Parameterized Automobile Component Design Model
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automobile design processes rely on manual expertise to identify and address functional interactions between components, leading to inefficiencies and reduced quality due to the lack of ancillary design information in CAD geometry models, which hinders the ability to make significant design changes within limited design budgets.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using parameterized components and their structural and functional relationships to automatically propagate changes throughout the design, generating a hierarchical CAD geometry model that ensures all impacted components are updated, thereby reducing the time required for significant design changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual expertise and iterative updates are used to address functional interactions between components, then design quality can be maintained, but the time required for design changes exceeds the available design budget
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining functional relationships between components in the information model before design changes occur. When a component parameter changes, the system automatically propagates the impact through predefined relationships, eliminating the need for manual iterative analysis and updating of affected components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms by automatically tracking and propagating parameter changes through the hierarchical information model. The system provides real-time feedback on how changes to one component affect other components through defined functional relationships, enabling designers to make informed decisions without manual analysis.
2Productivity
If significant design changes are made to automobile components, then performance and efficiency can be improved, but the time and effort required to update surrounding components reduces overall design quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing the hierarchical information model with all functional relationships defined before design changes occur. This allows automatic propagation of changes through the model, eliminating the time-consuming manual updates that would otherwise prevent performance optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the information model to automatically update itself when parameter changes occur. The system autonomously propagates changes through predefined functional relationships without requiring manual intervention from designers, thus enabling performance improvements without the penalty of extensive update time.
3Manufacturing precision
If CAD geometry models include only high-resolution geometric information, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but ancillary design information such as functional interactions is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by separating the information model into distinct hierarchical levels: the PLM level containing high-resolution CAD geometry data for manufacturing precision, and the information model level containing ancillary design information such as functional relationships, parameters, and constraints. This segmentation allows both manufacturing precision and functional information to coexist without conflict.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds another dimension to the traditional CAD model by creating a hierarchical information model that encompasses not only geometric data but also functional relationships, parameters, and constraints. This multi-dimensional approach preserves manufacturing precision while simultaneously capturing ancillary design information that was previously lost.
Data Source
AI summary
In various embodiments, an automobile modeling application generates automobile designs. In operation, the automobile modeling application determines a first parameter value associated with a first instance of a first parameterized automobile component. The automobile modeling application then computes a second parameter value associated with a second instance of a second parameterized automobile component based on a structural relationship between the first instance and the second instance. Subsequently, the automobile modeling application generates a computer-aided design (CAD) geometry model for an automobile based on the first parameter value, the second parameter value, and one or more functional relationships defined between two or more instances included in a set of parameterized automobile component instances. Advantageously, because the automobile modeling application automatically propagates changes throughout the automobile design, the amount of time required to make significant changes to the automobile design can be substantially reduced.