Configurable Product Design Considering the Transition of Multi-hierarchical Models

The current research of configurable product design mainly focuses on how to convert a predefined set of components into a valid set of product structures. With the scale and complexity of configurable products increasing, the interdependencies between customer demands and product structures grow up as well. The result is that existing product structures fails to satisfy the individual customer requirements and hence product variants are needed. This paper is aimed to build a bridge between customer demands and product structures in order to make demand-driven fast response design feasible. First of all, multi-hierarchical models of configurable product design are established with customer demand model, technical requirement model and product structure model. Then, the transition of multi-hierarchical models among customer demand model, technical requirement model and product structure model is solved with fuzzy analytic hierarchy process （FAHP） and the algorithm of multi-level matching. Finally, optimal structure according to the customer demands is obtained with the calculation of Euclidean distance and similarity of some cases. In practice, the configuration design of a clamping unit of injection molding machine successfully performs an optimal search strategy for the product variants with reasonable satisfaction to individual customer demands. The proposed method can automatically generate a configuration design with better alternatives for each product structures, and shorten the time of finding the configuration of a product.

Configuration Design of an Under-Actuated Robotic Hand Based on Maximum Grasping Space

Capture is a key component for on?orbit service and space debris clean. The current research of capture on?orbit focuses on using special capture devices or full?actuated space arms to capture cooperative targets. However, the structures of current capture devices are complex, and both space debris and abandoned spacecraft are non?cooperative targets. To capture non?cooperative targets in space, a lightweight, less driven under?actuated robotic hand is proposed in this paper, which composed by tendon?pulley transmission and double?stage mechanisms, and always driven by only one motor in process of closing finger. Because of the expandability, general grasping model is constructed. The equivalent joint driving forces and general grasping force are analyzed based on the model and the principle of virtual work. Which reveal the relationship among tendon driving force, joint driving forces and grasping force. In order to configure the number of knuckles of finger, a new analysis method which takes the maximum grasping space into account, is proposed. Supposing the maximum grasped object is an envelope circle with diameter of 2.5m. In the condition, a finger grasping maximum envelope circle with different knuckles is modeled. And the finger lengths with corresponding knuckles are calculated out. The finger length which consists of three knuckles is the shortest among under?actuated fingers consists of not more than five knuckles. Finally, the principle prototype and prototype robotic hand which consists of two dingers are designed and assembled. Experiments indicate that the under?actuated robotic hand can satisfy the grasp requirements.

DESIGN OF RECONFIGURABLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS WITH STRONGLY COUPLED NATURE

Today＇s manufacturing cnvironmem forces manufacturing companies to make as many product variations as possible at affordable costs within a short time. Mass customisation is one of most important technologies for companies to achieve their objectives. Efforts to mass customisation should be made on two aspects： （1） To modularize products and make them as less differences as possible; （2） To design manufacturing resources and make them provide as many processes variations as possible. This paper reports our recent work on aspect （2）, i.e. how to design a reconfignrable manufacturing system （RMS） so that it can be competent to accomplish various processes optimally; Reconfignrable robot system （RRS） is taken as an example. RMS design involves architecture design and configuration design, and configuration design is further divided in design analysis and design synthesis. Axiomatic design theory （ADT） is applied to architecture design, the features and issues of RRS configuration design are discussed, automatic modelling method is developed for design analysis, and concurrent design methodology is presented for design synthesis.

Research on Visualization and Interactive Design of Plant Configuration Virtual Reality in the Context of Digitalization

This study aims to explore the application of digital technology in landscape design,focusing on the research of virtual reality visualization and interactive design in the process of plant configuration.Through an in-depth analysis of digital technology,the study outlines its important role in landscape design,especially in the application of plant configuration.The current application status of virtual reality technology in landscape design is discussed,as well as how interactive design can enhance user experience and participation.Furthermore,the achievements and challenges of digital technology in landscape design are summarized.Finally,it proposes future research directions and suggestions,aiming to provide new ideas and methods for practice and research in the field of landscape design and promote the further application and development of digital technology in landscape design.

