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International Journal of Production

Research
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Collaborative product design and

manufacturing with inventive
approaches
a a a a
I. Mendikoa , M. Sorli , J. I. Barbero , A. Carrillo & A.
a
Gorostiza
a
LABEIN-Tecnalia , C/Geldo, Parque Tecnologico de Bizkaia,
Edificio 700, 48160, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
Published online: 17 Mar 2008.

To cite this article: I. Mendikoa , M. Sorli , J. I. Barbero , A. Carrillo & A. Gorostiza (2008)
Collaborative product design and manufacturing with inventive approaches, International Journal
of Production Research, 46:9, 2333-2344, DOI: 10.1080/00207540701737658

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 International Journal of Production Research,
Vol. 46, No. 9, 1 May 2008, 2333–2344

Collaborative product design and manufacturing with

inventive approaches

I. MENDIKOA*, M. SORLI, J. I. BARBERO, A. CARRILLO

and A. GOROSTIZA

LABEIN-Tecnalia, C/Geldo, Parque Tecnologico de Bizkaia, Edificio 700,

48160, Derio (Bizkaia), Spain
Downloaded by [University of New Mexico] at 10:05 23 November 2014

(Revision received October 2007)

Collaborative product design and manufacturing among distributed teams

through the Internet is becoming more necessary as enterprises are distributing
their activities throughout the world. Currently most of the design and
manufacturing management systems of an enterprise do not consider all the
involved product/process knowledge from the whole value chain. In addition,
traditional failure detection approaches used in the design phase have important
deficiencies, since it essentially is a brainstorming exercise initiated by probing the
failures which might occur, and limited to absence of an intended or designed
function. The approach presented in this paper deals with all these problems,
addressing actual collaboration among distribution teams for product design and
manufacturing, as well as problem detection with inventive approaches.

Keywords: Collaborative design; Extended enterprise; Knowledge-based

engineering; Anticipated failure determination

1. Introduction

As enterprises are distributing their design and manufacturing activities in different

regions, to remain competitive there is the need for a platform to facilitate the
product development and manufacturing requiring collaboration among different
parties in different geographic locations. Collaboration is particularly vital for
product design since this upstream activity in the product life cycle has a decisive
impact on the success of the particular product.
The current Internet-based systems show poor functionality and performance
compared to conventional standalone systems, so new infrastructure, tools, methods
and knowledge are needed. A distributed cooperative product design capability is
therefore necessary (Lee et al. 2001, Salhieh and Monplaisir 2003).
In addition, new ways of working move towards the extended enterprise.
The extended enterprise concept in parallel with Concurrent Enterprising looks for
ways to add value to the product by incorporating knowledge and expertise coming
from all participants on the product value chain. Manufacturers need to benefit from
Extended Enterprise techniques by involving all actors throughout the very critical

*Corresponding author. Email: mendikoa@labein.es

International Journal of Production Research

ISSN 0020–7543 print/ISSN 1366–588X online ß 2008 Taylor & Francis
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
DOI: 10.1080/00207540701737658
 2334 I. Mendikoa et al.

phase of product/process development. They will provide their own product

knowledge to enhance product development, and this knowledge needs to
be saved and managed. Loss of this knowledge results in increased costs, longer
time-to-market and reduced quality of products and services. This new paradigm
implies quite a new scenario: knowledge capturing and sharing, new forms of
interrelationship between companies and persons, etc (Stokic et al. 2002).
Engineering design deals with many constraints to balance manufacturability
and functional objectives within a marketable product specification. The designers
must transcend their perceived view of the world, to overcome the narrow
boundaries of specification, while exploiting specialized technical problem-solving
skills and be open to external information at all stages of the design cycle (Horvath
et al. 2002). This requires the integration and utilization of information, supplied
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from many sources both internal and external and in many formats (Su 2000, Yujun
et al. 2006). The designs created by a Knowledge-based Engineering (KBE)
application have a predictable structure, which contains individually identifiable
objects. This means that it is possible to include additional rules, in the generative
model, to create alternative views to support a wide spectrum of product
development activities. The novelty of the approach here is to focus the distributed
product design and manufacturing on product knowledge, which is not completely
managed today in the whole value chain, and which comes from suppliers, customers
and employees involved in the development process.
Within this knowledge-based approach, advanced techniques for premature
problem detection can be incorporated, like inventive approaches used in the
Anticipatory Failure Determination (AFD) method based on TRIZ methodology
(‘Theory of the Solution of Inventive Problems’) (Altshuller). The power of this
approach comes from the process of deliberately ‘inventing’ failures, therefore being
able to predict failures which can occur in the future even in systems which do not yet
exist. Most design and manufacturing teams do not deal with this innovative
technology, but different teams with different capabilities can collaborate in a
distributed environment, thus fostering a synergic cooperation among distributed
teams using different technologies.
This paper presents a Knowledge-based Distributed Product Design System
developed in the Asia–Europe collaboration project ‘Web-Enabled Collaboration in
Intelligent Design and Manufacture’. The system presented in this paper manages
the distributed design process among different distributed teams over the internet,
including the relevant knowledge for the design related to other stages of the product
lifecycle, like the manufacturing processes. A central database including the product/
process ‘knowledge’ of the value chain is controlled by a local application performing
the main Product Data Management (PDM) features.
The approach presented therefore focuses on those techniques that can
support multi-distributed clients and provide a dynamic database service,
thus making possible a dynamic distributed design process, integrating different
teams/technologies in the whole design/manufacturing process, including the
product and process knowledge from the whole value chain, which can also be
used for the inventive problems detection approach. Before proceeding to describe
the system developed, we introduce what is behind this so-called ‘inventive problems
detections approach’.
 Collaborative product design and manufacturing with inventive approaches 2335

