Optimal concurrent product design and process planning based on the requirements of individual customers in one-of-a-kind production

One-of-a-kind production is a new manufacturing paradigm for producing customised products based on the requirements of individual customers while maintaining the quality and efficiency of mass production. This research addresses the issues in optimal concurrent product design and process planning based on the requirements of individual customers. In this work, a hybrid AND-OR graph is developed to model the variations of design configurations/parameters and manufacturing processes/parameters in a generic product family. Since different design configurations and parameters can be created from the same customer requirements, and each design can be further achieved through alternative manufacturing processes and parameters, co-evolutionary genetic programming and numerical optimisation are employed to identify the optimal product design configuration/parameters and manufacturing process/parameters. A case study is introduced to identify the optimal design configuration/parameters and manufacturing process/parameters of custom window products of an industrial company to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed method.     

Rapid one-of-a-kind product development via the Internet: a literature review of the state-of-the-art and a proposed platform

The historical background of Internet-based product design and manufacturing systems for rapid development of one-of-a-kind (OKP) products is systematically reviewed. By reviewing the existing OKP systems and recent approaches of Internet-based design and manufacturing systems, the requirements for the next generation of OKP systems and the current techniques that can be used to implement Internet-based product design and manufacturing systems for the rapid production of OKP products will be discussed. The problems that emerged from recent developments are reviewed and sorted. The future trends of Internet-based collaborative design, decision support, manufacturing support, supply chain management, workflow management, Internet techniques for product design and manufacturing, product modelling, STEP-based data environment, concurrent engineering, etc., will also be discussed. The reviewed state-of-the-art approaches are used directly or indirectly as references for the development of a new generation OKP systems. A reference system structure for building an Internet-based integrated product development system is then proposed to facilitate rapid development of OKP products.     

QFD optimization using linear physical programming

A new approach to quality function deployment (QFD) optimization is presented. The approach uses the linear physical programming (LPP) technique to maximize overall customer satisfaction in product design. QFD is a customer-focused product design method which translates customer requirements into product engineering characteristics. Because market competition is multidimensional, companies must maximize overall customer satisfaction by optimizing the design of their products. At the same time, all constraints (e.g. product development time, development cost, manufacturing cost, human resource in design and production, etc.) must be taken into consideration. LPP avoids the need to specify an importance weight for each objective in advance. This is an effective way of obtaining optimal results. Following a brief introduction to LPP in QFD, the proposed approach is described. A numerical example is given to illustrate its application and a sensitivity analysis is carried out. Using LPP in QFD optimization provides a new direction for optimizing the product design process.     

Product design resources optimization using a non-linear fuzzy quality function deployment model

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) is a well-known customer-oriented methodology that is widely used to assist decision-making in product design and development in various types of production including highly customized One-of-a-Kind Production (OKP), batch production as well as continuous/ mass production. Determining how and to what extent (degree) certain characteristics/technical attributes (TA) of products are to be met with a view to gaining a higher level of overall customer satisfaction is a key to successful product design and development. Most of the existing approaches and models for QFD planning seldom consider the resource constraints in product design, nor do they normally take into account the impacts of the correlation among various TA. In other words, most of the existing QFD applications assume that the resources committed fully to attaining the design target for one TA have no impacts on those for other TA. Hence, the costs/resources required are usually worked out individually by linear formulation. In practice, design resource requirements should be expressed in fuzzy terms to accommodate the imprecision and uncertainties innate in the design process, such as ill-defined or incomplete understanding of the relationship between a given set of customer requirements (CR) and TA, the complexity of interdependence among TA, etc. A non-linear fuzzy model is proposed here to offer a more practical and effective means of incorporating the resource factors in QFD planning. The impacts of the correlation among TA are also considered. In the model, the resources for achieving the design target for a certain TA are expressed in a non-linear formulation of its relationship, correlation as well as interdependence with other customer requirements or TA. The concepts of the achieved attainments and planned attainments for TA, and the corresponding primary costs, planned costs and actual costs are introduced. Solutions to the non-linear fuzzy model can be obtained using a parametric optimization method or a hybrid genetic algorithm. A case study is also given to illustrate how the proposed fuzzy model and the optimization routine can be applied to help decision-makers in a company deploy their design resources towards gaining better overall customer satisfaction.     

