MechE Colloquium: Robust Design based on trade-off management in mechanical development
Event details
| Date | 30.11.2021 |
| Hour | 12:15 › 13:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Tobias Eifler, Robust Design Research Group, Technical University of Denmark |
| Location | Online |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract:
Traditional Robust Design (RD) provides a well-established toolbox for the parametric exploration of a design space, which allows for reducing a design’s sensitivity towards different variation sources such as manufacturing tolerances, external noise factors, wear, etc. From a design perspective, however, this narrow focus on a parametric optimization of a fairly complete solution drastically limits the potential of the available tools as it disregards the importance of other design decisions (e.g. concept exploration, choice of suitable mechanical layouts, multidisciplinary design).
Against this background, the talk will review different modes of design change and the underlying drivers in order to illustrate how design in industrial practice is oftentimes depending on various approaches, including parameter space exploration, updated specifications, relaxed material or manufacturing constraints, etc. On this basis, we will then focus on trade-off management as one of the essential aspects in mechanical development and robust design. Using examples from the medical device industry, the talk will show how a systematic focus on design trade-offs, i.e. contradicting requirements or constraints that drastically limit the available design space, supports all design phases from an early assessment of product robustness, a systematic redesign and improvement of mechanical configurations, to the multi-objective optimization of matured embodiment solutions.
Bio:
Tobias Eifler is Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and group leader for DTU’s Robust Design research program. His research focuses on early stage Robust Design principles, design-trade-offs in mechanical configurations, and the question of robustness in highly integrated systems, e.g. medical applications. Tobias is involved in several active research projects in collaboration with the medical device industry in Denmark and co-chairs Robust Design special interest group in the Design Society (https://robust.designsociety.org/).
Traditional Robust Design (RD) provides a well-established toolbox for the parametric exploration of a design space, which allows for reducing a design’s sensitivity towards different variation sources such as manufacturing tolerances, external noise factors, wear, etc. From a design perspective, however, this narrow focus on a parametric optimization of a fairly complete solution drastically limits the potential of the available tools as it disregards the importance of other design decisions (e.g. concept exploration, choice of suitable mechanical layouts, multidisciplinary design).
Against this background, the talk will review different modes of design change and the underlying drivers in order to illustrate how design in industrial practice is oftentimes depending on various approaches, including parameter space exploration, updated specifications, relaxed material or manufacturing constraints, etc. On this basis, we will then focus on trade-off management as one of the essential aspects in mechanical development and robust design. Using examples from the medical device industry, the talk will show how a systematic focus on design trade-offs, i.e. contradicting requirements or constraints that drastically limit the available design space, supports all design phases from an early assessment of product robustness, a systematic redesign and improvement of mechanical configurations, to the multi-objective optimization of matured embodiment solutions.
Bio:
Tobias Eifler is Associate Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and group leader for DTU’s Robust Design research program. His research focuses on early stage Robust Design principles, design-trade-offs in mechanical configurations, and the question of robustness in highly integrated systems, e.g. medical applications. Tobias is involved in several active research projects in collaboration with the medical device industry in Denmark and co-chairs Robust Design special interest group in the Design Society (https://robust.designsociety.org/).
Practical information
- General public
- Free