Bio-based design methodologies for products, processes, machine tools and production systems

Abstract

The paper explores and presents results of an investigation handling design methodologies using the bio-space and biological phenomena combined with the technical space for the development, design and application of products, machine tools, processes and manufacturing systems carried out by a multinational team including Fraunhofer and CIRP fellows. The main biological approach for designing was bio-inspiration. However, links and examples implementing bio-integration and bio-intelligence were also considered and analyzed during the investigation.The paper describes a systematic design procedure starting from requirements and applications related to manufacturing, using well-known theories and experience in engineering, however analyzing and applying biological materials, properties, structures, phenomena and complete systems. Sustainability aspects combined with the immense and ever growing capacity of ICT and digitization possibilities provided new options for design methodologies.A moveable and flexible machine tool was virtually used as a demonstrator to describe the new methodology. It was proved that the o ngoing process of learning from nature and applying biological phenomena, structures and materials, together with new technologies such as Additive Manufacturing (AM) can develop new ideas, processes, manufacturing systems, and products with benefits to performance, productivity, efficiency and sustainability. Nature and biological domains can be integrated, can inspire, be implemented or even applied as an intelligent system in the design procedure.

Where and how to find bio-inspiration?

“…A mobile machining unit that clamps to the workpiece and can easily be repositioned could replace these large machines. Full details of the development of the clamping interface and the design requirements are presented in (van Houten et al 2020). Here, the focus is on the search for the bio-inspiration required to develop the clamping interface between mobile machining tool and workpiece.…”

“…Figure 2: Different clamping orientations required to machine a wind turbine blade, based on the design requirements from (van Houten et al 2020). Indicative size measurements from (Wang et al 2015) for a 2MW turbine based on a NACA 63-412 airfoil.…”

“…The proposed approaches for this phase take three different forms: consulting a specialist directly by including a biologist in the search procedure, using biological strategies stored in a specially prepared database, and the direct use of biological literature as a natural language source of knowledge. This paper compares the different approaches for retrieving biological inspiration through observations made in the context of a specific case study on the attachment mechanism of a mobile machining unit, as described in (van Houten et al 2020). The first sections introduce the different approaches for retrieving bio-inspiration and the design requirements from the use case.…”

Artificial Intelligence in Biology

“…This article summarizes the potential of AI in various fields of biology, including medicine, agriculture, and bio-based industry. The article highlights the potential of AI in improving human quality of life and enhancing the efficiency of bio-based industrial setups [10]. .…”

Bio-Inspired Intelligent Systems: Negotiations between Minimum Manifest Task Entropy and Maximum Latent System Entropy in Changing Environments

“…Overall, this paper goes beyond the previous literature relating insights from nature to intelligent production [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22], which has not addressed the interplay between adaptability and stability in terms of latent system entropy and manifest task entropy. In particular, this paper introduces a new perspective of how first principles can be applied in systems that encompass natural and artificial intelligence.…”