Impact analysis of customized demand information sharing on supply chain performance

In today's dynamic market environment, rapidly changing customer preferences increase the customization of products and the diversification of demand mix. Companies should understand how the demand mix influences supply chain performance and react properly to fulfil customer satisfaction as to what the customers want. This paper investigated the impact of information sharing of the demand mix on the supply chain performance, under increasing product customization, by changing customer demand pattern and production capacity. The results of simulation analysis demonstrated that a demand mix can be determined that produces the best supply chain performance. A real multi-echelon automotive supply chain was analysed for each of six performance measures and the demand mix information significantly influenced five of them. Demand variation and production capacity also resulted in significant impact on the performance measures.     

Module partition for 3D CAD assembly models: a hierarchical clustering method based on component dependencies

Reusing previous CAD assembly models directly in new product development is almost impossible in One-of-a-Kind Production (OKP) in which customer requirements vary from one to another. As such, modularisation of CAD assembly models is required to facilitate modular design for OKP. However, to the authors’ best knowledge, there has been no research carried out on modularisation of CAD assembly models so far. To bridge this gap and make the best use of existing CAD models, this paper proposes a novel module partition approach, to group existing CAD assembly models into modules based on component dependencies. In this approach, an extraction algorithm was developed to extract assembly information from a given assembly model directly, by using automated programmable interfaces of CAD software tools. The extracted information is processed to generate the component design structure matrix (DSM) representing hierarchical relations and dependency strengths between components. Four popular hierarchical clustering methods were used to work with the component DSM to produce results of module partition. A case study was carried out to illustrate the proposed methods and demonstrate their feasibility. It enables OKP companies to respond rapidly to changing customer requirements and develop customised products in a short period.     

Optimisation of product configuration in consideration of customer satisfaction and low carbon

Product configuration is one of the key technologies in the environment of mass customisation, and it has been emphasised and concerned by much research. However, previous studies mostly focus on the cost or the customer utility, but ignore the environmental concern which becomes an important design criterion due to the rising awareness of environmental protection. Moreover, various preferences of customers are also not considered. In this paper, we develop a new bi-objective optimisation model with simultaneous consideration of customer satisfaction and the environmental impact in product configuration. Two objectives of our model are the customer satisfaction index (CSI) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of products. The CSI is presented for the evaluation of customer satisfaction and the GHG emission model is developed to assess the environmental impact of the product. Essential constraints, such as selection, cost and compatibility, are also considered in the model. In addition, a two-phase approach is proposed to solve the optimisation model. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through a case study.     

Brokering the customer-supplier partnership in product design and realization over the World Wide Web

This research is concerned with the application of the World Wide Web (WWW or web) technology to facilitate the early supplier involvement in new product development. The paper focuses on two parts of the resulting web-based system. The first part is the Bid Explorer underpinned by a bid model which is based on design specification. The bid model consists of inquiries which in turn have values of different types. Inquiries are represented in a hierarchical tree. The bid model is collaboratively established by, and thereafter commonly shared between, the customer and all the interested suppliers. From the point of view of the customer, the inquiries are their requirements. In contrast, from the supplier's viewpoint the inquiries are their capabilities. The second part of the system is the Partnership Explorer which is underpinned by a partnership model. This partnership model uses four types of numeric partnership indices, namely satisfaction index (SI), flexibility index (FI), risk index (RI), and confidence index (CI). The SI is based on the overlap between the customer requirements and supplier capabilities. The FI is based on the surplus of the supplier capabilities in relation to the customer requirements. The RI is evaluated through the shortage of the supplier capabilities with reference to the customer requirements. The CI is based on the past performance records of a supplier.     

在线大规模定制下基于客户需求模板的产品配置研究

针对目前在线大规模定制模式下产品配置中存在的配置需求获取问题,构建了引导不同类型客户需求获取的客户需求模板模型,建立了基于客户需求模板的产品配置框架,对面向不同类型客户的配置方法进行了研究。以摩托车产品为例说明了上述方法的有效性。     

Application of fuzzy logic-based environmental conscious QFD to rotary switch: a case study

General public and government agencies seriously view the environmental issues. Environmental issues have become an imperative concern for most companies in relation to modern product development. These activities stimulate the environmentally friendlier production technologies with a focus on minimization of environmental impact. Special procedures have to be formulated during the product development process to comply with recent green directives. In order to improve the focus on eco-designed products with regard to customer needs and cost considerations, this study presents the application of fuzzy eco-quality function deployment (QFD) to aid product design team in considering environmental concerns. This fuzzy multi-objective model considers the overall customer satisfaction and encourages enterprises to produce environmentally friendlier products. The case study describing the evolution of eco-friendly model of rotary switch has been presented. An optimal balance between environmental acceptability and overall customer satisfaction has been obtained as an outcome of the conduct of the study.     

