Consolidated Digital Model for Multi-Part Assembly Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing processes face challenges in efficiently consolidating multiple digital models into a single part for assemblies, particularly in reducing weight and complexity while considering manufacturability, production cost, and energy consumption, especially in industries like aerospace and automotive.
Innovation Solution
The system automatically generates consolidated designs by identifying digital models, extracting system networks, and performing topology optimization to create a single part that can replace multiple components, using both additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If multiple digital models are separately manufactured and assembled, then manufacturing flexibility and ease of repair are maintained, but assembly complexity and production time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate digital models into a single consolidated digital model representing an integrated part that replaces multiple assembled components. This consolidation reduces assembly complexity by eliminating the need to assemble multiple parts while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through digital model management and the ability to produce the consolidated part using various manufacturing processes.
2Weight of moving object
If multiple parts are assembled to form an assembly, then functional versatility is achieved, but weight and assembly complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional parts into a single consolidated part that integrates the functions of the original assembly. This weight reduction is achieved by eliminating redundant materials, fasteners, and assembly structures while maintaining the same functional versatility through the integrated design of the consolidated part.
Solution Approach 2:
The consolidated digital model represents a multi-functional part that performs the roles of multiple separate components. This universal part maintains the functional versatility of the original assembly while reducing weight by consolidating functions into a single structure rather than multiple separate parts.
3Productivity
If traditional manufacturing processes are used for multiple parts, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but production time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple parts into a single integrated part that can be manufactured in one production process rather than manufacturing and assembling multiple separate parts. This increases productivity by eliminating assembly operations and reduces energy consumption by reducing the total number of manufacturing cycles, material handling, and assembly operations required.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques, devices, and systems for automatically generating consolidated designs of a production model to replace multiple parts of an assembly are disclosed herein. For example, a set of digital models may be originally designed to be separately manufactured and assembled post production. The present disclosure analyzes the set of digital models and computes candidates of consolidated designs that consolidates a subset number of the digital models into a single part to be manufactured. The computation may be based on certain complexity level (e.g., based on manufacturing capability and/or user preference/input). The consolidated designs simplify the manufacturing process by reducing individual parts to be manufactured and the subsequent assembly, as well as improving reliability, improving automation, and reducing manufacturing costs.