2. Inventive approaches for problems detection

The inclusion of a methodology for failure causes analysis and failure prediction has
been considered by means of AFD, based on TRIZ methodology. The AFD System
supports these applications by providing a disciplined process by which the user can
thoroughly analyse given failure mechanisms, obtain an exhaustive set of potential
failure ‘scenarios’, develop ‘inventive’ solutions to prevent, counteract, or minimize
the impact of the failure scenarios.
The main objectives of this methodology are: analyse previous failures and be
able to understand how to ‘invent’ such failures; identify an exhaustive list of
potential failure scenarios as well as any negative, harmful or undesired effects or
phenomenon; transform the process of problem analysis from asking why a failure
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occurred to how can a failure be produced; Incorporate the full complement of TRIZ
operators to develop innovative solutions.
The principle difference between AFD and conventional techniques, such as
Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Hazard and Operability Analysis
(HAZOP), is the perspective from which potential failures are determined. In the
conventional techniques, the process of failure prediction proceeds linearly from an
articulation of the system’s functions to what may occur if there is a failure in
these functions. In other words, the analytical line of logic follows design intent.
Given a potential failure, the effect of the failure, probability of its occurrence, and
the ability to detect the failure is determined. Once these parameters are
quantified, often times very subjectively, a calculation of risk is made. If the risk is
determined to be unacceptably high, changes in design or detection capability can
be suggested.
In this traditional approach there are serious structural weaknesses with these
traditional approaches. The first weakness stems from the process used to determine
failures. The process of failure determination is essentially a brainstorming exercise
initiated by probing what failures ‘might’ occur. This process suffers from the same
syndrome that the original product design process is subject to: psychological inertia.
Also, because the analysis of potential failures is accomplished within the same
mental context that created the design in the first place, there is a serious question of
objectivity to be raised with this approach. Engineers do not like to admit that their
designs are failure prone. A second shortcoming of traditional approaches in the
analysis of failures is deemed to result from the absence of an intended or designed
function. The issue of ‘prohibited’ functions is not considered.
The most serious drawback of traditional approaches, however, is the absence
of an integrated problem-solving mechanism to accurately pinpoint design
deficiencies as a series of ‘inventive’ problems. An inventive problem is one
characterized by an inherent conflict. Traditional techniques do not make provisions
for solving difficult technological problems in an inventive way. An inventive
approach recognizes system conflicts and attacks them head-on. In traditional
approaches, if the design is deemed to be too risky, correction of the problem is
accomplished through a number of design and redesign iterations. When the system
deficiency is not defined as an inventive problem, the results are often costly over
designs, or the addition of auxiliary compensating systems making the original
design more complex.
 2336 I. Mendikoa et al.

In AFD, the power of the technique comes from the process of deliberately
‘inventing’ failures. The engineer has to transform himself or herself into a
subversive. The idea is to invent, cause and create failures. In the case of past failures,
the analytical process challenges one to invent a past failure. In future failure
prevention, the logic proceeds along the lines of inventing, creating or devising the
most catastrophic failures conceivable.
The system’s potential flaws are viewed from a perspective that allows for full
exploitation of a system’s weaknesses. It is obvious that, when all system deficiencies
are made explicit, the team or individual can take more effective countermeasures.

