DIGITAL MANUFACTURING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NIT HAMIRPUR

EXPLORING THE DIMENSIONS OF DIGITAL MANUFACTURING

GAURAV BISHT1 (1Pursuing Post-Graduation, Mechanical Engineering Department, NIT Hamirpur)

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ABSTRACT :To stay in business and sustain competition the main motive is profit. Generally profit is used as a parallel term to productivity in manufacturing . Profit is directly proportional to the better services offered, reliability , improved and consistent quality.To increase productivity , therefore one has to maximize the output and minimize the input as low as possible . Digital manufacturingconsist of new business processes, design methodologies , organizational approaches and software tools that helps manufactures improve their competitiveness and product profitability by planning , designing and implementing better manufacturing processer. In this paper a framework for digital manufacturing system is presented. It aims at producing digital products with digital processes in digital plant in order to achieve perfect manufacturing processes before the physical plant investments have been made.The main areas of Digital Manufacturing system are modelling, simulation, analysis and change management.

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KEYWORDS:Digital manufacturing, 3D-Modelling and Simulation, virtual prototype, Analysis.

INTRODUCTION :Conventional manufacturing has now been changing towards more complex and integrated manufacturing networks across multiple companies .Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is a business strategy that enables manufacturing companies to achieve greater profitability from their products. A new and fast growing disciple within PLM(Product lifecycle Management) is digital manufacturing, a strategic

approach to develop optimal manufacturing process. Automobile industry generally faces difficulties such as increased demand for flexibility , high quality , fast and low cost solutions to meet the development needs, etc. Digital manufacturing is the best solution to fulfill these requirements. The advances In Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM )technologies in last few years started

DIGITAL MANUFACTURING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NIT HAMIRPUR

to have impact on design and manufacturing practices. The creative potentials of digital environment and tools together with manufacturing advances began as a response to industrialization in automotive , aerospace and shipbuilding industries . An integration of designers thoughts , technical consultants , provided by the online database software agents , all together produce a digital model . The output of this model are drawings , images , animation analysis , reports and fabricated components done by CAD /CAM facilities. Digital manufacturing is typically implemented to do following jobs : Enables 3D modeling . Provide virtual plant and processer. Establish proof of concept . Reduce floor space . Redesign of equipment . Indentify bottlenecks,collision and work issues before they happen . Validate processes before reduce to manufacturing . Improve resource utilization . Eliminate prototype. Reduce rework or scrap.

being implemented for automotive power train , airframe assembly , shipbuilding assembly and electronics. LITERATURE REVIEW:The digital manufacturing concept was rst developed at National Bureau of Standards to address specic control problems encountered in the design phase of the automated manufacturing of small batches of machined parts. A virtual cell was dened as a logical grouping of products and resources within a controller. The job shop based upon virtual manufacturing cells provides greater exibility than GT shop congurations by time sharing of machines. Machines at all times are under the control of either a particular virtual cell or a pool of idle machines. Virtual cells may also help to minimize load balancing problems which are due to sharing of machines by various part families. The machine groups can be virtual, i.e., parts of several families can be loaded on a particular machine shared by several cells. They developed a two-stage ow-based approach for formation of virtual manufacturing cells with an objective of minimizing travel distances. The study addressed the issues of machine grouping, machine sharing, intra-cell layout and intercell layout. This study showed that a functional layout system using part familyoriented scheduling (referred to in this work as an FLP system), and a rst-come-rstserve selection of jobs within each family, fares signicantly better cellular layout systems as well as functional layouts in many parameter ranges. In addition, virtual cells allow the shop to be more responsive to changes in demand and shop load. The important factors that are covered in these works include:

Digital manufacturing enables 3D modeling due to which communication has improved dramatically. Even complex products with thousand of components can now be modeled accurately and communicated effectively of other engineers , customers , suppliers and manufacturing personnel. Digital manufacturing solutions combines individual functional capabilities to provide full industry oriented solution for manufacturing operation . Currently full solution are most commonly carried out in automotive body in white and automotive assembly operation but solutions are also

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Shop congurations (including process, cellular layout and two implementations of VCM), Setup time, Demand pattern, and Shop load.