Customer-oriented Configuration Model for Modular MechatronicProducts: Application in Industrial Robot Design

The contradiction between manufacturing costs and customer demand of mechatronic products can be balanced by configuration design. The article proposes a customer-oriented configuration model for modular mechatronic products which makes up the shortfall in meeting customer needs for the traditional configuration de- sign mode. The elements of the modular mechatronic products configuration model including module, module connection and configuration knowledge are analyzed. And a formal representation method for configuration model elements combining with their characteristics is given. Based on the above research, an abstract configuration model of modular mechatronic products is designed. Finally, an industrial robot is used as an application exam- ple to build a customer-oriented industrial robot configuration model.

Feasibility neutronic design for the reactor core configurations of a 5 MWth transportable block-type HTR

Small long-life transportable high temperature gas-cooled reactors(HTRs) are interesting because they can safely provide electricity or heat in remote areas or to industrial users in developed or developing countries.This paper presents the neutronic design of the U-Battery,which is a 5 MWth block-type HTR with a fuel lifetime of 5–10 years.Assuming a reactor pressure vessel diameter of less than 3.7 m,some possible reactor core configurations of the 5 MWth U-Battery have been investigated using the TRITON module in SCALE 6.The neutronic analysis shows that Layout 12×2B,a scattering core containing 2 layers of 12 fuel blocks each with 20% enriched235U,reaches a fuel lifetime of 10 effective full power years(EFPYs).When the diameter of the reactor pressure vessel is reduced to 1.8 m,a fuel lifetime of 4 EFPYs will be achieved for the 5 MWth U-Battery with a 25-cm thick graphite side reflector.Layouts 6×3 and 6×4 with a 25-cm thick BeO side reflector achieve a fuel lifetime of 7 and 10 EFPYs,respectively.The comparison of the different core configurations shows that,keeping the number of fuel blocks in the reactor core constant,the annular and scattering core configurations have longer fuel lifetimes and lower fuel cost than the cylindrical ones.Moreover,for the 5 MWth U-Battery,reducing the fuel inventory in the reactor core by decreasing the diameter of fuel kernels and packing fraction of TRISO particles is more effective to lower the fuel cost than decreasing the 235U enrichment.

Managing Accessibility- The Configurational Approach to the Inclusive Design of Urban Spaces

This paper concerns the theme of the universal accessibility to urban spaces, proposing the contribution of configurational approach to their inclusive design. Born in the first Nineties on the roots of the efforts and the studies for reducing material and architectural barriers for disabled people, such discipline extends its sphere and purposes so as to mitigate the effects of spatial exclusion of a wider and wider variety of human categories, up to virtually include any potential urban user. Several questions persuade that a merely functional approach, essentially based on the position of the located activities, cannot be said satisfying： only a configurational approach can account for the effects of the grid configuration on the actual accessibility of its spaces. Our research focuses on Italian urban settlements, which appear as ideal case studies, due to the typical consistency of their urban spaces, which, especially in the inner historical cores, are densely build, geometrically irregular and hence generally far from actually providing a universal material accessibility. Here the impedance of space is much more than a theoretical hypothesis and concrete interventions are generally requested to eliminate or reduce its barriers and to make space actually and safely usable. Rather than at indicating the technical solution of single urban problems, which of course are strongly different each other, the research aims at defining a method suitable for any local context. Such method, integrating into a reliable tool the configurational vision with the functional and interactional approach, will provide a hierarchy of urban spaces with reference to the necessity of their universal accessibility.

Configuration Optimization of Two-Rail Sliders on Dynamic Characteristic

An optimal design methodology for the configuration of two rail slider was proposed to get better dynamic performance. The taper length, taper height and the rail width of the reading/writing head are considered as design variables. The complex geometry method is utilized as the search scheme in the optimization process. Optimization results show that the new slider has better dynamic characteristics and is more stable than the original designed slider. The optimization process also demonstrates that the optimum model and optimum method is effective.

Analysis of Spatial Configuration of Wenshufang in Chengdu City from the Perspective of Urban Design

Figure-ground theory,linkage theory and place theory of Roger Trancik were applied,field investigation,photo-taking and inductive analysis combined to analyze spatial configuration of urban historic blocks,physical environment,wills of people and also interaction between human behavior and environment in Wenshufang,Chengdu City of Sichuan Province.The results showed that on the basis of a clear bidimensional virtual-real structure,"linear parameters" and "dynamic structures" of spatial connection were established for Wenshufang,environment elements and humanistic needs of the place were respected,connection vitality of lane and yard spaces maintained.In this way,Wenshufang successfully inherited Buddhist cultures and folk cultures,providing a useful reference for the protection and research on historic blocks in other cities.

TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION OF PRODUCT EVOLUTIONARY DESIGN BASED ON CONFIGURATION IN MASS CUSTOMIZATION MODE

Product customization has been recognized as an effective means to implement mass cus-tomization （MC）. A new theory and method for MC-oriented evolutionary design of configuration product is presented based on the study of developing law of evolutionary design in integrated envi-ronment, which focuses on the innovation and reuse properties of configuration product. The key technologies for general requirement modeling in quick response to customer requirement, multi-level stepwise configuration optimization driven by customer requirement and evolutionary deduction of product variable structure based on configuration association are thoroughly investigated. The suc-cessful application of the presented method in the development of real-life products demonstrates its utility, flexibility and robusticity.

Gas-solid Erosion on Bionic Configuration Surface

A three levels orthogonal table-L9（34） was used,namely,impact angle,rotating speed,erodent size,and surface configuration were considered.The three bionic surface configurations are pit,groove,and ring.The experimental results indicate the experiment factors affecting erosive rate are,in their sequence of contribution,erodent size,impact angle,configuration,and rotating speed;the erosive rate increased with increase in rotating speed,erodent size;the erosion resistance of the sample with ring structure is higher than that of the other two samples.Based on this result,regression orthogonal experiment was carried out to select the optimal erosion resistance condition with respect to the ring bionic surface configuration.Regression equations between erosive rate and experimental factors of ring surface configurations were obtained.

Modeling and Configuration Design of Electromagnetic Actuation Coil for a Magnetically Controlled Microrobot

Non-contact actuated microbeads have attracted a lot of attention in recent years because of its enormous potential in medical, biological, and industrial applications. Researchers have proposed a multitude of electromagnetic actuation(EMA) systems consisting of a variety of coil pairs. However, a unified method to design and optimize a coil pair according to technical specifications still does not exist. Initially, this paper presented the modeling of an untethered ferromagnetic particle actuated by externally applied magnetic field. Based on the models, a simple method of designing and optimizing the EMA coil pair according to technical specifications, was proposed. A loop-shaped coil pair generating uniform magnetic and gradient fields was chosen to demonstrate this method clearly and practically. The results of the optimization showed that the best distance to radius ratio of a loop-shaped coil pair is 1.02 for a uniform magnetic field and 1.75 for a uniform gradient field. The applicability of the method to other shapes of coil configuration was also illustrated. The best width to distance ratio for a square-shaped coil pair is 0.558 and 0.958 for uniform magnetic and gradient fields, respectively. The best height to width ratio and distance to width ratio for a rectangle-shaped coil pair is h/w =[0.9,1.1], d/w =[0.5,0.6] for uniform magnetic field and h/w =[1.0,1.2], d/w =[0.9,1.1] for uniform gradient field. Furthermore, simulations of a microparticle tracking the targeted trajectory were conducted to analyze the performance of the newly designed coils. The simulations suggested the ability of manipulating microparticles via the coils designed by our proposed method. The research mainly proposed a unified design and optimization method for a coil pair, which can support researchers while designing a specific coil pair according to the technical requirements. This study is aimed at researchers who are interested in EMA system and microrobots.

Combined method for parallel manipulator configuration design

Configuration design is an essential, creative and decision-making step m parallel manipulator design process, in which modeling and assembly are iterative and trivial. Combined approach with automatic parametric modeling and automatic assembly is proposed for parallel manipulator configuration design. The design process and key techniques, such as configuration design, configuration verification, poses calculation of all parts in parallel manipulator, virtual assembly and etc., are discussed and demonstrated by an example. A software package is developed for parallel manipulator configuration design based on the proposed method with Visual C＋＋ and UG/OPEN on Unigraphics.

Equilibrium configurations of the tethered three-body formation system and their nonlinear dynamics

This paper considers nonlinear dynamics of teth- ered three-body formation system with their centre of mass staying on a circular orbit around the Earth, and applies the theory of space manifold dynamics to deal with the nonlinear dynamical behaviors of the equilibrium configurations of the system. Compared with the classical circular restricted three body system, sixteen equilibrium configurations are obtained globally from the geometry of pseudo-potential energy sur- face, four of which were omitted in the previous research. The periodic Lyapunov orbits and their invariant manifolds near the hyperbolic equilibria are presented, and an iteration procedure for identifying Lyapunov orbit is proposed based on the differential correction algorithm. The non-transversal intersections between invariant manifolds are addressed to generate homoclinic and heteroclinic trajectories between the Lyapunov orbits. （3,3）- and （2,1）-heteroclinic trajecto- ries from the neighborhood of one collinear equilibrium to that of another one, and （3,6）- and （2,1）-homoclinic trajecto- ries from and to the neighborhood of the same equilibrium, are obtained based on the Poincar6 mapping technique.