2.1 Anticipated failure determination

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To predict possible failures caused when implementing this Concept into our existing
system, the algorithm for Failure Prediction Process, based on the TRIZ inventive
process, has been applied:
Step 1. Invert the problem
Instead of brainstorming about what non-obvious failures might occur once we try
to grow the process time, the problem must be inverted, trying to intentionally
produce, to ‘invent’, possible failures caused by this measure. For this purpose the
inverted problem is formulated using the following template:
There is a Concept called ‘Need of growing the Process Time, by lowering the
Process Speed’ for ‘enhancing the efficiency of the Electrolytical Cleaning operation’.
It is necessary to produce all possible undesired effects or failures that can occur
during the implementation of this Concept.
Step 2. Create Ideal Scenarios
The Ideal Scenario describes a successful implementation of this particular Concept
into an existing system. To create an Ideal Scenario for our Concept:
. Analyse and make a list of consequent Events, stages necessary for the
Concept implementation in our system.
. Add to the list the Events that describe the new system functioning with the
help of the considering Concept.

Step 3. Generate Failure Scenarios

Failure Scenario describes potential negative effects (Failure Hypotheses) related to
the implementation of the Concept to our existing system. To generate Failure
Scenarios:
. Consider in turn each Event in the corresponding Ideal Scenario.
. Create Failure Hypotheses possibly related to the Event. For this purpose:
describe obvious failures or harmful consequences of the Event using your
professional experience and common knowledge. List all obvious ways to
‘accomplish’ each failure.
. Invent possible failures with the ‘help’ of specific weak and dangerous zones.
. Consider possible failures of devices, objects, etc.
. Consider potentially dangerous moments/periods of time during
implementation.
 Collaborative product design and manufacturing with inventive approaches 2337
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Figure 1. Basic architecture for distributed product design and manufacturing system.

Step 4. Consider measures for preventing the failures

To prevent the failures predicted:

. Identify which failures should be eliminated. For this purpose prioritize

Failure Hypotheses according to their danger and likelihood.
. Explore general ways to prevent or eliminate the failure as: Isolation,
Counteraction, Impact on a harmful action, Reduce sensitivity, Eliminate the
cause of an undesired action, Reduce harmful results, Benefit from harmful
results.
The analysis of Secondary Problems aims to identify failure causes and
provide potential counteracting actions, to analyse the Secondary Problems that
could be caused by the measures to be adopted.

3. System description

The basic system structure for distributed product design and manufacturing is
described in the following paragraphs, and includes a database, PDM and KBE
modules, as well as failure prevention based on AFD described above.
Figure 1 shows the system basic structure. CAD, CAM and AFD users interact
with the server through the Middleware. This server includes a software application
which performs the basic PDM features and interacts with the database, residing in
the server as well, thus centralizing the design and manufacturing process. The
database is linked to the KBE modules, therefore including the necessary
‘knowledge’ for product design and manufacturing, i.e. the design rules, process
parameters, etc. This ‘central server’ contains all the project information, i.e. every
 2338 I. Mendikoa et al.

file related to the product (geometry, process parameters, etc.) and external users can
interact with it through this specific PDM application.
There are specific KBE modules for specific products and processes. Different
KBE modules have to be available for different kinds of parts and processes since
different processes have different type of rules related. This set of rules includes the
necessary ‘knowledge’ for designing and manufacturing the part, being this
knowledge also used during the system potential failures analysis. On the other
hand API applications are developed for specific CAD packages, so that design rules
can be automatically applied by designers in their local CAD system, thus
collaborating with other teams in a multiplatform way.
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3.1 Distributed design and manufacturing system architecture

The following paragraphs describe the distributed product design methodology on
which the system developed is based. Designers interact with the main PDM
application in the Server, which interacts with the database and KBE specific
modules, both residing in the Server. Therefore, CAD users will be able to perform
the design according to the ‘design rules’ previously defined by manufacturers based
on manufacturing criteria, as well as on reports from potential failures predictions.
CAM users will then be able to get the design information (neutral formats are
used for geometry) from the central database in the Server. CAM users are then able
to generate the necessary CAM files from that geometry, in order to check any
possible manufacturing problem, if not predicted during design stage by AFD.
In some cases some design rules could probably need modification, and the
correspondent KBE module and the database will undergo modification by an
authorized user, every update in any file being registered and coordinated by the
PDM application in the Server.

