Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Computer-based creativity enhanced conceptual design model for non-routine design of mechanical systems

  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering Submit manuscript

Abstract

Computer-based conceptual design for routine design has made great strides, yet non-routine design has not been given due attention, and it is still poorly automated. Considering that the function-behavior-structure(FBS) model is widely used for modeling the conceptual design process, a computer-based creativity enhanced conceptual design model(CECD) for non-routine design of mechanical systems is presented. In the model, the leaf functions in the FBS model are decomposed into and represented with fine-grain basic operation actions(BOA), and the corresponding BOA set in the function domain is then constructed. Choosing building blocks from the database, and expressing their multiple functions with BOAs, the BOA set in the structure domain is formed. Through rule-based dynamic partition of the BOA set in the function domain, many variants of regenerated functional schemes are generated. For enhancing the capability to introduce new design variables into the conceptual design process, and dig out more innovative physical structure schemes, the indirect function-structure matching strategy based on reconstructing the combined structure schemes is adopted. By adjusting the tightness of the partition rules and the granularity of the divided BOA subsets, and making full use of the main function and secondary functions of each basic structure in the process of reconstructing of the physical structures, new design variables and variants are introduced into the physical structure scheme reconstructing process, and a great number of simpler physical structure schemes to accomplish the overall function organically are figured out. The creativity enhanced conceptual design model presented has a dominant capability in introducing new deign variables in function domain and digging out simpler physical structures to accomplish the overall function, therefore it can be utilized to solve non-routine conceptual design problem.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. SUZUKI H, INUI M, KIMURA F, et al. A product modeling system for constructing intelligent CAD and CAM systems[J]. Robotics & Computer Integrated Manufacture, 1988, 4(3): 483–489.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. MITCHELL M T, JIANXIN J. Computer-aided requirement management for product definition: a methodology and implement-tation[J]. Concurrent Engineering: Research and Application, 1998, 6(2): 145–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. TAY F, GU J. Product modeling for conceptual design support[J]. Computer in Industry, 2002, 48(2): 143–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. FINGER S, DIXON J R. A review of research in mechanical engineering design, part I: descriptive, prescriptive, and computer-based models of design processes[J]. Research in Engineering Design, 1989, 1(1): 51–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. EIJI A, KAZUAKI I. Product modeling system in conceptual design of mechanical design[J]. Robotics & Computer Integration and Manufacture, 1992, 9(4): 327–334

    Google Scholar 

  6. TALAL A S, IBRAHIM Z. A design-plan-oriented methodology for applying case-based adaptation to engineering design[J]. AIEDAM, 1998, 12(5): 463–478.

    Google Scholar 

  7. DENG Y M, ZHU Y W. Function to structure/material mappings for conceptual design synthesis and their supportive strategies[J]. International Journal of Advance Manufacture and Technology, 2009, 44(11–12): 1063–1072.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. KIM S J, SUH N P, KIM S K. Design of software systems based on axiomatic design[J]. Annal CIRP, 1991, 40(1): 165–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. KUSIAK A, WANG J. Decomposition of the design process[J]. ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, 1993, 115(4): 687–695.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. WEI C, JANET K A, FARROKH M. A robust concept exploration method for enhancing productivity in concurrent systems design[J]. Con-current Engineering: Research and Application, 1997, 5(3): 203–217.

    Google Scholar 

  11. CROSS N. Science and design methodology: a review[J]. Research in Engineering Design, 1993, 5(2): 63–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. KURTOGLU T, CAMPBELL M, BRYANT C, et al. A component taxonomy as a framework for computational design synthesis[J]. Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering, 2009, 9(1): 011007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. BUHI R. Creative engineering design[M]. Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1960

    Google Scholar 

  14. BROWN D C, CHANDRASEKARAN B. Expert systems for a class of mechanical design activity[C]//Knowledge Engineering in Computer-Aided Design, University of Amsterdam, North-Holland, Jan 1–5, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  15. MAHER M L, BALACHANDRAN M B, ZHANG D M. Case-based reasoning in design[M]. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1995: 131–135.

