Virtual prototyping

Virtual prototyping is a method in the process of product development. It

involves using computer-aided design (CAD), computer-automated design
(CAutoD) and computer-aided engineering (CAE) software to validate a design
before committing to making a physical prototype. This is done by creating
(usually 3D) computer generated geometrical shapes (parts) and either combining
them into an "assembly" and testing different mechanical motions, fit and function.
The assembly or individual parts could be opened in CAE software to simulate the
behavior of the product in the real world
Today, manufacturers are under pressure to reduce time to market and optimize
products to higher levels of performance and reliability. A much higher number of
products are being developed in the form of virtual prototypes in which
engineering simulation software are used to predict performance prior to
constructing physical prototypes. Engineers can quickly explore the performance
of thousands of design alternatives without investing the time and money required
to build physical prototypes. The ability to explore a wide range of design
alternatives leads to improvements in performance and design quality. Yet the time
required to bring the product to market is usually reduced substantially because
virtual prototypes can be produced much faster than physical prototypes
End-to-end prototyping
End-to-end prototyping accounts fully for how a product or a component is
manufactured and assembled and links the consequences of those processes to
performance. Early availability of such physically realistic virtual prototypes
allows testing and performance confirmation to take place as design decisions are
made; enabling the acceleration of the design activity and providing more insight
on the relationship between manufacturing and performance than can be achieved
by building and testing physical prototypes. The benefits include reduced costs in
both design and manufacturing as physical prototyping and testing is dramatically
reduced/eliminated and lean but robust manufacturing processes are selected

Design for assembly

Design for assembly (DFA) is a process by which products are designed with ease
of assembly in mind. If a product contains fewer parts it will take less time to

assemble, thereby reducing assembly costs. In addition, if the parts are provided
with features which make it easier to grasp, move, orient and insert them, this will
also reduce assembly time and assembly costs. The reduction of the number of
parts in an assembly has the added benefit of generally reducing the total cost of
parts in the assembly. This is usually where the major cost benefits of the
application of design for assembly occur.
The purpose of DFA is to reduce the number of parts, optimize the assembly
process and minimize assembly cost.
Detailed Design for Assembly Guidelines
1. Simplify the design and reduce the number of parts
2. Standardize and use common parts and materials to facilitate design activities, to
minimize the amount of inventory in the system, and to standardize handling and
assembly operations
3. Design for ease of fabrication.
Select processes compatible with the materials and production volumes. Select
materials compatible with production processes and that minimize processing time
while meeting functional requirements. Avoid unnecessary part features because
they involve extra processing effort and/or more complex tooling.
4. Mistake-proof product design and assembly (poka yoke) so that the assembly
process is unambiguous. Components should be design ed so that they can only be
assembled in one way; they cannot be reversed.
5. Design for parts orientation and handling to minimize non-value-added manual
effort and ambiguity in orienting and merging parts.
6. Minimize flexible parts and interconnections. Avoid flexible and flimsy parts
such as belts, gaskets, tubing, cables and wire harnesses. Their flexibility makes
material handling and assembly more difficult and these parts are more susceptible
to damage. Use plug- in boards and backplanes to minimize wire harnesses. Where
harnesses are used, consider fool-proofing electrical connectors by using unique
connectors to avoid connectors being misconnected.

Designing for disassembly

Design for Disassembly (DfD) is the process of designing products so that they
can easily, cost-effectively and rapidly taken apart at the end of the product's life so
that components can be reused and/or recycled.
Designing for disassembly has several benefits. It can make it easier for your
product to be repaired or upgraded, thereby prolonging its useful life. It can also
help ensure your product is recycled and enable whole components to be reused. In
fact, the degree to which your product can be disassembled easily often determines
how the product will end its life.
Designing for disassembly involves some straightforward tactics. For example:
The fewer parts you use, the fewer parts there are to take apart.
As with parts, the fewer fasteners you use, the better.
Common and similar fasteners that require only a few standard tools will
help to simplify and speed disassembly.
Screws are faster to unfasten than nuts and bolts.
Glues should be avoided.
Building disassembly instructions into the product will help users
understand how to take it apart.
- See more at: http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/products/disassemblyand-recycling#sthash.NOn5SleT.dpuf
Virtual Reality (VR)
Virtual Reality (VR), sometimes referred to as immersive multimedia, is a
computer-simulated environment that can simulate physical presence in places in
the real world or imagined worlds. Virtual reality can recreate sensory experiences,
which include virtual taste, sight, smell, sound, touch, etc.
All that has to be done in order to raise the illusion of being in or acting upon a
virtual world or virtual environment, is providing a simulation of the interaction

between human being and this real environment. This simulation is -at least- partly
attained by means of Virtual Reality interfaces connected to a computer. Basically,
a VR interface stimulates one of the human senses

USES OF VIRTUAL REALITY:

1. Designing a large mechanical device such as a bulldozer or even a car, visibility
and ergonomics are very important to the operators.
2. Virtual Reality is heavily used in is driving or flying simulations. These provide
the users a chance to gain expertise operating a vehicle without the real world
consequences of making a mistake.
3. Trains its astronauts on how to land the space shuttle with a virtual reality
simulator

product lifecycle management

product lifecycle management (PLM) is the process of managing the entire
lifecycle of a product from inception, through engineering design and manufacture,
to service and disposal of manufactured products
PLM integrates people, data, processes and business systems and provides a
product information backbone for companies and their extended enterprise
Documented benefits of product lifecycle management include:[8][9][10]
Reduced time to market
Increase full price sales
Improved product quality and reliability
Reduced prototyping costs
More accurate and timely request for quote generation
Ability to quickly identify potential sales opportunities and revenue
contributions
Savings through the re-use of original data
A framework for product optimization
Reduced waste
Savings through the complete integration of engineering workflows
Documentation that can assist in proving compliance for RoHS or Title 21
CFR Part 11
Ability to provide contract manufacturers with access to a centralized
product record
Seasonal fluctuation management

 Improved forecasting to reduce material costs

Maximize supply chain collaboration
The core of PLM (product lifecycle management) is in the creation and central
management of all product data and the technology used to access this information
and knowledge. PLM as a discipline emerged from tools such as CAD, CAM and
PDM, but can be viewed as the integration of these tools with methods, people and
the processes through all stages of a products life. [11] It is not just about software
technology but is also a business strategy.[12]