The studies of Marcoux et al. showed that a dynamic digital manufacturing(DM) system outperforms a traditional DM system. They developed an integer programming model to determine the machine conguration to meet the dynamic demand requirements of the product. Vakharia et al. states that a virtual cell simplyrequires the dedication of individual machines within the current departments to a specic set of part families. Their virtual cell approach mainly dealt with interrelation of the number of machines with the requirements of part families. They compared the performance of virtual cells and multi-stage ow shops through analytical approximations. Some key factors of this study are: number of processing stages, number of machines per processing stage, batch size, and ratio of setup to run time per batch for implementation of the virtual cells.

Three-dimensional calibration for virtual environments Assembly path planning using VR techniques. Virtual assembly design environment. Knowledge-based systems. Virtual environments for ergonomic design.

The results indicate that the ratio of setup time to run time per batch is a major factor that influences the decision to implement virtual cells. The Virtual Reality and ComputerIntegrated Manufacturing Lab in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University has been working on Virtual Manufacturing in the following areas:

The Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory (MEL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology serves as a central research laboratory for manufacturing infrastructure technology, measurements, and standards. They provide industry-needed manufacturing engineering tools, interface standards, manufacturing systems architectures, and traceability. For example, the industrial measurements of length, force, mass, acoustics, vibration, and product data exchange ultimately rely on traceability to MEL. To help manufacturers keep a lead in this race, MEL inaugurated a state-of-the art National Advanced Manufacturing Test bed (NAMT). Using the NAMT, research partners and NIST remotely access and share information, demonstrate manufacturing feasibility, and evaluate prototype standards. The NAMT provides the means to conduct distributed and virtual manufacturing research in advanced metrology, control, and interoperability technology. The results will create a new information technology-based manufacturing model. Methodology:Digital manufacturing requires a strong information infrastructure that comprises rich information models for products, processes and production system. Modelling of manufacturing process has been the subject of vast research in the engineering and material science fields, there has been little work to use sophisticated process

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models in an integrated fashion with product design. There are two views of the production system that needed to be supported for Digital Manufacturing . Representation of systems capabilities and performance (Static View) , Representation of the systems dynamic behavior(Dynamic View).

Ideally a product is visualized in the mind and the design is communicated to each other in verbal or simple written form. This may be possible for simple objects, but today the products are too much complex. To communicate these complex designs, product engineers have turned to visual design and communication tools translate the product in their imagination into a digital representation. Once digitized the product can be shared , communicate , and collaborated electrically with others. As CAD tools have become more powerful and have incorporated 3D modeling, the communication have improved dramatically. Even complex products with thousand of components can now be modeled accurately and communicated effectively. Digital manufacturing provides manufacturing and design engineers the benefit of enhanced visualization. In product design powerful tools are frequently available for developing electronic product mockups, allowing engineers and nonengineers alike the ability to interact with a product before the design has been committed. Tools that allow 3Dvisualisation replace sketches drawing with something that comes much closer to real world. Manufacturing is not only born out digitally. In the beginning ,and most important is designers thought and idea, which is translated into sketches. Then comes the role of appropriate software which translates all

this into 3-D digital model. It is needed to fabricate 3D study model with complex curvilinear geometries in a material form, the digital model. This process is considered the beginning of the digital fabrication on design level. The information data of the digital model is translated by CAM(Computer Aided Manufacturing) software that generates the CNC(Computer Numeric Control) instructions which are transmitted to the fabrication equipment like 3d printer(milling machine). The role of modelling and simulation is to create a virtual replica of real-life manufacturing entity. It is used to understand a system and its characteristics and behavior. It can be used to repeat or refine an activity to achieve a specific result. Simulation aims to understand the dynamic behavior of the collaborating manufacturing entities. In Digital Manufacturing the modelling and simulation activities can be focused on the study of manufacturing capabilities. The manufacturing process simulation can be focused on individual machine tools devices, as well as designing and developing manufacturing cells. With the simulation of the manufacturing process the ability to manufacture all products can be ensured. The focus is on so that the volume and variation of customer orders that is needed can be manufactured and delivered at right time. The simulation models are the virtual parts of the manufacturing entities. By simulating a manufacturing process, the physical infrastructure that is deployed, will be several iterations ahead of what would have been deployed with prototypes and mockups. The benefit of this is the ability to make changes in the virtual environments before physical infrastructure has been committed. By moving many of the choices about how the product will be produced forward in time, Digital Manufacturing allows changes to be made more readilyproviding for optimized manufacturing

DIGITAL MANUFACTURING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NIT HAMIRPUR

processes and a significant reduction in engineering changes after deployment.