    Google Scholar 

  16. GERO J S. Computational models of innovative and creative design processes[J]. Technology Forecast Social Change, 2000, 64(2–3): 183–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. AKIN O A, AKIN C. On the process of creativity in puzzles, inventions, and designs[J]. Automation in Construction, 1998, 7(2–3), 123–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. PAHL G, BEITZ W. Engineering design: a systematic approach[M]. Edited by Ken Wallace, London: Springer-Verlag Limited, 1996: 160.

  19. ALTSHULLER G. The innovation algorithm TRIZ, systematic innovation and technical creativity[M]. Translated, edited and annotated by SHULYAK L and RODMAN S. Worcester: Technical Innovation Center, Inc., 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  20. GOLDENBERG J, MAZURSKY D. Creative in product innovation[M]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  21. YAN L, WANG J, LI X L, ZHAO W. Design creativity in product innovation[J]. International Journal of Advance Manufacture and Technology, 2007, 33(3–4): 213–222.

    Google Scholar 

  22. LIU H, TANG M X, FRAZER J H. Supporting creative design in a visual evolutionary computing environment[J]. Advances in Engineering Software, 2004, 35(5): 261–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. STONE R B, WOOK K. Development of a functional basis for design[J]. Journal of Mechanical Design, 2000, 122(4): 359–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. DAN B. Design-as-satisfibility: A new approach to automated synthesis[J]. Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing, 2001, 15(5): 385–399.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  25. PATEL J, CAMPBELL M I. An approach to automate and optimize concept generation of sheet metal parts by topological and parametric decoupling[J]. ASME Journal of Mechanical Design, 2010, 132(5): 051001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. SARKAR P, PHANEENDRA S, CHAKRABART A. Developing engineering products using inspiration from nature[J]. Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering, 2008, 8(3): 031001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. FANTONI G, TAVIANI C, SANTORO R. Design by functional synonyms and antonyms: a structured creative technique based on functional analysis[J]. Proceeding of Institute Mechanical Engineering Part B, 2007, 221(4): 673–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. GOEL A K, CRAW S. Design, innovation and case-based reasoning[J]. AI Magazine, 2006, 20(3): 271–276.

    Google Scholar 

  29. CHAKRABARTI A, SHEA K, STONE R, et al. Computer-based design synthesis research: an overview[J]. Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering, 2011, 12(2): 021003–1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. GERO J S, MAHER M L. Modeling creativity and knowledge-based creative design[M]. New Jersey: Lawrence Associates, Inc, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  31. DENG Y M, TOR S B, BRITTON G A. A dual-stage functional modeling framework with multi-level design knowledge for conceptual mechanical design[J]. Journal of Engineering Design, 2000, 11(4): 347–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. WANG Y X, YAN H S. Computerized rules-based regeneration method for conceptual design of mechanisms[J]. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 2002, 37(9): 833–849.

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  33. WANG Y X. Rapid creative design for complex mechanical systems[M]. Beijing: Science Press, 2006. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  34. WANG Y X, ZHANG X G, MAO X H. Key techniques in function-form bidirectional creativity quotient space model[J]. Journal of Zhejiang University(Eng.), 2010, 44(9): 1643–1653. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  35. WANG Y X, ZHANG X G, MAO X H. Implementation and quotient representation of creativity in functional layer and form layer of the function-behavior-structure model[J]. Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2010, 46(15): 107–116. (in Chinese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. DENG Y M. Function and behavior representation in conceptual mechanical design[J]. Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing, 2002, 16(5): 343–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. CRILLY N, Function propagation through nested systems[J]. Design Studies, 2013, 34(2): 216–242.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  38. CHIOU S J, KOTA S. Automated conceptual design of mechanisms[J]. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 1999, 34(3): 467–495.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  39. GERO J S. Design prototypes: A knowledge representation schema for design[J]. AI Magazine, 1990, 11(4): 26–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. DENNIS M B. The engineering design of systems: models and methods[M]. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2000: 254.

    Google Scholar 

  41. KOTA S, LEE C L. General framework for configuration design: Part 1: methodology[J]. Journal of Engineering Design, 1993, 4(4): 277–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. KEES D, PIETER E V, GERO J S. Function-behavior-structure model of designing: a critical analysis[J]. Research in Engineering Design, 2005, 16(3): 17–26.