基于QFD-TRIZ的电热水器设计

目的 为明确电热水器产品功能要素与需求要素的对应关系,提高电热水器用户的使用满意度。方法 通过构建QFD与TRIZ的集成设计模型,使用亲和图筛选分析顾客需求,利用QFD整理顾客需求权重并构建质量屋,从而明确关键设计要素;通过TRIZ分析方法判断了质量屋中的矛盾类型后,将设计要求转换为与工程要素间的矛盾,并利用阿奇舒勒矩阵中相应的发明原理,提出了解决矛盾的方法。结果 通过模糊综合评价法筛选最优设计方案,最终的评估结果表明新的设计方案满足了实际市场用户需求的目标问题优化。结论 从用户被动发现产品零部件寿命耗尽转换为产品信息主动提示,并具备辅助用户操作的结构,提升了用户需求与产品功能的匹配度,可见质量功能展开理论与发明问题解决理论的集成设计方法对产品概念设计阶段的重要性,为之后的室内智能家电设计研究提供了参考。     

对适宜于顾客的产品开发的集成评价——贴近市场的开发过程

 在产品开发过程链中 ,市场效果的好环取决于开发是否面向顾客。然而大量失败的开发的实例表明 ,主要的薄弱环节仍然是如何适当地考虑企业外部和内部的要求。系统地考虑顾客的要求只能在开发过程中对决定购买的因素加以考虑并作出评价来实现。在适当的信息处理下 ,考虑柔性模块及结构系列 ,就能得到产品设备和产品结构的最后结论。     

A reconfigurable platform in support of one-of-a-kind product development

In recent years, a variety of Internet-based systems has been developed for the purpose of Rapid One-of-a-Kind or customized Product Development (ROKPD). They can be applied in different stages of the product development process such as to rapidly capture customer requirements, and help produce high-quality products at low cost and short lead-time. Many of the systems, however, do not support rapid adaptation or dynamic reconfiguration of systems and tools for supporting ROKPD in a distributed manufacturing environment. To the authors’ knowledge, the infrastructure of such a reconfigurable platform for supporting distributed manufacturing has never been directly studied. This paper proposes an Internet-based reconfigurable ROKP platform that has been prototyped to serve as a substrate for integrating innovative tools and systems for One-of-a-Kind Production (OKP) companies in New Zealand. The main emphasis of this paper is to investigate how to build the Internet-based reconfigurable ROKPD platform and to design appropriate intelligent tools and systems for the purpose of rapidly and economically producing OKP products in the global environment. A number of recent developments are discussed, including the four open-domain infrastructure of the ROKPD platform, Internet-based data management systems, an integrated product data environment and a cost/lead time control tool.     

基于用户需求分类与重要度评价的产品创新方法研究

目的为了提升用户需求驱动的产品创新设计满意度,提出一种基于用户需求分类与重要度评价的产品创新方法。方法通过Kano模型分析方法实现用户需求分类,利用四象限模型识别重要用户需求。建立用户满意度与产品质量之间的函数关系并定义调整系数,从而获取用户需求重要度,并结合重要用户需求实现产品创新。结论以家用电动洗车器的用户需求分析为例,对于基于Kano模型的用户需求分类和重要度评价方法进行了验证。     

Using product family evaluation graphs in product family design

Product family design and platform-based product development have garnered much attention. They have been used to provide nearly customised products to satisfy individual customer requirements and simultaneously achieve economies of scale during production. The inherent challenge in product family design is to balance the trade-off between product commonality (how well the components and functions can be shared across a product family) and variety (the range of different products in a product family). Quantifying this trade-off at the product family planning stage in a way that supports the engineering design process has yet to be accomplished. In this paper, we introduce a graphical evaluation method, the product family evaluation graph (PFEG), that allows designers to choose the ‘best’ product family design option among sets of alternatives based on their performance with respect to an ideal commonality/variety trade-off determined by a company's particular competitive focus, and guides designers towards a more desirable trade-off between commonality and variety in an existing product family. Two necessary supporting pieces for developing the PFEG are also proposed. One piece is the development of commonality and variety indices to quantitatively capture the degree of commonality and variety in a product family and its functions and components. We introduce two sets of commonality and variety indices–the CDI (commonality versus diversity index) for commonality (CDI_C) and variety (CDI_V), and the CMC (comprehensive metric for commonality) for commonality (CMC_C) and variety (CMC_V)–to achieve this. The other supporting piece is the development of a quantitative representation of the ideal trade-off between commonality and variety in a product family, known as the commonality/variety trade-off angle α, based on the elements that characterise a company's competitive focus and their industry-wide competitors. A linear regression model is used to link the qualitative competitive focus to a quantitative engineering perspective, and then to estimate the ideal trade-off angle. The commonality/variety trade-off angle can then be applied to the PFEG to help designers evaluate a product family or compare product family design alternatives. Most importantly, the PFEG is not just the graph of the two sets of indices; it is the representation of the commonality/variety trade-off relative to the desired competitive focus. Four families of power tools are used to illustrate how the computation of such indices supports product family design evaluation in the PFEG. In this paper, we only use the CDI in the example application, but the CMC can be computed using the same approach.     

