A methodology for evaluation of metal forming system design and performance via CAE simulation

In the current metal forming product development paradigm, product cost, time-to-market and product quality are three overriding issues, which determine the competitiveness of the developed products. In the up front design process, the first 20% of design activities commits to about 80% of product development cost and product quality issues. How to conduct ‘right the first time’ design is critical to ensure low development cost, high product quality and short time-to-market. To address these issues, state of the art technologies are needed. Traditionally, computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technologies provide solutions for representation of design intent and realization of design solution physically. However, it is difficult to address some critical issues in the design of forming process, tooling structure, material selection and properties configuration, and finally the product quality control and assurance. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) technology fills this gap as it helps practitioners generate, verify, validate and optimize design solutions before they are practically implemented and physically realized. In this paper, a methodology for evaluation of metal forming system design and performance via CAE simulation is developed. The concept of metal forming system and its design is first articulated and how the CAE technology helps design and design solution evaluation is then presented. To assess and evaluate the performance of metal forming systems, quantitative design evaluation criteria are developed. Through industrial case study, how the developed methodology helps metal forming system design and evaluation is illustrated and its efficiency and validity is finally verified.     

VLSI超大规模集成电路测试和验证的发展趋势

随着深亚微米级材料的应用，VLSI器件进一步推动了半导体技术领域的发展，传统的测试和验证方法已不能满足需要且成本较高，基于Core的系统级芯片要求芯片设计者必须改变以往的开发方式，以便缩短上市时间，扩大销售额。一种嵌入式的测试方法应运而生，它能使芯片设计者在较短的时间内生产出高质量的产品，提高利润、增加市场知名度，且大大减少了系统验证、检测和调试的时间。本文着重讨论嵌入测试技术，分析该技术对产品的上市时间、产品质量以及生产成本所带来的影响。     

Integrating Kansei engineering with conjoint analysis to fulfil market segmentation and product customisation for digital cameras

Diverse customer desires coupled with technological advances have forced companies to manufacture products with ultimate performance, low cost, high quality and much shorter time-to-market. Recently, the popularity of smart phones has given rise to seriously declined product sales of digital cameras. In this paper, a two-phase framework is presented to offer decision supports on developing next-generation cameras. In the phase of market segmentation, Kansei engineering is employed to capture customer perceptions of affective features. Then, rough set theory is conducted to generate decision rules for partitioning the whole market into the consumer segment and the professional segment, respectively. In the phase of product customisation, conjoint analysis is applied to extract customer preferences for functional features. Furthermore, Grey relational analysis is conducted to select the top three varieties with regard to two distinct segments. In particular, this paper is capable to help brand companies or camera manufacturers better capture customer perceptions and preferences for digital cameras, effectively perform market segmentation (based on affective features) and efficiently conduct product customisation (based on functional features).     

Modular design of product families for quality and cost

The purpose of this article is to help managers early in the design of new product families. Based on product structures, sales forecasts, and constraints imposed by the marketplace, like quality and cost, the proposed method selects the product modules that meet customer requirements for the products, while respecting those constraints. The proposal includes a single-level module design formulation that considers quality and cost simultaneously. The method for testing the proposed algorithm is based on a case study of an electro–mechanical assembly device (headlamp). The performance of the algorithm is compared to that of the zero module case, where often the constraint problem cannot be resolved. The main result is a model and an algorithm that optimise quality and cost under the constraints of quality and cost. It shows what modules to manufacture, in what quantities, and in which products to use them. The output also provides the predicted quality and cost, based on improvements made to the modules. To conclude, this research enables the joint optimisation of quality and cost by defining the modules to be manufactured. It provides input for managers seeking modules designed for their supply chain. The algorithm provides key input for managing production ramp-up.     

