Practice for Developing a Product - P111

 

Practice for Developing a Product
Practice document
Document Type	Practice
Document Identifier	111
Tags	Integrated product development
Objective functions	Cost Maintain Rate Maintain Quality Maintain
MSTE workflow	Development
Prerequisites	Integrated Product Development Practice

Overview

The figure below shows the breakdown of the product development process in terms of MSTEP. This process includes four main steps as listed below:

1. Determine cost, rate, and functional requirements
2. Define shape and material system
3. Identify process steps, and finally
4. Process step development
   

These four steps are highlighted in the pyramids in the figure below.

MSTE Figure with Pyramids for Design With Numbers Relating to Each Chapter

Scope

This page will guide the user through the development of a composite product using the MSTE methodology that the KPC is built upon. It will work in a loop with various iterations as each design choice will have an effect on each other to varying degrees.

1. Determine Cost, Rate and Functional Requirements

Establishing requirements for your part is the first step in any design process. This will be the foundation and framework for the entirety of the development process. It establishes the top of the MSTE pyramid, which we use to build the rest of the development process. Ensure you have a complete and accurate understanding of the cost, rate, and functional requirements your part must satisfy. Here are some examples:

1. Cost limits
2. Production volumes (total and rate)
3. Geometry
4. Surface finish
5. Deflection limits
6. Loads
7. Service temperature
8. Dimensional accuracy
9. Weight limits

For a more complete list and how to consider the items see Establishing functional requirements.

2. Define Shape and Material System

Defining materials and shape with respect to the functional requirements establishes the second area of the MSTE pyramid. This section has split the material selection and shape selection into two areas, but it is important to keep in mind the interplay between material systems and shape as they can both influence each other. At this stage in the design process the user will be seeing the necessity for looping and re-iterating the design choices as they are affected further down the line. Looking further ahead, the selection of the processes to be used will have to ensure that the composite part is manufacturable, cost effective and scalable. Material selection for composites is inherently complicated due to the vast number of fibre types and fibre structures. The common fibre types: glass, aramid and carbon themselves have variations in properties and cost. Also, there is a wide selection of resin to choose from, which have variations in properties, both in performance and processing. How the resin and fibres interact is also an important aspect as the bonding interface between the two will determine how much of the stresses imposed on a part will be able to successfully transfer into and out of the fibers via the resin. For the section on selecting materials see Material Selection.

Simultaneously, the shape of the product must be considered, this entails both the geometry of the part as well as the internal structure of the product. The shape design will consider three main structure types: solid laminates, stiffened structures and sandwich structures. Based on the functional requirements identified in the previous step, an initial geometrical concept must be created. The choices here may also be influenced by pre-existing equipment that is available; however, it is important to consider the benefits that other manufacturing equipment could bring to the final part and fully examine the best geometrical concepts and material choices. Also consider DFMA (Design For Manufacturing and Assembly), eg. mounting points and or galvanic protection. For the section on shape design see Shape Development.

3. Identify Process Steps

Based on the material and shape selection from the previous step (possibly in conjunction with any pre-existing equipment available), select the type of processes, i.e. process steps, that will work with the given geometry and material system and in turn the relevant equipment and tooling & consumables. The process selection section will present various process workflows to choose from as well as a table for rapid evaluation and narrowing down of processes. The solutions presented can be modified to fit the user’s specific product and it is important to keep in mind that the process must not only consider the shape and material, but also the functional requirements laid out in the initial step. For the section on process step selection see Practice for Identifying Process Steps.

4. Process Step Development

Now that all the steps are defined it is time to develop the process steps and source all the tooling and equipment. See Practice for Developing a Process Step.

Explore this area further

• Practice for Developing a Product - P111
  • Composite Production Part Drawing - P169
  • Selecting Functional Requirements - P152.0
  • Shape Development - P151.0
    • Sandwich Panels - A325
  • Material Selection - P153
  • Practice for Identifying Process Steps - P102

Related pages

Page type	Links
Introduction to Composites Articles
Foundational Knowledge Articles
Foundational Knowledge Method Documents
Foundational Knowledge Worked Examples
Systems Knowledge Articles
Systems Knowledge Method Documents
Systems Knowledge Worked Examples
Systems Catalogue Articles
Systems Catalogue Objects – Material
Systems Catalogue Objects – Shape
Systems Catalogue Objects – Tooling and consumables
Systems Catalogue Objects – Equipment
Practice Documents	Composite Production Part Drawing - P169 Material Selection - P153 Practice for Developing a Deposition Step - P157 Practice for Developing a Product - P111 Practice for Identifying Process Steps - P102 Process selection for production scale-up - P171 Selecting Functional Requirements - P152.0 Shape Development - P151.0
Case Studies	Developing for Future Production Scale Up - C113 Lack of Requirements in Product Development - C104 Use of Right Sized Simulation to Aid Decision Making in Thermoplastic Composite Manufacturing Systems - C114
Perspectives Articles	CKN’s Approach to Developing Products with Composite Materials - A332

About	Help

Material and process (M), Shape (S), Tooling and consumables (T) & Equipment (E) - all have an interlinked effect on the Process step (P). (See MSTE factory ontology)

Engineered materials (designed to have specific properties) made from two or more constituent materials with different physical or chemical properties. The constituents remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure.

For polymer matrix composites (PMCs), resin refers to the matrix; the continuous material phase that binds the reinforcement together, maintains shape, and transfers load. Resins are divided into two main groups: thermosets and thermoplastics.

A set of steps/procedures that are intended to provide guidance in manufacturing and/or decision making activities.

There are two types of workflows:

• Standard workflows are intended to formalize practices where the manufacturing science base exists. The focus is to provide guidance using manufacturing simulation as an enabling tool (e.g. design activities/decisions relating to thermal management).
• Complex workflows are intended to reduce the level of effort in practices where the existing manufacturing science base is not sufficiently mature to support production scale problems. The focus is to provide guidance using simulation based thinking and/or checklists (e.g. design activities/decisions relating to porosity management).