斜列式机动车库平面柱网设计研究--以60°斜列式停车方式为例

该文以60°斜列式停车方式为例,研究斜列式机动车库的平面柱网设计规律:包括框架柱的截面形状与尺寸、柱网开间尺寸、柱网开间中的停车位数量、进深方向的柱网尺寸、柱网与停车位的关系、无障碍停车位等方面内容。并按照独立式车库和附建式车库两种类型给出不同的设计意见。将60°斜列式停车方式与实际工程项目中普遍采用的垂直式停车方式进行比较,分析其不同适用场所。以期丰富机动车库的设计方法,提高机动车库的设计质量。

基于S7-1200六部十层电梯群控系统的WinCC组态设计

以六部十层电梯为研究对象,采用S7-1200 PLC,利用博途V18运行电梯仿真系统(EET PRO)。主要阐述了电梯群控系统的方案设计、设计系统的控制流程图,使用WinCC Advanced完成不同环境下的监控组态。结果表明,该系统能很好地监视电梯的运行状态,通过人机界面的结合,实现了电梯运行状态的直观展示和控制操作的智能化,有效降低了电梯故障率,提高了系统的稳定性和可靠性。

Extended Range Guided Munition Aerodynamic Configuration Design

Based on the analysis of the flying scheme and flying style of an extended range guided munition(ERGM), the aerodynamic characteristics design standards were put forward. According to the standards, the ERGM aerodynamic configuration was designed, and the wind tunnel experiments were processed. The experimental results show that the configuration has lower drag and good static stability at unguided flying stage. Moreover, the stability, maneuverability, rudder deflection angle and balance angle of attack of the configuration are all reasonably matched at guided flying stage, and the munition with the configuration can glide with larger lift-drag ratio at little balance angle of attack. The experimental results also indicate that the canard can't conduct rolling control when 1.0 ＜ Ma ＜ 1.5, so the ERGM must take rolling flight style with certain limited rolling speed.

A Case Retrieval Projection Pursuit Model for Configuration Design of a Product Family

The paper studies on case-based reasoning of uncertain product attributes in configuration design of a product family. Interval numbers characterize uncertain product attributes. By interpolating a number of certain values randomly to replace interval numbers and making projection pursuit analysis on source cases and target cases of expanded numbers, we can get a projection value in the optimal projection direction. Based on projection value, we can construct a case retrieval model of projection pursuit that can handle coexisting certain and uncertain product attributes. The application examples of chainsaw configuration design show that case retrieval is highly sensitive to reliable results.

Reliability Design for the Landing Gear of Chang'E-3 Probe

Landing gear is one of the important components of Chang'E-3 Probe.The device was used to absorb the impact energy of Chang'E-3 Probe during the landing process.After landing on the moon,it can support the lander steadily for a long time.In order to assure the reliability of the landing gear and deal with the extremely severe landing conditions,many reliability measures were adopted in the design procedure,such as selection of cushion materials,optimization of mechanism configuration,design of deployment mode,allocation of buffer force and control of its variation.The successful landing on the moon of Chang'E-3 Probe has completely verified the high reliability of the landing gear.

Scenario-based Participatory Design for Pervasive Computing

Lots of pervasive computing researchers are working on how to realize the user-centered intelligent pervasive computing environment as Mark Weiser figured out.Task abstraction is the fundamentation of configuration for pervasive application.Based on task-oriented and descriptive properties of scenario,a scenario-based participatory design model was proposed to realize the task abstraction.The design model provided users and domain experts a useful mechanism to build the customized applications by separating system model into domain model and design model.In this design model,domain experts,together with users,stakeholders focus on the logic rules(domain model)and programmers work on the implementation(design model).In order to formalize the model description,a human-agent interaction language to transform users' goals and domain rules into executable scenarios was also discussed.An agent platform-describer used to link design and implementation of scenarios was developed to realize the configuration of applications according to different requirements.The demand bus application showed the design process and the usability of this model.