3.2 Main modules description

The main modules developed for this prototype are the PDM application and a KBE
module, both residing in a central Server. They are briefly described in the following
paragraphs.

3.2.1 Product Data Management. This application performs the basic PDM
features, managing the KBE modules and the database. Uploading/downloading
files or any modification in the database in the Server is done hierarchically and
controlled by this PDM application, which is in this way the framework centralizing
the collaborative design and manufacturing process.

3.2.2 Knowledge-based Engineering. Different KBE modules are developed for

different manufacturing processes in order to implement the specific design rules and
process parameters. These modules are related to the database where the design rules
parameters values are stored.
KBE modules basically create a set of files containing all the information related
to the manufacturing process that has to be taken into consideration for the product
design. Suitable graphical user interfaces allow remote users to access and modify
 Collaborative product design and manufacturing with inventive approaches 2339

this information, as described in section 4. Designers can in this way get the
parameters values in order to apply the design rules into the product design.

3.2.3 Failure prediction though AFD. AFD is a commercial tool used in order to be
able to deal with potential problems detection with an inventive approach, which
affects design or manufacturing processes. AFD is used off-line, not only during the
early stages of design, since even with a ‘perfect’ concept (one that completely solves
the initial problem) unpleasant surprises can arise during implementation.
This analysis can provide relevant information for detecting the root causes of
a problem within the productive process, also allowing the AFD process itself
a corrective study for preventing the failure in the future.
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To predict possible failures caused when implementing this concept into our
existing system, the algorithm for Failure Prediction Process, based on the TRIZ
inventive process, is applied. To apply the TRIZ inventive process for analysing the
Secondary Problems derived of the application of solutions proposed in order to
avoid the failure situations selected within the production process. The Failure
Detection Process consists of:
. To perform a Failure Analysis, description of the ‘inverted problem’ and
detection of its causes.
. To provide concepts of solution to be applied in order to solve the failure
situation.
. To analyse the consequences when adopting these concepts of solution,
evaluating the Secondary problems that could be caused.

4. System implementation

This section briefly describes the system implementation in terms of software tools
selected and modules and user interfaces developed.

4.1 Software tools selected

The specific software tools used in this prototype are based in MS Windows
operating system.
Database. The database contains the information about the assembly, parts and
related documents, as well as the values of the design rules parameters. Reading or
writing permissions for external users are managed by the PDM application in the
Server. The database software is based on MS Access.
CAD. The CAD system selected for the first prototype is SolidWorks for
Microsoft Windows, for which the necessary API application has been developed, so
that the CAD user can automatically incorporate the manufacturing rules in the
design. Neutral formats are used as standard for geometry, since the system is
intended to be used by teams using different platforms and CAD systems.
CAM. PKM (Parallel Kinematic Machine) related software is the CAM system
considered in this first project prototype. It works off-line (local for the CAM user),
and checks if the product geometry fulfils the manufacturing requirements.
 2340 I. Mendikoa et al.

Problems detection. As described in a previous section, AFD software is used for

potential problems detection.

4.2 Modules implementation

From the users’ point of view, a specific Graphic User Interface can be remotely
accessed, through which relevant data can be introduced and visualized. The system
includes the necessary tools in order to ensure the correct communication and
visualization of data, being the Web Application implemented with PHP and Access
database with Javascript.
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4.2.1 Product Data Management. The Graphic User Interface, accessible for
a remote user, shows the current project with the following structure: Assembly,
Sub-assembly, Part and Document. Every part has different files associated,
corresponding to geometry (CAD files, including neutral format files), CAM files
and AFD reports, as well as any other file containing information relevant to the
design and manufacturing process for that part (like the allowed values for the key
design parameters, i.e. information on design rules).
When a document is selected in the user interface, the information related to that
document can be visualized. In addition, the information related to the part to which
that document is related can be seen as well as the information related to the
assembly to which that part belongs.

4.2.2 Knowledge-based Engineering. A KBE module has been implemented for

forging process. In order to perform the design of a specific forging part, a remote
designer can select a forging family in the Graphic User Interface and then specify
the geometry and other parameters related to the manufacturing process for
a specific part, such as the flash land, type of machine, scrap, pre-form and
fillet radius.
A remote authorized user can also impose some geometric constraints derived
from the manufacturing process, so that these constraints can finally be taken into
consideration in the CAD design of the part. A Graphic User Interface, shown
in figure 2, allows this user to feed the system with product/process ‘knowledge’,
i.e. design rules, process parameters. These parameters for a typical forging
process are flash land geometry, pre-form volume, draft angles and convex radius.
Of course, other manufacturing process would require different parameters in a
different user interface.

