Developments in manufacturing methods and increased computational power have opened up a world of possibilities in engineering component design
This modern approach overcomes the traditional method which mainly relied on the designer’s experience and an iterative process with design, simulation and prototyping. New design approaches take into account a variety of factors from the upstream stage, in order to minimise the need for iterations and to produce more efficient and sustainable components. These include:
- Operational requirements of the component: designing with a specific focus on functional needs.
- Manufacturability of the geometry: considering the feasibility of production of the designed shapes.
- Specification-based material selection: choosing materials that meet performance and sustainability requirements.
- Cost: assessing and optimising production and maintenance costs.
- End-of-life study: planning the complete life cycle of the product, including disassembly and recycling.
- Adaptability to the environment: creating designs that adapt efficiently to the operating environment.
Opportunities: benefits and applications
With these design methods, products are geared towards functionality, thus reducing their weight and the number of parts required in an assembly, while simultaneously improving their physical properties. Materials are used ad-hoc for boundary conditions and with recyclability in mind. This reduces manufacturing defects, as well as production costs.
Challenges and solutions for effective implementation
Despite these advances, there are significant challenges to the effective integration of these approaches into engineering practice.
- the need for advanced computational tools (Possible solution Synera)
- training designers in new methods
- the democratisation of advanced manufacturing methods
- and the balance between cost and functionality
Speaker
**The webinar will be taught in English