Simultaneous tolerance synthesis for manufacturing and quality

Tolerance allocation affects product design, manufacturing, and quality. No existing technique has been found by the authors that takes product design, manufacturing, and quality into account simultaneously. This paper introduces a new concurrent engineering method for tolerance allocation. A nonlinear optimization model was constructed to implement the method. The model minimizes the combination of quality loss and manufacturing cost simultaneously in a single objective function by setting both process tolerances and design tolerances simultaneously. The purpose of the model is to balance manufacturing cost and quality loss to achieve near-optimal design and process tolerances simultaneously for minimum combined manufacturing cost and quality loss over the life of the product. Compared to other models, this model shows significant improvements. Electronic Publication     

产品需求模型与并行设计的关系

通过对并行设计特点的分析，阐述了产品需求模型与并行设计过程的关系，提出了一种产品需求模型与并行设计的信息耦合模型，使并行设计阶段能够充分考虑顾客和产品生命周期各个环节的需求，达到缩短产品开发周期，降低成本，加快产品上市，提高竞争力的目的。     

经济性考量下的供应链产品设计策略

目的 探究新的产业模式下符合经济性原则的供应链产品设计方法,帮助企业通过有效的产品设计策略,实现降本增效,提升市场竞争力。方法 以产品设计的经济性为主脉,以经济效益最大化为目标导向,采用了案例分析、文献研究和经验总结等方法。结果 总结了供应链产业体系下产品设计需求导向性、主从关联性、系统协调性的新特点,确立了供应链协作背景下产品设计标准化、模块化、平台化的基本策略,分析了3种设计策略之间的相互关系。结论 供应链协作是制造业发展的必然趋势,产品设计作为产业链的源头,必须要从经济性的角度与供应链相互配合,才能符合市场和企业的需求。     

Using business critical design rules to frame new architecture introduction in multi-architecture portfolios

When introducing new architectures to an industrial portfolio, counting multiple existing product and manufacturing solutions, time-to-market and investments in manufacturing equipment can be significantly reduced if new concepts are aligned with the existing portfolio. This can be done through component sharing, or sharing critical design principles. This alignment is not trivial, as extensive design knowledge is needed to overview a portfolio with many, often highly different products and manufacturing lines. In this paper, we suggest establishing a frame of reference for new-product introduction based on several ‘game rules’, or Business Critical Design Rules (BCDRs), which denote the most critical features of the product and manufacturing architectures, and should be considered an obligatory reference for design when introducing new architectures. BCDRs are derived from the portfolio, architecture and module levels, including modelling of the most critical links between the product and manufacturing domains. The suggested modelling principle has been tested as a frame for new-architecture introduction, capturing critical modularisation principles in a large and global OEM. Application of the suggested method revealed a potential for reducing time-to-market and potentially cutting 35% off investments in new manufacturing equipment when introducing new products in the portfolio.     

基于仿真的制冷产品质量预测与优化

产品质量的预测与优化是产品设计的关键。提出了基于仿真的制冷产品质量预测与优化方法,将现实中存在的不确定因素和设计参数的波动以概率分布的形式输入制冷系统仿真模型,并结合随机模型方法实现了在设计阶段对产品质量进行预测。同时提出了一种获取产品质量损失函数的新方法,即采用中心复合试验设计与蒙特卡洛模拟结合,获得设计能力指数随部件容差变化的响应面模型,将该模型作为约束条件,以成本最低为目标,对部件容差进行优化后显著提高了产品的质量与经济性。     

Multi-generation pricing and timing decisions in new product development

When planning for the introduction of a stream of new products into the marketplace, managers must consider both the timing and dynamic pricing decisions to determine an appropriate entry strategy into the marketplace. Literature in new product development (NPD) typically addresses optimal timing and pricing decisions independently. We develop an analytical model of coordinated product timing and pricing decisions when there are two generations of a new product under consideration. Factors driving the timing and pricing decisions include the unit sales and cost relationships for each generation as well as NPD costs for introducing the next generation of products. We derive analytic results that characterise the optimal timing and pricing strategies for a single product rollover scenario. We analyse several numerical examples to illustrate the interplay between optimal pricing and time-to-market strategies under more general settings.     

