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Chapter 3
Commm
87possible
Concurrent Engineering
Concurrent engineering
is a team effort that involves continuous
communication among the entire design and production team from the
very beginning of the design stage. The customer, project manager, and
marketing staff also join in the process. Changes by any of these people are
immediately passed on to others. Because of increased communication,
concurrent engineering saves time. The product is produced quickly and
meets the customer’s needs.
3D Printing
Today, many industries use some form of
3D
printing. This term
originally referred to small machines that could create plastic parts from
a CAD file. Now, however, it can mean any system that uses
additive
fabrication
to create a part from a CAD file.
Additive fabrication
is a long
term that means the part is built by adding layer upon layer of plastic
or metal powder. Design information is sent directly to the 3D printer.
Here the data is numerically sliced into thin layers. The 3D printer then
creates each two-dimensional cross section using a liquid, powder, or
sheet material and bonds it to the previous layer. A complete part is built
by stacking layer upon layer until the part is completed.
Specific 3D printing systems are often known by their output. For
example, 3D printers that are used to create prototypes quickly during the
design stage of product development are called
rapid prototyping (RP)
systems. See
Figure 3-37
. By using prototypes in real-life field tests,
designers can better evaluate a product’s strengths and weaknesses and
avoid costly mistakes.
gure 3-37.
A student with
her CAD file and 3D model of a
three-dimensional puzzle she
designed for the blind.
38
Technology: Engineering Our World
Developing Alternative Solutions
After you have gathered information, you are ready to develop your
own designs. It is very important that you write or draw every idea on
paper as it occurs to you. Making these design sketches is an excellent
way to remember, explore, develop, and communicate ideas.
Figure 2-8
shows some solutions one designer identified for the pencil holder design
problem.
You may find that you like several of the solutions. you
must choose one. Usually, careful comparison with original design
brief will help you select the best. You must also
consider:theEventually,
Your own skills
The materials available
Time needed to build each solution
Cost of each solution
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Think
Green
Sustainable Design
As you design a new product, be sure to consider its environmental
impact. A
sustainable design
is one that has little or no negative impact on the environment and society. To be sustainable, a design should be:
Constructed of renewable natural resources.
Free of toxic chemicals and other items that cause damage to the
environment or to human, plant, or animal life.
Easily recyclable or reusable indefinitely, or be biodegradable in
common landfill conditions.
Sustainable design can be applied to small items we use every day,
as well as large projects such as community planning. However, for best
results, sustainability should be considered at the design stage.
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
gure 2-8.
Eight solutions for the pencil holder design problem. Can you think of other solutions?8
Think Green features help
students become aware of
environmental concerns
and encourage them to
make environmentally
friendly decisions.
New Terms appear in bold italic
green type where they are defined.