An analysis of functional modeling approaches across disciplines

Author(s):  
Boris Eisenbart ◽  
Kilian Gericke ◽  
Luciënne Blessing

AbstractAuthors across disciplines propose functional modeling as part of systematic design approaches, in order to support and guide designers during conceptual design. The presented research aims at contributing to a better understanding of the diverse functional modeling approaches proposed across disciplines. The article presents a literature review of 41 modeling approaches from a variety of disciplines. The analysis focuses on what is addressed by functional modeling at which point in the proposed conceptual design process (i.e., in which sequence). The gained insights lead to the identification of specific needs and opportunities, which could support the development of an integrated functional modeling approach. The findings suggest that there is no such shared sequence for functional modeling across disciplines. However, a shared functional modeling perspective has been identified across all reviewed disciplines, which could serve as a common basis for the development of an integrated functional modeling approach.

Author(s):  
Manish Verma ◽  
Hui Dong ◽  
William H. Wood

Design for Manufacture (DfM) tends to explore only a small space of possible designs toward improving manufacturability. By focusing primarily on detailed geometry, DfM tends to recommend incremental changes. This paper presents a methodology that begins at the conceptual design stage, applying functional modeling to the generation of design configurations. These functional abstractions are merged with real part geometry toward generating potentially manufacturable design skeletons. The direct connection from function to manufacturable form afforded by this method allows the designer to make better-informed design decisions at the earliest stages of the design process.


Author(s):  
Jason M. Weaver ◽  
Kristin L. Wood ◽  
Richard H. Crawford ◽  
Dan Jensen

Energy harvesting is a promising and evolving field of research capable of supplying power to systems in a broad range of applications. Energy harvesting encompasses many distinct technologies, including photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, kinetic motion harvesters, and thermal generators. Each technology utilizes different processes to transform energy from the environment into usable electrical energy. As such, there are many analogous functions and processes that are common or similar across the various domains. To leverage and understand these functions and processes, functional modeling approaches are needed to identify these similarities and functions ripe for innovation in new systems. This paper describes a method for modeling the functional architectures of a sample set of energy harvesters, using a functional common basis from the literature. Vector space analysis is used to identify patterns and correlations in the use of functions across different products and energy-harvesting domains in the sample set. The resulting analysis indicates that systems in the same domain usually have very similar function structures, differing only by the addition or removal of a few driving or supporting functions. Systems in different domains also typically have similar structures, with the substitution of different material and energy flows into the system. A generalized functional model for energy harvesting is described, along with possible design ramifications and key opportunities to innovate. Several recommendations are given for the continued development and improvement of the functional common basis and, more generally, functional modeling methodologies. These include improved standardization and explanation of abstract functions, such as blending with the environment, and of organizational conventions to improve consistency.


2015 ◽  
Vol 131 ◽  
pp. 1064-1072 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khairul Manami Kamarudin ◽  
Keith Ridgway ◽  
Mohd Roshdi Hassan

2014 ◽  
Vol 564 ◽  
pp. 590-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amad Uddin ◽  
Mohammed Khurshid Khan ◽  
Felician Campean

This paper presents an overview of existing function-based conceptual design expert (CDE) systems with a view to identifying their scope in the contexts of functional modeling knowledge representation and conceptual design process. A number of heterogeneous function-based CDE systems are identified and listed. A key comprehensive benchmarking framework is developed in this paper that helps in identifying the trend, gaps and scope of current function-based CDE systems. Accordingly, the gaps in the aforementioned contexts are discussed which are to date have not been summarized and highlighted for a well-balanced system development for a product conceptual design.


