A Product Development Approach in The Field of Micro-Assembly with Emphasis on Conceptual Design

Abstract

Faster product lifecycles make long-term investments in machines for micro assembly riskier. Therefore, reconfigurable manufacturing systems gain more and more attention. But most companies are uncertain if a reconfigurable manufacturing system can fulfill their needs and justify the initial investment. New and improved techniques for product development have the potential to foster the utilization and decrease the investment risk for such systems. In this paper, four different methods for product development are reviewed. A set of criteria regarding micro assembly on reconfigurable manufacturing systems RMS is established. Based on those criteria and the assessment, a novel approach for a product development method is provided, which tries to combine the strengths of the beforehand presented approaches. It focuses on the conceptual design phase to overcome the customers’ uncertainty in the development process. For this, an abstract representation of a micro-assembly product idea as well as a decision tree for joining processes are established and validated by real product ideas using expert interviews. The validation shows that the conceptual design phase can be used as a useful tool in the product development process in the field of micro assembly.

Special Issue on “Micro/Nano Manufacturing”

“…The Special Issue contains 13 papers covering the topics listed above [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. The treated micro fabrication technologies range from established processes like elliptical vibration cutting to novel process chains such as the formation of nanoparticle arrays by hot embossing and sputtering.…”

Application of a Fuzzy Decision Model to the Design of a Pillbox for Medical Treatment of Chronic Diseases

“…The formal composition of an abstract product contains three data types. By using these attributes and a decision tree, the process that is required by RMS can be accomplished [2]. Fiorineschi proposed an approach to resolve the known deficiencies that can be contributed to systematic conceptual design (SCD).…”

Conceptual Planning of Micro-Assembly for a Better Utilization of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems

“…Changes on the design are less costly the earlier they are done [13]. Therefore, it is most promising to build the tool around the conceptual design phase [14].…”