基于QFD和TRIZ的高龄辅助阅读产品设计策略研究

目的 消极的老化态度使高龄者产生生理、心理等多方面的负面感受。高龄辅助阅读产品能够帮助高龄者自主阅读,助力终身学习,维持新知获取。在学习中养老,来保持高龄者与社会链接。方法 在质量功能展开(QFD)的研究中,利用网络爬虫收集商品评价数据(京东商城/约30 000条,亚马逊商城/约15 000条),形成评价词汇库。再结合情景假设分析,确定高龄辅助阅读产品的顾客需求项目,并转换为设计要求项目。其次,经 KJ法分类顾客需求和设计要求,通过调查60岁以上高龄者的104份有效问卷,以计算顾客需求重要度;再由独立配点法将顾客需求重要度转换为设计要求重要度,构建产品质量屋。最后,引入创造性解决任务理论(TRIZ)的物理矛盾、技术矛盾,以及物-场模型对产品深入分析,经分离原理、发明原理、标准解系统对产品设计矛盾求解。结果 经QFD-TRIZ模型提出高龄辅助阅读产品的设计策略和实践方案。结论 整合QFD-TRIZ关联模型,围绕高龄辅助阅读产品研究分析,为未来的高龄辅助阅读产品设计提供了具体指标,拓展了QFD-TRIZ方法在高龄者产品设计研究范畴,并构建了逻辑性和系统性的设计研究模型。     

Joint decision-making of production and maintenance in mixed model assembly systems with delayed differentiation configurations

Mixed model assembly systems (MMASs) can simultaneously manufacture multiple product variants and are developed to satisfy customers’ increasing desire for products with a high variety. This paper investigates the joint decision-making of production and maintenance policies in MMASs with delayed differentiation configurations, where common operations are performed before differentiated processes. The problem is formulated as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) problem that minimises the average cost per unit time. Monte Carlo simulation is used to evaluate the system performance measures (e.g. volume mix ratio, product quality) under the optimal policy. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the structure of the optimal policy and the impact of different factors on the system performance in an MMAS that produces two types of product variants. Techniques that can potentially solve the problem in large-sized MMASs are also discussed.     

基于Kano模型和亲和图法的地域性刺绣产品需求研究

目的 探讨中国传统地区刺绣产品如何实现更高的消费者满意度,并为该产品如何实现更多元化的顾客感受提出创新设计的建议。方法 围绕消费者需求偏好,综合采用田野调查、亲和图法、问卷调查法,并结合使用Kano模型、Better-Worse系数、四象限分析法,以及其他相关研究方法,从产品设计、产品生产、产品性能、产品文化四个需求纬度出发,全面准确地把握消费者对刺绣产品的需求。结果 消费者更加看重产品本身的文化属性和产品所提供的优质服务,同时消费者对服务的感受和满足程度会受到一些因素的影响,如绣活文化的保留程度,或是否有独特的个人定制体系。结论 通过Kano模型和亲和图法了解了消费者的真实需求,并且能够更好地实现这些需求。这种方式不仅能够增强消费者的满意度,实现区域特色刺绣产品的传播与普及,也为地域性刺绣产品设计提供了新思路。     

基于顾客满意度的产品概念设计评价研究

目的为实现产品设计过程的科学决策,对子过程产品概念设计进行顾客满意度量化评价,为决策者选择概念设计方案提供参考,在一定程度上解决产品概念设计评价活动的主观性和随意性。方法确定研究方案,搜集产品概念设计阶段方案的评价指标,运用层次分析法建立评价指标体系;构建对概念设计阶段方案的顾客满意度评价模型;运用模糊层次分析法进行指标权重即指标重要度的计算;运用模糊数学思想进行指标满意度的调查与计算,在此基础上进行概念设计方案的满意度量化评价,得到满意的决策方案。结论以台灯概念设计基于顾客满意度的评价,验证了方法的可行性,有助于为决策活动提供量化评价依据,从而更有效地进行后续设计。