Title: The product design generator: a system for producing design variants

Authors: Gregory M. Roach, Jordan J. Cox, Carl D. Sorensen

Addresses: Honeywell International, M/S 301–134, 111 S. 34th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034, USA. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA

Abstract: This paper presents a new design system, called a Product Design Generator (PDG). A PDG is a computer-based tool that is used to automatically create all of the design artifacts and supporting necessary information for the design of a customised product to meet the specific customer|s needs. The PDG works by transforming a set of customer requirements into finished designs that meet those requirements. It integrates existing computer design and information management tools to produce design variants with demonstrated productivity increases of at least two orders of magnitude. The PDG captures current design methods in a reusable form to improve the productivity in the design process. Because these best practices are reusable, the consistency and repeatability of the design process are increased. This system has the potential to transform our one-at-a-time system into a factory capable of producing customised designs for the masses.

Keywords: product development processes; mass customisation; parametric modelling; product design variants; customer requirements; information management; productivity; design methods; design reuse; design process; customised designs.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMASSC.2005.007352

International Journal of Mass Customisation, 2005 Vol.1 No.1, pp.83 - 106

Published online: 11 Jul 2005 *

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