Fig2: The main process flow in the Simulation

Source:Towards adaptive and digital Manufacturing (L. Monostori, B.Cs.Csaji, B.Kadar, A.Pfeiffer, E. IlieZudor-2010)

Fig1: Outline of the Content described

Source:Integrating digital manufacturing and simulation tools in the assembly design process: A cooperating robots cell case. (N. Papakostas, K.Alexopoulos, A. Kopanakis-2011)

Simulation leads to innovation because the penalty for being wrong in the virtual environment is a very simple learning exercise. By allowing product design information to be incorporated directly into a simulated manufacturing process, design errors that disrupt manufacturing efficiency can be identified and corrected in advance.

The main requirements specified for the simulation module L. Monostori, B.Cs.Csaji, B.Kadar, A.Pfeiffer, E. IlieZudorare as follows: common data, on-line and bidirectional connection to the scheduler, support for input/output inspections, support for different schedule playback strategies and/or dispatching rules, short response time, making multiple model runs possible.

DIGITAL MANUFACTURING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NIT HAMIRPUR

VIRTUAL PROTOTYPE: In the mechanical engineering definition of virtual prototyping (VPME), the idea is to replace physical mock-ups by software prototypes. This includes also all kinds of geometrical and functional simulations, whether or not involving humans. Antonino and Zachmann from BMW. Virtual prototype, or digital mock-up, is a computer simulation of a physical product that can be presented, analyzed, and tested from concerned product life-cycle aspects such as design/engineering, manufacturing, service, and recycling as if on a real physical model. The construction and testing of a virtual prototype is called virtual prototyping . First, a computer simulation of a product is required. Usually a 3D solid model is the widely accepted product presentation. Second, for a virtual prototype to be presented as a real physical model, a humanproduct interaction model is desired. Ideally, a virtual product can be viewed, listened, and touched by an engineer or a customer digitally. This is the area that virtual reality techniques can play an important role. More importantly, various perspectives of the designed product should be able to be tested and evaluated. In summary, a complete virtual prototype should include essentially three types of models as follows: A 3D solid model, A human-product interaction model, and Perspective test related models.

Fig3: Components of Virtual Prototype

Source:Definition and Review of Virtual Prototyping (G. Gary Wang, Assistant Professor Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Manitoba)

Analysis:The analysis aims to verify and validate the results of simulations. The consequences of the solutions can be evaluated and the results of solution alternatives can be compared. Typical areas for analysis are , for example: monitoring the state, characteristics and behavior of the system, as well as how they change over time; comparing alternative solutions, e.g. deferent system congurations and control principles; comparing the performance of deferent systems to aid in selecting the best suitable alternative.

Product design analysis: The requirement of creating tools that would help in the fabrication phase came up. For example a riveting machine can be planned to help in the drilling and riveting stations, optimizing and simplifying the work to be done in the construction stations. This designed tool is a pneumatic riveter with a

DIGITAL MANUFACTURING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NIT HAMIRPUR

rivets container that facilitates positioning during the process.

their

Fig4: A virtual Riveting Machine Layout planning analysis: The preliminary work consisted in subdividing and grouping the required steps for the assembly into five different workstations: riveting, drilling, de-burring, fixturing, assembly, etc. After that, each station were defined resources, processes and knowledge using the collaborative work of experts consulted, as well as the previous experiences of the members. The next step is to propose different layouts to arrange the different workstations, considering the work sequence, the timings, the material flows and the value-adding processes. Other stage of the project is to use virtual manufacturing tools in order to make ergonomics analysis due to the complexity of the traditional assembly procedure. This analysis includes: time studies, process optimization with an special focus on critical steps of the assembly process, for quality considerations. Fig5:Ergonomic Simulation Analysis
Source: Digital Manufacturing for Aerospace industry:Experimental Aircraft (David Guerra, Ricardo Ramrez, Laurent Donato, Arturo Molina-2006)

CONCLUSION:The dimensions of Digital Manufacturing were discussed explaining a system with entities playing dierent roles, and existing in digital, virtual and real forms. Digital Manufacturing tools are a set of software applications that simulate the Engineering Operations so that designs, manufacturing operations & their associated planning can be checked & corrected virtually before any metal goes under the tools. Digital Manufacturing can help manufacturers develop more profitable products by optimizing the planning, development and deployment of manufacturing processes. The benefits of Digital Manufacturing are compelling and obtainable, and when addressed in a managed Digital Manufacturing Program can provide significant business results.

