Personalization in Design through New Technological Achievements

BACKGROUND: Mass customized products are achievable due to the advancements in the technologies and software engineering. Mass customization has become necessity for the contemporary production companies. At the same time, that means lot of complication in the engineering, production and logistic processes. Altogether, the complete process of customization costs time and money, which implies additional charges to the customized product.BACKGROUND: Mass customized products are achievable due to the advancements in the technologies and software engineering. Mass customization has become necessity for the contemporary production companies. At the same time, that means lot of complication in the engineering, production and logistic processes. Altogether, the complete process of customization costs time and money, which implies additional charges to the customized product.AIM: The aim of this research is gathering knowledge in the field of additive technologies and parametric modeling.MATERIAL AND METHODS: The gathered knowledge is used in order to help non-designers and designers, both with no knowledge in computer-aided design (CAD) systems and additive technologies. The main idea behind the product configuration model (PCM), proposed in this paper is to enable user-friendly interface, easy to use for novice CAD users. In that manner user can design its own product as a CAD model.RESULTS: With the technologies like additive technologies, new possibilities emerge. These technologies completely change the process of designing and producing a new product. The size of the series and complexity of the geometry is no obstacle and more important does not apply additional charges. That means that one can order unique product to be produced especially for him/her and have it delivered in short period. With the decrease price of machines for additive technologies, mainly fused deposition modeling (FDM) machines, the number of home-owned machines has increased. Therefore, the users can produce at home anything that they designed or bought as CAD model online.CONCLUSION: Having in mind that most of them are not familiar with CAD modeling, in this paper, we are proposing product configuration model for creating personalized parts.

Configuration Model Research Based on Product Family Configuration Unit

Explaining how to set up configuration model from the Angle of product family, for the composition of product configuration model of product family structure was analyzed, put forward the definition of product family configuration unit, and used it as the basic elements of product family configuration model. Using various granularity of product family configuration units set to do the unified expression for function, the principle and structure of all products contained in the product family. And did further analyze for the characteristic, types, and associated constraints of product family configuration units. Finally, described the modeling process of product family configuration model. Do verification by the dumper.

A New Method of Product Configuration for Customization System into Supply Chain

To establish the configuration relations of complex product in the process of customization into supply chain, a new method of product configuration based on polychromatic graph theory was put forward. Then the optimum product structure configuration mathematical model was got and the improved ant colony algorithm was employed to solve the problem. The results showed that the solution quality got by improved ant colony algorithm was better than the solution got by traditional ant colony algorithm, and the product configuration model can exactly present the configuration information, product attribute and assembly relation for complex product. The customization system offers a kind of new way to meet customers’ requirements that the customers are eager for consumption of varieties, small batch production, short cycle and high quality.

A Fuzzy Product Configuration Design Method Based on Decision Table

To solve the problem on the indeterminacy of customers’ demands, a new fuzzy configuration design based on decision table is presented. Generalized product configuration model is proposed and taken as the basic of configuration design. Generalized product configuration model is composed of generalized product structure BOM，structure-function units and configuration rules. Configuration rule is expressed with decision table, and it constrains the process of the configuration design. Fuzzy theory is applied in configuration design. Configuration engine accesses decision table and carries out the configuration reasoning with fuzzy theory in configuration design. Finally, the application on the transmission system of wind turbine verifies the feasibility and validity of this method.

Rapid Locking Assembly Variant Design Based on Product Configuration Model and CBR

Aiming at rapid response to requirements of mechanical transmission products customization, a system for rapid locking assembly variant design was proposed in terms of features of locking assembly. The bases of the system are Product Configuration Model (PCM) and Case-Based Reasoning (CBR). According to the system, PCM of locking assembly was built by extending traditional Generic Bill of Materials (GBOM). In addition, integration of PCM and CBR was completed by combining method of transforming PCM to a case with similarity assessment algorithm. Moreover, a rapid variant design software system based on PCM and CBR for locking assembly was developed. Finally, the software system was applied to design new locking assembly. Results demonstrate that it is effective for PCM-CBR to support rapid response to customization.

Rapid Design Technology for Building Door & Window Products Based on Generalized Modularization

In allusion to the rapid design for building door and window products, a rapid design method based on generalized modularization was put forward. According to the combination of generalized modules, the product configuration model was automatically generated on the basis of generalized modular planning, and then the rapid design for building door and window products was realized by the instantiation of product configuration model. With the method, product designs and associated knowledge can be reused and the design cycle can be effectively shortened. A designing system for building door and window products was developed and applied in some enterprises, with satisfactory results.