Bio-inspired design is an innovative methodology for transferring biological solutions into technical solutions, for example for the design of weight- and load-optimized components. Bio-inspired design therefore offers great potential for meeting the challenges of designing additively manufactured components, such as avoiding warpage, supporting structures and material minimisation. Nevertheless, apart from bio-inspired topology optimization tools, bio-inspired design is rarely used in industrial practice because for many companies the practical applicability up to the prototype is not obvious. The aim of this work is therefore a practical approach to the search for biological systems, analysis, abstraction and transfer of analogies. We apply bio-inspired design on the design of a microtiter plate manufactured by stereolithography, whose dimensional accuracy is impaired by warpage. Here, the venus’ flower basket, a deep-sea sponge, can serve as a model. It has a hierarchical structure of silicate needles whose elements are abstracted for bio-inspired transfer. We show and evaluate the transfer of different analogies using a prototype.

During a design process, designers are supported by several purposive product models. To enable designers to switch between them, researchers need to consider the linking of product models during their development. To assist researchers in doing so, the capabilities of a standardizing description approach, stances towards product models, was investigated. The results show that the description approach was able to identify indicators of linking possibilities by facilitating comparability. This is a step towards assisting researchers in considering the linking of product models systematically.

The paper focuses on comparative experiment on manufacturing and inspection of two different prismatic one-off parts, which have different complexity. Our experiment shows that transforming product definition method from the Drawing Centric Definition (DCD) to the Model Centric Definition (MCD) enables 28%-29% time savings in manufacturing and inspection phases of machined one-off part's life cycle. Furthermore, transition from MCD to Model-Based Definition (MBD) enables 5%-9% time savings, respectively. Applying of MBD enables more time savings in complex part compared to a less complex part.

In today's VUCA-World it is necessary to consider future requirements to develop change- and future-robust future products, especially regarding the increasing demand for sustainable solutions. In order to address this situation, upgradeability of modular products can be a solution. Considering that elements of modular products are used in several different products and over a long period of time, there is a need to act on this challenge. To uncover areas with a need for action, a systematic literature review on upgradeable and modular products was conducted. After resolving four fields of action and under consideration of the need for sustainable products, another systematic literature review examined the solution space of upgradable modular product architecture. In conclusion, several influencing factors on the upgradeable design of modular products could be identified, which are presented in this work.

Multidisciplinary agile teams working in fast paced, delivery-oriented sprint cycles of two weeks can experience moments of stuckness. Typically, these moments can be characterised by the inability to continue, which can be quite detrimental in agile settings, where time is pressured. This paper aims to explore these moments of stuckness, to understand when and why they occur and to understand the different strategies Scrum teams use to overcome them, both on a personal as well as team level. A combination of interviews and observations were conducted with six Scrum team members and two experts to understand their process and experiences while working in an agile set up. We have identified five strategies, which strongly rely on agile values of collaboration, communication, and creativity. These are: looking for expert guidance, open communication, creating spike stories, visual communication and incubation. The findings from this study provide both practice and academia with a deeper understanding into how can creativity be supported in agile settings.

In order to meet the quality standards required in today's product development process, the designer must be able to draw on the knowledge contained in standards at all times. However, in today's digital work environment, these are usually only available in paper or PDF form. To support the designer during the product development process, a research project examine how knowledge from standards can be made available digitally and integrated into his working environment. This paper presents a concept with a RESTful service as a central knowledge base, which provides knowledge in the form of microservices. The implementation is carried out using welding assemblies as an example. To achieve the high-quality requirements and to implement them, the standard contents had to be prepared in a machine-interpretable and cross system way.

Engineering design methods are typically evaluated via case studies, surveys, and experiments. Meanwhile, domains such as the health sciences as well as software engineering have developed further powerful evaluation approaches. The objective of this paper is to show how evaluation approaches from the health sciences and software engineering might further the evaluation of engineering design methods. We survey these approaches and show which approaches could be transferred to the evaluation of engineering design methods.

