ISSN: 1402-1757 ISBN 978-91-7439-XXX-X Se i listan och fyll i siffror där kryssen är LICENTIATE T H E SI S Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics Division of Product and Production Development Michael Lundin Retention Knowledge and Reuse ISSN: 1402-1757 ISBN 978-91-7439-445-0 Knowledge Retention and Reuse Luleå University of Technology 2012 Supporting Engineering Decisions in Simulation-Driven Product Development Supporting Engineering Decisions in Simulation-Driven Product Development Michael Lundin Knowledge Retention and Reuse Supporting Engineering Decisions in Simulation-Driven Product Development Michael Lundin Luleå University of Technology Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics Division of Product and Production Development Printed by Universitetstryckeriet, Luleå 2012 ISSN: 1402-1757 ISBN 978-91-7439-445-0 Luleå 2012 www.ltu.se To my family with love Preface This thesis is the result of research performed within the research area Computer Aided Design at Lulea University of Technology. The research presented has been financed by the Faste Laboratory, Centre for Functional Product Innovation, a VINNOVA (Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems) Excellence Centre. It would not have been possible without the funding nor the immense contribution of knowledge and dedication from all those involved, both from academia and partner companies. It is a privilege to be a part of this unique constellation, and it is my hope that I somehow have been able to give as much as I have gained, professionally and personally. I would especially like to thank my supervisor, Associate Professor Mats Näsström, and former fellow researcher, Stefan Sandberg, for guidance, support, laughter and friendship. I wish to thank Professor Lennart Karlsson, assistant supervisor and head of my research area, for giving me this opportunity and for constantly keeping me on my toes. I also wish to thank my former roommate Anna Karlsson for putting up with my all but original humour and personal quirks, for all the more or less productive discussions and support. A large thank you goes out to Lars Laitila for all the twisted discussions, creative brain farts and obsessive challenges. I would not be the embodiment of a Greek God, were it not for you. Special thanks to my brother-in-arms, Jonas Pavasson; not only have you put up with my sense of humour, you have continuously helped me lower the bar. Erik Lejon, although we did not start working together until the end of the research presented here, I really do appreciate your support thus far and look forward to a continued collaboration. I would like to say that I have truly valued all my colleagues, former and present. You have all given me something, whether you know it or not, not the least of which is a stimulating and creative environment. To my beloved family, my mother Astrid and father Conny, my sisters and brother, Therese, Alexandra and Robin, I extend my warmest thanks for your love and support across the country. We are unquestionably a twisted bunch, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just hope that you know how much I truly treasure you all. Michael Lundin Lulea, June 2012 v Abstract Information exchange is becoming more and more important as modern manufacturers increasingly rely on integrated product development. Research shows that designers may not be aware of existing information or be willing to disrupt their work to search for the relevant information. One part of the answer to issues related to understanding, availability and actual consideration is context. The research trend in knowledge sharing seems to be moving towards integration of additional platform-independent applications and lightweight product representations to accommodate contextual communication, even though findings suggest user reservation to additional applications. The part Computer Aided Design and Engineering systems play in the product lifecycle however continues to expand, as is the concept of Simulation-Driven Design as a means of ensuring downstream product lifecycle consideration. The underlying purpose of the research presented in this thesis is essentially to, enable and ensure awareness, access and understanding of product and process related information, for relevant actors, during relevant activities and within relevant environments. The proposed approach serves to enable, and to an extent ensure, contextual decision support within the early stages of product development, thus increasing the foundation for continued understanding and overall development. The approach has been implemented, and the resulting demonstrator includes but a few examples of how heavyweight technologies can, and to an extent should be used to ensure a better foundation for design decisions. The presented approach is a general way of not only enabling Simulation-Driven Design capabilities, but ensuring that they in fact have the desired impact. Investigations and demonstrator evaluations show that access to supporting tools and relevant information has to be made readily and contextually available. These have to be intuitive, integrated into the environment where they are needed, and ultimately be perceived as a natural part of daily development in order for them to be accepted and used. It is important to realise that the tools themselves are no cure-alls, nor are they replacements for purposeful communication and conscious consideration to all aspects of the product lifecycle. Still, transparency and an educational approach to tool development could be a catalyst, an entry point towards ensuring insight and understanding, so that each actor in turn can act with consideration to the product lifecycle as a whole, instead of just the task at hand. Keywords Simulation-Driven Design, Knowledge-Based Engineering, Decision Support, Computer-Aided Engineering, Contextual Communication vii Thesis This thesis comprises an introduction to and a summary of the following appended papers: Paper A: Knowledge retention and reuse: Using CAD models as carriers of knowledge. M. Lundin, S. Sandberg, and M. Näsström. In proceedings of ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. August 15-18, 2010. Montreal, Canada Paper B: State of the Art in Simulation Driven Design. M. Karlberg, M. Löfstrand, S. Sandberg, and M. Lundin. Submitted for Journal publication. Paper C: Supporting engineering decisions through contextual, model- oriented communication and Knowledge-Based Engineering in Simulation Driven Product Development: An automotive case study. S. Sandberg, M. Lundin, M. Näsström, L-E. Lindgren, and D. Berglund. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Engineering Design. ix Table of contents 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................... 13 1.1. Research motivation ......................................................................................... 14 1.2. Research Questions .......................................................................................... 15 1.3. Delimitations ..................................................................................................... 15 1.4. Thesis Disposition ............................................................................................ 15 2. Theoretical foundation..................................................................................... 17 2.1. Product Development ...................................................................................... 17 2.2. Concurrent Engineering .................................................................................. 17 2.3. Product lifecycle engineering .......................................................................... 18 2.4. Simulation-Driven Design ............................................................................... 18 2.5. Knowledge Based Engineering ....................................................................... 19 3. Research methodology ..................................................................................... 21 3.1. Case study .......................................................................................................... 21 4. Results ................................................................................................................ 23 4.1. Supporting engineering decisions in Simulation-Driven Product Development ..................................................................................................... 23 4.2. Efficient exploration of potential decisions .................................................. 24 4.3. Access to the effects decisions will have on downstream product and process aspects .................................................................................................. 25 4.4. Knowledge exchange in Simulation-Driven Product Development......... 27 5. Summary of appended papers ......................................................................... 29 6. Discussion ......................................................................................................... 31 7. Recommendations for future research .......................................................... 33 References ................................................................................................................ 35 Appended Papers ........................................................................................................ Paper A Paper