TFB 65:  Rapid Prototyping

• Subject Area: Mechanical and Industrial Engineering ; Computer Science, Systems and Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2006 to 2008
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 26991808

In this transfer project T7 the conceptional results of the project Collaborative Research Centre 374 "Rapid Prototyping", project B1, are to be implemented with the industrial partner as far as possible. The semantic cross-linking of data promotes an optimal accomplishment of the tasks of development, both regarding development duration, trend of costs and product quality and regarding communication, coordination and documentation. Errors can be avoided and the expenditure of time for the product development be reduced by the created transparency of the product with the help of the "Active Semantic Design and Reliability Network (ASK/ASZ)". At the same time the reliability rises by the promptly integrated reliability analysis and the costs are regarded starting from the concept phase. In different phases of the product development various tools are used to the support of the technical designer in the development process, each change of a tool is however afflicted with an information loss. By the limited aspect of today's applications effects of decisions are not directly evident throughout the construction, which results in an enormous department or location-spreading communication and coordination concerning reliability and costs, frequently much to late, which leads to decreased product quality and smaller profit margin. Erroneous trends can be recognised only lately and consequently be corrected only time and cost-intensively. The ASK/ASZ aims to make effects of changes on the product design transparent in order to avoid these problems. The project T8 focusses on the prototypical application of transfer- and training modules in Rapid Product Development (RPD) teams, aiming at the optimisation of knowledge integration between interdisciplinary experts. Based on precedent findings, typical barriers of knowledge integration are dealt with, which are due to individual knowledge acquisition and experience. Such barriers are caused by the experts' specific mental models, leading them to deviating definitions of goals, methods, and approaches concerning the RPD project implementation. By means of actively integrating the heterogeneous expert knowledge, the RPD teams are supported to enhance their competence of achieving innovative development results under growing requirements of time, quality, and cost efficiency.

• DFG Programme: CRC/Transfer Units

Completed projects

• T07 - Aktives Semantisches Konstruktions- und Zuverlässigkeitsnetz (Project Head Bertsche, Bernd )
• T08 - Arbeitswissenschaftliche Gestaltung wissensintensiver Kooperatiionsprozesse für die Entwicklung innovativer Produkte (Project Head Spath, Dieter )

• Applicant Institution: Universität Stuttgart
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr.-Ing. Bernd Bertsche