OS X); some packages even support multiple platforms.

Computer Aided Engineering (CAE)

• Computer-aided engineering (CAE) is the broad usage of computer software to aid in engineering analysis tasks.

• It includes:

Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Multi-

bodydynamics (MBD), and Optimization.

CAE fields and phases

• CAE areas covered include:

Stress analysis on components and assemblies using FEA (Finite Element Analysis);

Thermal and fluid flow analysis Computational fluid dynamics (CFD);

Analysis tools for process simulation for operations such as casting, molding, and die press forming;

Optimization of the product or process; Safety analysis of postulate loss-of-coolant accident

in nuclear reactor using realistic thermal-hydraulics code.

CAE fields and phases

• In general, there are three phases in any computer-aided engineering task:

Pre-processing – defining the model and environmental factors to be applied to it. (typically a finite element model, but facet, voxel and thin sheet methods are also used);

Analysis solver (usually performed on high powered computers);

Post-processing of results (using visualization tools).

• This cycle is iterated, often many times.

CAE in the automotive industry

• CAE tools are very widely used in the automotive industry. In fact, their use has enabled the automakers to reduce product development cost and time while improving the safety, comfort, and durability of the vehicles they produce. The predictive capability of CAE tools has progressed to the point where much of the design verification is now done using computer simulations rather than physical prototype testing.

Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

• Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) is the use of computer software to control machine tools and related machinery in the manufacturing of workpiece.

• CAM may also refer to the use of a computer to assist in all operations of a manufacturing plant, including planning, management, transportation and storage.

Typical areas of concern

•Typical areas of concern:

High Speed Machining, including streamlining of tool paths;Multi-function Machining;5 Axis Machining;Feature recognition and machining;Automation of Machining processes;Ease of Use.

Product lifecycle management (PLM)

• Product lifecycle management (PLM) is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from inception, through engineering design and manufacture, to service and disposal of manufactured products.

• PLM integrates people, data, processes and business systems and provides a product information backbone for companies and their extended enterprise.

Benefits

Documented benefits of product lifecycle management include:

Reduced time to market;Increase full price sales;Improved product quality and reliability;Reduced prototyping costs;More accurate and timely request for quote generation;Ability to quickly identify potential sales opportunities and revenue contributions;

Benefits

Savings through the re-use of original data A framework for product optimization Reduced waste; Savings through the complete integration of

engineering workflows; Documentation that can assist in proving

compliance for RoHS or Title 21 CFR Part 11; Ability to provide contract manufacturers with

access to a centralized product record Seasonal fluctuation management; Improved forecasting to reduce material

costs; Maximize supply chain collaboration.

Areas of PLM

• Within PLM there are five primary areas;

Systems engineering (SE); Product and portfolio m² (PPM); Product design (CAx); Manufacturing process management

(MPM); Product Data Management (PDM).

Collaborative product development (CPD)

• Collaborative product development (collaborative product design) (CPD) is a business strategy, work process and collection of software applications that facilitates different organizations to work together on the development of a product. It is also known as collaborative product definition management (cPDM)

• Clearly general collaborative software such as email and chat (instant messaging) is used within the CPD process. One important technology is application and desktop sharing, allowing one person to view what another person is doing on a remote machine.

Technologies and methods used

• Clearly general collaborative software such as email and chat (instant messaging) is used within the CPD process. One important technology is application and desktop sharing, allowing one person to view what another person is doing on a remote machine. For CAD and product visualization applications an ‘app share’ product that supports OpenGL graphics is required. Another common application is Data sharing via Web based portals.

Conclusion

• Technological and scientific development has provided great opportunities to improve the product and reduce the cost of production using different software.

• Automation is one of the leading foregoing in advancing of designing technology.

• Some technology related to the creation, modification, analysis and testing of designs and some other with management of lifecycle of the products.

Notes

Dictionary meanings in the Cambridge Dictionary of American English, at Dictionary.com (esp. meanings 1–5 and 7–8) and at AskOxford (esp. verbs),

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Automation,

Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott (1980). A Greek-English Lexicon (Abridged Edition). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-910207-4,

Rhodes C.L., “The Process Simulation Revolution: Thermophysical Property Needs and Concerns”, J.Chem.Eng.Data, 41, 947-950, 1996,

Notes

Gani R., Pistikopoulos E.N., “Property Modelling and Simulation for Product and Process Design″, Fluid Phase Equilib., 194-197, 43-59, 2002,

Narayan, K. Lalit (2008). Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India. p. 4. ISBN 812033342X,

Narayan, K. Lalit (2008). Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of India. p. 3. ISBN 812033342X,

Notes

Madsen, David A. (2012). Engineering Drawing & Design. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar. p. 10. ISBN 1111309574,

Farin, Gerald; Hoschek, Josef and Kim, Myung-Soo (2002). Handbook of computer aided geometric design [electronic resource]. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-444-51104-1,

Madsen, David A. (2012). Engineering Drawing & Design. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar. p. 10. ISBN 1111309574,

Farin, Gerald; Hoschek, Josef and Kim, Myung-Soo (2002). Handbook of computer aided geometric design [electronic resource]. Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-444-51104-1,

Notes

Boothroyd, Geoffrey; Knight, Winston Anthony (2006). Fundamentals of machining and machine tools (3rd ed.). CRC Press. p. 401. ISBN 978-1-57444-659-3,

About PLM". CIMdata. Retrieved 25 February 2012, Karnie, Arie; Reich, Yoram (2011). Managing the

Dynamic of New Product Development Processes. A new Product Lifecycle Management Paradigm. Springer. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-85729-569-9. Retrieved 25 February 2012,

Min Li, Shuming Gao and Charlie C. L. Wang (June 2007). "Real-Time Collaborative Design With Heterogeneous CAD Systems Based on Neutral Modeling Commands". Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering 7: 113. doi:10.1115/1.2720880.