This paper present a pedagogical tool to address a lack of creative approach in traditional education on embedded sensors. The tool is built in a systematic way from the data sheet information of a large number of different sensors. The tool presents the main monitoring capabilities of embedded sensors on cards to assist students in the creative stages of product design. An experiment was conducted to test its educational potential with 30 Masters students in product design. The statistical analysis on the experiment data indicate that the tool enables the improvement of knowledge on embedded sensors, with a more significant gain in advanced thinking skills. Finally, the tool is easy to implement in product design education and accessible to a wide range of students.

The proposed methodological framework concerns axiomatic theory fusion (ATF) of non-additive engineering design theories. ATF includes seven steps: (i) semantic discretization of the composite theories, (ii) deriving epistemological entities by logical/semantic analysis, (iii) establishing and representation of relations among all relevant epistemological entities, (iv) combining the inter- theoretical epistemological entities of the component theories, (v) deriving propositions based on the combined set of epistemological entities, (vi) transcription of the epistemological entities and propositions into a textual/visual theory description, and (vii) validation of the resultant theory in application contexts. The proposed framework makes ATF an effective, content independent methodology for fusing component theories, no matter if they are descriptive, explanatory, predictive or controlling in nature. ATF methodology requires professional comprehension and rigor from the researchers. It is necessary to justify the logical correctness and practical validity of the target theory in the specific application context.

Additive Manufacturing is doing its first steps in the production of spare parts. Usually the spares belong to legacy systems, and the tooling to produce them is no longer available. Re-designing spares that are designed for a previous industry mindset can be sometimes challenging. In this study a rather classic design approach is compared to a functional driven approach. Four case studies from different clients are reported, remarking the benefits and drawbacks of using design for additive manufacturing practices in Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

Automating modelling activities in computer-aided design (CAD) systems is no exception within design automation, one of the current research endeavours aiming to use and transform design-related data in design decision-making processes and the generation and evaluation facilitation of new design solutions. The paper explores the differences between CAD models based on their feature-based CAD modelling sequences that lead to the final models' design. The dataset collected and structured for the study contains more than 1400 CAD models clustered on two levels by using an unsupervised K-means clustering algorithm. The algorithm is performed on the number (total and unique) and the first-order Markov model transition matrices of the CAD modelling operations and their sequential order, respectively. Therefore, three and ten groups (clusters) of CAD models are obtained regarding the level of clustering. The results show that most of the obtained groups are specified by the dominant transition between particular modelling operations. In addition, the study also provides insight into the potential of using feature-based CAD modelling operations' sequences as a first step toward automating the user interaction with the CAD system.

In recent years, more and more technical systems dispose of some form of intelligence which allows to control and diagnose the processes and states in such systems. One important prerequisite for both control and diagnosis is monitoring, i.e. a systematic observation, surveillance or recording of entities of a technical product or its surroundings by any technical means. Current investigations were able to clarify that the design of a technical system can ease the control and diagnosis of this system. The same is true for monitoring; this fact will be demonstrated in this paper on the example of a research vehicle which is intended to foster the development of mapping systems and algorithms. In a sense, the main objective of this vehicle is also a kind of monitoring. Due to its unique design, this vehicle is able to navigate on all kind of terrains. It is equipped with several forms of sensors, which are consciously mounted at certain positions on the vehicle in order to allow a detailed detection of the surroundings. The investigation, how design can ease monitoring, was supported by a well-known model of product concretization and concrete insights could be found on all levels.

The digitalization of the Industry is one of the megatrends taking place, but many companies struggle to follow this trend. The main reason is the absence of simple solutions for the integration of sensory functions, which are applicable to the existing system. Therefore, this paper discusses the aspects of simplicity in the context of integrating sensory functions into existing systems, to support the development of digitalized products.

Two general requirements can be formulated for a solution to be applicable simple: The first requirement is affected by the product structure. The solution must affect the least possible amount of modules and must not interfere with the interfaces of the modular platform. The second requirement is affected by the effort to model the behaviour of the desired information and the possible data a sensory function is delivering. The effort to develop a reliable solution has to be compared with the commercial potential of the solution.