放弃制造商品牌？——制造商入侵与自有品牌引入的博弈分析

研究直销渠道和零售渠道以及制造商品牌和自有品牌之间的竞争关系。考虑了零售商放弃销售制造商品牌产品的情形,分析了6种情境下的博弈模型,得出了供应链成员的博弈均衡策略和利润,进一步探讨了不同参数对供应链双方策略选择的影响。结果表明,零售商放弃销售制造商品牌产品的充分条件是自有品牌产品生产成本小于制造商品牌产品生产成本。此时,如果制造商品牌产品生产成本和直销运营成本较小,且自有品牌产品生产成本接近于制造商品牌产品生产成本,制造商入侵;否则,制造商拒绝开通直销渠道。     

品牌调性下的手机材料品质感研究

目的针对产品材料品质感问题,以品牌调性为基础,研究材质材料选择和搭配的品质感设计方法。方法采用用户实证研究方法,以品牌调性定义的质感感性语义词为实验语义词,以市场调研而来的手机背壳热门材料或未来趋势材料为具体实验测量对象,对实验材料样本进行感官语义词测量,利用SD法分析实验数据,提出品质感提升的搭配设计方案。结论基于品牌调性,提升产品CMF品质感,使得产品CMF设计不仅满足了用户心理需求,而且增加了产品的品质感和品牌家族性。     

Concurrent optimal allocation of geometric and process tolerances based on the present worth of quality loss using evolutionary optimisation techniques

Concurrent tolerancing becomes an optimisation problem to find out the optimum allocation of the process tolerances in the given design function constraints. In traditional optimisation methods, finding out the optimum solution for this advanced tolerance design problem is complex. The proposed algorithms (elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm) and differential evolution extensively do better than the previous algorithms for attaining the optimum result. The aim of this paper is to suggest a model for optimal tolerance allocation by considering both tolerance cost and the present worth of quality loss such that the total manufacturing cost/loss is minimised. The suggested model takes into account the time value of money for quality loss and product degradation over time and consists of two new parameters: the planning horizon and the product user’s discount rate. From the outcome of this study, a longer planning horizon results in an increase in both tolerance cost and quality loss; however, a larger value of discount rate gives up a decrease in both tolerance cost and quality loss. Finally, a practical example is brought into reveal the effectiveness of the suggested method.     

A framework for designing robust supply chains considering product development issues

The primary objective of the design for supply chain (DFSC) is the selection of an appropriate product family. Moreover, it deals with the selection of the optimal combination among the different conflicting criteria while making a trade-off between the supply chain cost, sales profit and the product design complexities. In this research, to address the DFSC issues a product platform approach has been proposed which amalgamates the component modularity as well as the function modularity in the product design. The optimisation model proposed in this paper for the product development and the supply chain design is based on a generic bill of materials (GBOM) representation. The complete framework includes vital decision-making needed for designing a robust supply chain such as locating plants to alleviate the likely dominance of production cost and market mediation cost on product variety and imparting process flexibility of the located plants. The optimisation model proposed in this paper, models the supply chain cost, sales profit and product design complexity as three criteria that altogether determine the robustness of the supply chain and the underlying product development approach. Certain parameters like process flexibility, flow types and drivers of the product variety dominance have been controlled in the design framework. To resolve the complexity of the proposed model a genetic algorithm (GA) technique has been proposed. The proposed GA adopts an arithmetic crossover, a dynamic mutation and a variable penalty strategy to produce optimal results in a very short computational time. To validate the proposed model, a simulated case study of the wiring harness supplier of an AGV manufacturer has been studied.     

A dynamic programming approach to integrated assembly planning and supplier assignment with lead time constraints

As manufacturers face fierce competition in the global market, responsiveness has become an important competitiveness factor in addition to quality and cost. One essential responsiveness strategy is to reduce product development and lead times by integrating assembly planning with supplier assignment. This paper addresses the problem of integrated assembly and supply chain design under lead-time constraints by formulating and solving an optimisation problem with minimal total supply chain costs. This new time-constrained joint optimisation problem belongs to an NP-hard resource-constrained scheduling problem. To model this problem effectively, we develop a novel Hyper AND/OR graph and apply it for integrating assembly and supply chain decisions. We also develop a dynamic programming model and associated algorithm in order to solve the integrated optimisation problem with pseudo-polynomial time complexity in practice. Numerical case studies validate that the methods developed can solve the integrated decision-making problem optimally and efficiently. This paper overcomes the limitations of previous studies on concurrent assembly decomposition and supplier selection, which optimises cost without time constraints. The models and results of this research can be applied to a variety of areas including assembly design, maintenance module planning and supply chain restructuring.     