Actuators ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Tobias Vonderbank ◽  
Katharina Schmitz

Increasing performance in modern hydraulics is achieved by a close investigation of possible enhancements of its components. Prior research has pointed out that electromechanical actuators can form suitable alternatives to hydraulically piloted control systems. Since the requirements at these actuation systems depend on the operating conditions of the system, each actuator can be optimized to the respective hydraulic system. Considering that many different conceptual designs are suitable, the phase of conceptual design plays a decisive role during the design process. Therefore, this paper focuses on the process of developing new conceptual designs for electromechanical valve actuation systems using the method of function structures. Aiming to identify special design features, which need to be considered during the design process of electromechanical actuation systems, an exemplary actuator was designed based on the derived function structure. To highlight the potential of function structures for the development of new electromechanical valve actuation systems, two principal concepts, which allow the reduction of the necessary forces, have been developed by extending the function structure. These concepts have been experimentally investigated to identify their advantages and disadvantages.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5982
Author(s):  
Carlos-Alberto Domínguez-Báez ◽  
Ricardo Mendoza-González ◽  
Huizilopoztli Luna-García ◽  
Mario Alberto Rodríguez-Díaz ◽  
Francisco Javier Luna-Rosas ◽  
...  

The objective of this paper was to propose a methodological process for the design of frameworks oriented to infotainment user interfaces. Four stages comprise the proposed process, conceptualization, structuring, documentation, and evaluation; in addition, these stages include activities, tasks, and deliverables to guide a work team during the design of a framework. To determine the stages and their components, an analysis of 42 papers was carried out through a systematic literature review in search of similarities during the design process of frameworks related to user interfaces. The evaluation method by a panel of experts was used to determine the validity of the proposal; the conceptual proposal was provided to a panel of 10 experts for their analysis and later a questionnaire in the form of a Likert scale was used to collect the information on the validation of the proposal. The results of the evaluation indicated that the methodological process is valid to meet the objective of designing a framework oriented to infotainment user interfaces.


2013 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 3163-3172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuzhou Luo ◽  
Frank Spurlock ◽  
Weiying Jiang ◽  
Brant C. Jorgenson ◽  
Thomas M. Young ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Ehud Kroll ◽  
Lauri Koskela

AbstractThe mechanism of design reasoning from function to form is suggested to consist of a two-step inference of the innovative abduction type. First is an inference from a desired functional aspect to an idea, concept, or solution principle to satisfy the function. This is followed by a second innovative abduction, from the latest concept to form, structure, or mechanism. The intermediate entity in the logical reasoning, the concept, is thus made explicit, which is significant in following and understanding a specific design process, for educating designers, and to build a logic-based computational model of design. The idea of a two-step abductive reasoning process is developed from the critical examination of several propositions made by others. We use the notion of innovative abduction in design, as opposed to such abduction where the question is about selecting among known alternatives, and we adopt a previously proposed two-step process of abductive reasoning. However, our model is different in that the two abductions used follow the syllogistic pattern of innovative abduction. In addition to using a schematic example from the literature to demonstrate our derivation, we apply the model to an existing, empirically derived method of conceptual design called “parameter analysis” and use two examples of real design processes. The two synthetic steps of the method are shown to follow the proposed double innovative abduction scheme, and the design processes are presented as sequences of double abductions from function to concept and from concept to form, with a subsequent deductive evaluation step.


Author(s):  
David G. Ullman ◽  
Thomas G. Dietterich ◽  
Larry A. Stauffer

This paper describes the task/episode accumulation model (TEA model) of non-routine mechanical design, which was developed after detailed analysis of the audio and video protocols of five mechanical designers. The model is able to explain the behavior of designers at a much finer level of detail than previous models. The key features of the model are (a) the design is constructed by incrementally refining and patching an initial conceptual design, (b) design alternatives are not considered outside the boundaries of design episodes (which are short stretches of problem solving aimed at specific goals), (c) the design process is controlled locally, primarily at the level of individual episodes. Among the implications of the model are the following: (a) CAD tools should be extended to represent the state of the design at more abstract levels, (b) CAD tools should help the designer manage constraints, and (c) CAD tools should be designed to give cognitive support to the designer.


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