5. Case study of collaborative product design

Using the specific case of forging part design as a case study, the distributed design
methodology through the tool developed would be the following.
A remote designer is able to define the geometry of a specific part, specifying the
family and part dimensions in the user interface shown in figure 3 (left). Also, some
parameters related to the manufacturing process can already be defined.
Manufacturers are the authorized remote users able to introduce or modify the
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Collaborative product design and manufacturing with inventive approaches

Figure 2. Design rules for a forging process.

2341
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2342
I. Mendikoa et al.

Figure 3. Interface for remote design and equivalent local CAD parametric template.
 Collaborative product design and manufacturing with inventive approaches 2343

design rules parameters shown in figure 2, which represent the constraints from the
manufacturing process to be considered in the design. CAD users will then be able to
automatically get a design in their local CAD system incorporating the design rules.
The information related to family type, part dimensions and process options
is stored in a file residing in the central server that the CAD users can download.
This file also contains the current design rules imposed by the manufacturer, as
described previously. In this way the designer can automatically incorporate the
manufacturing constraints in the design.
This file residing in the central server is managed by the PDM application like
any other file. It can be downloaded by an authorized CAD user, and then
automatically used inside the CAD system (through the appropriate API application
developed for that specific CAD package), in order to automatically get the CAD
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design where the design rules are fulfilled in this way.

For the CAD user to be able to apply the process in this way and geometric
information automatically in the CAD, a parametric ‘template’ must have been
developed for that specific CAD package and that particular family. In this
prototype the system is available for SolidWorks, being the parametric template
developed that of figure 3 (right), which corresponds to the forging family
represented in the interface for remote design in figure 3 (left). Figure 3 represents
both the interface for remote design and the local CAD parametric template for the
same forging family.
The parametric template resides in the CAD user local system. That of figure 3
represents the planar section of a rotational part, from which the 3D geometry is
generated applying the information introduced by remote users through the user
interfaces, therefore fulfilling the forging design rules imposed by the manufacturer.
The information displayed in figure 3 (left) is related to that of figure 2.
For instance, depending on whether press or hammer is selected as process machine
in figure 3, and depending on the part dimensions, different convex radius or flash
land dimensions from the table in figure 2 would be used. In addition, if ‘pre-form’ is
selected in figure 3, the corresponding parameters of figure 2 will be applied in the
CAD design for the pre-form geometry.
This pre-design and the product/process ‘knowledge’ is also used to detect
potential problems using AFD described above, being the report describing potential
problems the input for new design iterations. Once the design is considered finished,
neutral format is created and uploaded (to the remote central server) by the CAD
user, so that the CAM user can get the geometry of the designed part. CAM user is
then able to generate the necessary CAM files from that geometry, and upload them
(through the PDM module) for the remote manufacturer. If problems arise, part
geometry or process parameters would be modified for a new iteration to achieve the
final design.

6. Conclusions

Distributed design and manufacturing needs to be focused in product/process

knowledge captured from the whole value chain (designers, manufacturers, suppliers,
customers, etc.), no matter how geographically dispersed they may be.
 2344 I. Mendikoa et al.

The prototype presented is a platform for the collaborative product development

and manufacturing which enables collaboration among different parties in different
geographic locations. The novelty in this approach is the integration of distributed
designers and manufacturers in a real concurrent environment incorporating the
product and process knowledge and expertise coming from all participants on the
product value chain, as well as the incorporation of an advanced methodology for
problems detection by determining potential failures as the reverse of the one used in
conventional approaches.
The prototype described above represents a step to achieve a real collaboration
in product design and manufacturing, incorporating techniques for potential
product/process problems detection as well. In this way it actually makes possible
a collaborative design process of a real part between different working teams
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located in Europe and China in the framework of the EC funded Europe–Asia ITC
‘Web-Enabled Collaboration in Intelligent Design and Manufacture’ project.

7. Future work

In the near future, this prototype and methodology will actually be fully integrated
with several different manufacturing processes, like PKM (Parallel Kinematic
Machine) for remote manufacturing process, in cooperation with the Harbin
Institute of Technology.

Acknowledgement

Project ‘Web-Enabled Collaboration in Intelligent Design and Manufacture’ is

funded by the European Commission under the Europe–Asia ITC collaboration
program (Project contract: ASI/B7-301/3152-99/72553). The authors wish to
acknowledge the contribution of the consortium partners.

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