乡村振兴背景下农产品品牌服务设计策略研究——以大名府香油制品为例

通过服务设计理论与方法,提升农产品品牌形象,提升消费者购买体验,为农户增加销售量及收益,为乡村振兴政策的实施与实践提供设计探索。以香油制品为例,通过消费行为、市场分析等,确定利益相关者、用户画像、用户旅程地图 J5、接触点分析,提出在乡村振兴社会背景下香油农产品用户体验地图、线上购物服务蓝图,构建农产品品牌服务设计策略。以服务设计思维方法,通过设计助力农民脱贫,提升乡村农产品竞争力,结合现有政策优势、技术手段、市场机会,提出农产品品牌服务设计策略。乡村农产品的天然、绿色、富有历史与情怀等优势与其质量标准缺乏、品牌意识弱、传播途径窄等劣势并存,通过设计注入品牌生命力,构建易于农户操作、投入成本低、具有较好用户体验的服务系统,是塑造农产品品牌的重要手段,培养农户服务思维、品牌思维,让农户创收增收,是实现设计扶贫、乡村振兴的重要途径。     

再制造系统成本结构与市场结构的关系研究

消费者的自主决策能力和产品组合的成本结构会影响再制造系统的生产决策,进而决定市场结构。本文分析了制造商和第三方制造构成的一个两阶段供应链博弈模型,考虑了消费者基于回售预期和效用评估的自主决策能力,分析成本结构对生产决策、许可契约、产业结构的影响。结果表明,新产品的高成本会使OEM放弃生产策略,转而谋求许可费用最大化;新产品和再制造品的联合低成本是形成混合市场的唯一条件;许可费是把双刃剑,调控消费者在新产品、再制造品之间的分布。     

基于模拟试验法的离散公差稳健设计

 在分析计算机辅助公差设计技术的研究现状的基础上，提出了基于模拟试验法的离散公差稳健设计方法．在该方法中将加工成本与质量损失作为两个独立的目标函数，从而建立离散公差优化设计模型，采用试验设计法和CP方法相结合的技术实现公差的稳健设计，最后用实例证明该方法的可行性．     

Sequencing and batching procedures for minimizing earliness and tardiness penalty of order retrievals

External involvement in new product development (NPD) has received increasing attention from both academicians and practitioners in recent years. While external involvement has been studied extensively, the academic understanding on how external involvement influences firm performance and the role of time-to-market of new products is still very limited. Drawing on the literature on innovation search and knowledge-based view, we develop a conceptual framework in which external involvement is linked to time-to-market of new products and firm performance. We tested this model using data collected from 176 manufacturing companies in China. The results indicate that both customer and supplier involvement can contribute to the reduction of time-to-market of new products. We also show that time-to-market of new products completely mediates the relationships between two types of external involvement and two dimensions of firm performance. These findings have important implications for research and practice in both the external involvement and the NPD areas.     

设计置换股权的商业模式创新与实践

目的随着区域经济转型升级对品牌战略与产品创新的迫切需要,我国设计产业迎来高速发展的机遇。以设计费为主要盈利模式的现状导致我国设计机构普遍体量不大,规模难以复制。探索如何通过商业模式创新,突破传统经营模式的发展瓶颈,实现本土设计机构的跃迁式发展。方法提出"设计置换股权"的创新商业模式,从根本上改变商业设计机构与所服务企业间的合作关系。通过对一批"双创"项目的设计入股孵化,逐步优化该模式的方法与流程,成功实施若干案例。结论为产学研中的商业模式设计研究及实施国家创新驱动发展战略提供了新的设计策略和思路,为我国设计产业的商业模式突围,实现颠覆式的创新提供了实践案例基础。