    Google Scholar 

  43. ROYA U, PRAMANIKA N, SUDARSANB R, et al. Function-to-form mapping: model, representation and applications in design synthesis[J]. Computer-Aided Design, 2001, 33(10): 699–719.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. UMEDA Y, ISHII M, YOSHIOKA M, et al. Supporting conceptual design based on the function-behavior-state modeler[J]. AIEDAM, 1996, 10(4): 275–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. HERNANDEZ N, SHAH J J. 2nd-CAD: a tool for conceptual systems design in electromechanical domain[J]. Journal of Computer Information Science and Engineering, 2004, 4(1): 28–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. CHAKRABARTI A, BLIGH T P. A scheme for functional reasoning in mechanical conceptual design[J]. Design Study, 2001, 22(6): 493–517.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. ERDEN M S, KOMOTO H, VAB BEEK T J, et al. A review of functional modeling: approaches and applications[J]. AIEDAM, 2008, 22(2): 147–169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. GUI J K, MNTYLM. Functional understanding of assembly modeling[J]. Computer-Aided Design, 1994, 26(6): 435–451.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  49. SCHMEKEL H. Functional models and design solutions[J]. Annals of CIRP, 1989, 38(1): 129–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. ZHANG W Y, TOR S B, BRITTON G A. A graph and matrix representation scheme for functional design of mechanical products[J]. International Journal of Advance Manufacture and Technology, 2005, 25(3–4): 221–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. YOSHINOBU K, RIICHIRO M. Organizing knowledge about functional decomposition[C]//14th International Conference on Engineering Design(ICED 03), Stockholm, Sweden, August 19–21, 2003: 55–56

  52. SZYKMAN S, RACZ J W, SRIRAM R D. The representation of function in computer-based design[C]//Proceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conferences(DETC99/ DTM 8742), Las Vegas, NSA, September 12–15, 1999: 311–319.

  53. STURGES R H, O’SHAUGHNESSY K, KILANI M I. Computational model for conceptual design based on extended function logic, artificial intelligence for engineering[J]. Design, Analysis and Manufacturing, 1996, 10(4): 255–274.

    Google Scholar 

  54. KERSTEN T. MODESSA: a computer based conceptual design support system[C]//Proceedings of the 1995 Lancaster AI System Support for Conceptual Design, Lancaster International Workshop on Engineering Design, Lancaster, March 27–29, 1995. New York: Springer, 1995: 241–259.

    Google Scholar 

  55. BRACEWELL RH, SHARP J. Functional descriptions used in computer support for qualitative scheme generation: Schemebuilder[J]. AIEDAM, 1996, 10(4): 333–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. CHIOU S J, KOTA S. Automated conceptual design of mechanisms[J]. Mechanism and Machine Theory, 1999, 34(3): 467–495.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  57. ZHANG L, ZHANG B. A quotient space approximation model of multi-resolution signal analysis[J]. Journal Computer Science and Technology, 2005, 20(1): 90–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, 266580, China

    Yutong Li & Yuxin Wang

  2. Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK

    Alex H. B. Duffy

Authors
  1. Yutong Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yuxin Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alex H. B. Duffy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuxin Wang.

Additional information

Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos. 51375496, 51205409)

LI Yutong is currently a lecture at China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, China. She received his PhD degree from Zhejiang University, China, in 2010. Her research interests include creative design theory, robotic mechanism, and simulation.

WANG Yuxin, born in 1964, is currently a professor at China University of Petroleum, Qingdao, China. He was a professor at Zhejiang University(2007–2011), Tongji University(2001–2006), and Tianjin University(1996–2000). He received his PhD degree from Tianjin University, China, in 1994. His research interests include creative design theory, robotic mechanism, and simulation.

DUFFY Alex H B, is currently a professor at University of Strathclyde, UK. He was chief-editors of several international journals. His research interests include design knowledge management, learning and design reuse, machine learning in design, product modeling, and process optimization.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Y., Wang, Y. & Duffy, A.H.B. Computer-based creativity enhanced conceptual design model for non-routine design of mechanical systems. Chin. J. Mech. Eng. 27, 1083–1098 (2014). https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2014.0620.117

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3901/CJME.2014.0620.117

Keywords

Search

Navigation