DIGITAL MANUFACTURING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NIT HAMIRPUR

Increased complexity in products and production environments, coupled with business needs for reduced cost and increased quality, makes Digital Manufacturing a valuable opportunity for most manufacturers To deploy Digital Manufacturing concepts, a program is developed that includes strong goals and vision for the future state, but accomplishes this through tangible, manageable projects that provide a positive, rapid return to the business. For Digital Manufacturing to be effective, it requires that there must be change in efforts that crosses organizational boundaries. The change process must be addressed and managed.

4.An Overview Of Fully Integrated Digital Manufacturing Technology P. A. Farrington, H. B. Nembhard, D. T. Sturrock, and G. W. Evans, eds.-(1999) Scott Freedman Deneb Robotics, Inc. 5500 New King Street Troy, MI 48098-2615, U.S.A. 5. Framework for extended digital manufacturing systems HasseNylunda& Paul H. Anderssona, 31 January 2011 Department of Production Engineering, Tampere University of Technology,Korkeakoulunkatu 6. Digital Manufacturing for Aerospace industry: Experimental Aircraft David Guerra a, Ricardo Ramreza, Laurent Donatob, Arturo Molinaa, (26th November-1st December, 2006) Tecnolgico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey,Mexico b Ecoledingnieurs et darchitectes de Fribourg,Switzerland 7. Towards adaptive and digital manufacturing L. Monostoria,b , B. Cs. Csajia,c, B.Kadara, A. Pfeiffera, E. Ilie-Zudora, Zs. Kemenya, M. Szathmaria Computer and Automation Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Kende u. 13-17, H1111 Budapest, Hungary b Department of Manufacturing Science and Technology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Mu egyetemrakpart 3, H-1111 Budapest, Hungary c Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Melbourne, 240 Grattan Street, Engineering Building (193), Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia 8. Integrating digital manufacturing and simulation tools in the assembly design process: A cooperating robots cell case N. Papakostas , K. Alexopoulos, A. Kopanakis20th July 2011 9. Advanced Digital Manufacturing Techniques (Cam) In Architecture Authors Hazem M. N. Afifya, Zeinab A. AbdElghaffarb
a b a a a

References:1.Enabling Value Co-Production In The Provision Of Support Service Engineering Solutions Using Digital Manufacturing Methods Joe Butterfield , Irene Ng,RajkumarRoy,William McEwan Mechanical& Aerospace Engineering ,United Kingdom c Decision Engineering Centre,Cranfield University, United Kingdom b Business School University of Exeter ,United Kingdom 2. Digital manufacturing market: a semantic webbased framework for agile supply chain deployment FarhadAmeri Lalit Patil,29november-(2010) 3. Digital Manufacturing for Automotive Suppliers Mr. AtmaramD.Naika, Prof.M.V.Sulakheb ,Prof.S.G.Dhandec,- (10 January 2007) Post-Graduate Student, Mechanical Engineering Department, BVCOE'S Pune India b Research-scholar, Mechanical Engineering Department Indian Institute of TechnologyKanpur,India c Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science Engineering IIT- Kanpur.India
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Menoufia University, Egypt Ain Shams University, Egypt

DIGITAL MANUFACTURING: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, NIT HAMIRPUR

10. Digital Manufacturing Jim brown,Tech-Clarity, Inc. 2004 11.Digital manufacturing Design, capture and reuse digital data Advanced Manufacturing Magazine, Volume 5 (2003 ) Steve Krar and Arthur Gill 12. Design of virtual manufacturing cells: a mathematical programming approach JannesSlompa, ,Boppana V. Chowdaryb, Nallan C. Sureshc
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Faculty of Management and Organization, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, Landleven 5, 9700 AV Groningen, Netherlands b Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus,Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies c School of Management, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260-4000, USA 13. An Overview Of Virtual Manufacturing With Case Studies E. Raj Kumar, Assistant Professor (Senior),Design division, SMBS,VIT UNIVERSITY K.Annamalai, Professor, Design division,VIT UNIVERSITY, Vellore. Tamil nadu, India 14. Definition and Review of Virtual Prototyping G. Gary Wang, Assistant Professor Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Manitoba Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5V6 Canada