Set-based physical and rapid prototyping accelerates concept evaluation in complex product development

Why It Matters

This approach enables design teams to explore a wider range of solutions and uncover critical design factors that might be missed with traditional methods. It's particularly useful when full-scale prototyping is prohibitively expensive or time-consuming.

Key Finding

Using rapid prototyping for form and plasticine for material flow simulation allowed designers to evaluate multiple concepts efficiently, leading to a better final product than initially conceived.

Key Findings

• The combined method provided valuable insights into critical factors previously unknown.
• The approach facilitated concept exploration and selection, leading to a superior solution compared to the original design.
• This method is applicable when numerical approaches are insufficient and full-scale prototypes are costly or time-intensive.

Research Evidence

Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of a set-based concept evaluation method combining rapid prototyping and physical modelling for new product development.

Method: Case study

Procedure: Four extruder concepts for a metal additive manufacturing process were modelled using rapid prototyping for plastic components and physical modelling with plasticine to simulate material flow. The selected concept was then verified at full scale.

Context: New product development, specifically for a metal additive manufacturing process.

Design Principle

Iterative physical and digital modelling enhances early-stage concept validation for complex systems.

How to Apply

For a new product involving intricate material behaviour, create 3D printed models of different configurations and use a malleable substance (like clay or putty) to simulate the material's movement through the design.

Limitations

The effectiveness may vary depending on the complexity of the material flow and the fidelity of the physical models.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: You can test out lots of different ideas for a new product quickly and cheaply by making quick models with a 3D printer and then using playdough to see how materials would flow through them.

Why This Matters: This approach helps you explore more design possibilities and make better decisions early on, saving time and resources in your design project.

Critical Thinking: How might the choice of simulation material (e.g., plasticine) affect the validity of the findings when dealing with materials that have vastly different rheological properties?

IA-Ready Paragraph: The research by Blindheim et al. (2020) highlights the value of combining rapid prototyping with physical modelling for set-based concept evaluation. This approach allows for efficient exploration and validation of multiple design concepts, particularly for complex products where full-scale prototyping is impractical. By using rapid prototyping for form and a malleable material to simulate function, design teams can gain critical insights early in the development process, leading to more robust and innovative solutions.

Project Tips

• When exploring multiple design options, consider using rapid prototyping for form and a tactile material to simulate function.
• Document the insights gained from each physical model and material flow simulation.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study when justifying the use of physical modelling and rapid prototyping for concept evaluation in your design project.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate how your chosen modelling techniques allowed for effective comparison and selection between multiple design concepts.

Independent Variable: Combination of rapid prototyping and physical modelling (set-based evaluation).

Dependent Variable: Quality of design insights, concept selection effectiveness, final solution quality.

Controlled Variables: Complexity of the product being developed, cost and time constraints for prototyping.

Strengths

• Provides a practical, cost-effective method for evaluating complex concepts.
• Facilitates discovery of unforeseen design challenges and opportunities.

Critical Questions

• What are the trade-offs between the speed of rapid prototyping and the fidelity of physical material flow simulation?
• How can this method be adapted for products where material flow is not a primary concern?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could investigate the optimal ratio of rapid prototyping to physical modelling for different product types or explore the development of more sophisticated physical simulation materials.

Source

Concept evaluation in new product development · Journal of Engineering Design and Technology · 2020 · 10.1108/jedt-07-2019-0170