Design Anywhere Manufacture Anywhere: A Novel Distribution Manufacturing Framework
Open Access
Author:
Liu, Meng
Graduate Program:
Industrial Engineering
Degree:
Master of Science
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
April 08, 2019
Committee Members:
Soundar Kumara, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor Saurabh Basu, Committee Member
Keywords:
Manufacturing process Shape descriptor Do-It-Yourself
Abstract:
A Do-It-Yourself (DIY) framework of part design and manufacturing is proposed. This framework relies on a digital indexed part/process-plan library that can enable amateur fabricators in designing and manufacturing complex shapes with similar tolerance as professional counterparts. A methodology to do this is proposed, which involves automated identification of parts from the library that has similar shape and functionality as desired. This step will be followed by automated modification of these process plans to produce the desired functionality and simultaneously, conform to design and machine tool requirements. Some challenges associated with setting up such frameworks are realized. These include identifying methodologies for quantifying manufacturability of a final geometry from a starting billet shape using a specified manufacturing process. The utility of spherical harmonic based shape descriptors is analyzed for delineating differences between starting billet shapes and counterpart final geometries for identifying the ease of manufacturability. Shortcomings of this shape descriptor are discussed.
