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Interest in change propagation analysis for engineering design has increased rapidly since the topic gained prominence in the late 1990s. Although there are now many approaches and models, there is a smaller number of underlying key concepts. This article contributes a literature review and organising framework that summarises and relates these key concepts. Approaches that have been taken to address each key concept are collected and discussed. A visual analysis of the literature is presented to uncover some trends and gaps. The article thereby provides a thematic analysis of state-of-the-art in design change propagation analysis, and highlights opportunities for further work.

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Design changes and change propagation have been recognised as ubiquitous in the engineering design process. But why are some design changes propagated while others are absorbed? This paper reports on a study to investigate the specific properties of a mechanical design that influence whether a change is either propagated or absorbed. Student participants in the study were asked to complete a well-defined mechanical design task and then to introduce several design changes. Analysis of the recorded design processes reveals new insight into the mechanisms of change propagation in terms of properties of the design. The insights suggest avenues for future research to make designs more tolerant to potential future change and to develop improved methods to predict change propagation.

Predicting the impact of changes in a design can be challenging, especially for complex designs. Margins are often built into the designs which can absorb the knock-on effect of such changes, erroneously allocating which can however, lead to propagation. A method for localising and sizing margins in an incremental design context is the Margin Value Method. This paper adapts MVM in the context of uncertainty in input specifications. It discusses possible ways to allocate them in a design such that undesirable effects of margins are minimised while preventing change propagation.