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Information generation during design: Information importance and design effort

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2005

A.J. DENTSORAS
A.J. DENTSORAS
Affiliation:
Machine Design Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics, University of Patras, 26500 Patras, Greece
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Abstract

The present paper studies the process of information generation during design and focuses on the relationship between the information importance and the required effort for its generation. Multiple associative relationships among design entities (handled as design descriptors) are used to represent the design knowledge. The characteristics of the dependent and the primary descriptors are examined and their distinct roles in the design process are discussed. Term definitions concerning the information importance and the design effort are also introduced. The descriptors are used to form a matrix. A number of operations on this matrix results in its transformation, with the final matrix reflecting the quantitative relationship between the information importance and the design effort. From the aforementioned matrix, a unique sorted list for the primary design descriptors is produced. Following this list during descriptor instantiation ensures the production of design information of maximum importance with the least effort in the early design stages. The design of a belt conveyor is used as a basis for a better understanding of the theoretical analysis and for a demonstration of the use of the suggested descriptor list.

Keywords

DesignDesign DescriptorsDesign EffortInformation Importance
Type
Research Article
Information
AI EDAM , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , February 2005 , pp. 19 - 32
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

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