To consider the mentioned requirements, the paper explains three approaches to assess the simplicity of solutions on an example of the desired monitoring of the functions of a rotary plug valve.

In this paper we use formal tools from category theory to develop a foundation for creating and managing models in systems where knowledge is distributed across multiple representations and formats. We define a class of models which incorporate three different representations---computations, logical semantics, and data--as well as model mappings (functors) to establish relationships between them. We prove that our models support model merge operations called colimits and use these to define a methodology for model integration.

The problem of plastic waste in research laboratories is a significant one, with an estimated 5.5 million tonnes generated annually worldwide. Reusable labware has the potential to reduce this waste significantly, but the design of such products must take into account quality assurance to guarantee the accuracy of experiments. Insights were gathered through the generation of an overview of the available techniques for verifying labware after use and decontamination. As during different design cycles verification of prototypes is needed, these techniques were evaluated and translated to be applicable in the specific context of a design lab. Therefore, this study presents a protocol which can be used as a verification tool while designing safe, reusable labware for chemical laboratories. This protocol consists of four different steps: (i) visual inspection, (ii) mass & size comparison, (iii) leak test, and (iv) chemical stability test.

The paper concerns the Finnish product development teacherś perceptions on their pedagogical content knowledge in higher education settings. The aim is to describe and analyse what kind of pedagogical content knowledge the teachers have and, therefore, to provide a better understanding of the type of knowledge unique to product development teaching. The model of pedagogical content knowledge used here includes the components of product development content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Based on seven teacher interviews, the main content knowledge concerns the process of product development, its different phases and methods as well as the usage of different software programs. The teachers use diverse teaching methods and their attitude towards educational technology is mostly positive. Course learning outcomes and working life are acknowledged when planning teaching, but only a few teachers take curriculum into account and participate in curriculum design. Even though the teachers use different evaluation methods in teaching, new ways of evaluation are needed. This may be something that innovative educational technology tools can make possible.

Today's rapidly evolving and changing market dictates constant changes in design requirements during the development process of a product. If development teams are unable or unwilling to adapt to these changes, this will ultimately lead to an uncompetitive product. How the change in requirements will affect the development process depends on the complexity of the product and the development phase in which the change in requirements occurs. The principles of Agility and the methods that follow these principles help in the successful introduction of changes in the product development process. The paper provides guidelines for the development of complex physical products taking into account the principles of Agility. The guidelines were set based on a critical review of the e-bike drive development process.

The proper use of methods is increasingly important as design challenges are more complex and involve more stakeholders. Such work also demands high reflective ability from designers. Reflective thought processes do not necessary produce positive outcomes for the process and the individual involved. Positive reflection is goal oriented while negative reflection is typically self-oriented. In design education, reflection by students is often treated as rather trivial or only rudimentary support is offered. Research in cognitive science shows that poor reflection can hurt students' well-being, abilities and confidence over time. Thus, there is a need to better understand method use and reflection in design education more specifically when done poorly. We take a theory-building approach and interviewed 12 design students and recent graduates and investigated instances of method use where these led to negative experiences and effects. In doing so, we show different types of negative experiences that students have when using methods, the effects that these experiences have and how they relate to problematic use of methods and poor reflection practices. We end with implications for design education and design research.

use-case scenarios, including homes, hospitals, workplaces, and recreation. Though the area of Social Robotics has gained traction in recent years, the majority of the studies so far have studied single-human and single-robot interaction. In comparison, Social Robots are increasingly being placed in human teams, likely affecting team dynamics. On the other hand, Engineering teams work together to deliver outstanding results and the processes in these teams are social. We propose that Social robot can be added to engineering human team to enhance team cohesion and performance. Therefore, this paper presents a preliminary framework towards developing a conceptual framework to study team cohesion in Human-Robot Teams (HRTs) in engineering context, looks at different roles of social robot and how the responses, behaviours, emotions of social robots shape outcomes in the engineering team. The research specifically focuses on team cohesion because team cohesion is reportedly one of the most critical concepts in team dynamics. The paper outlines the research objectives, framework and concept workflow.