Advanced Design Engineering and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing Systems

Modern design engineering faces unprecedented complexity as products become more sophisticated and manufacturing processes more integrated. This research addresses the critical challenge of seamlessly connecting design tools, manufacturing processes, and information systems to enhance product development efficiency. The core technical innovation lies in developing an integrated design engineering framework that combines parametric modeling, multi-physics simulation, and design optimization with comprehensive manufacturing automation including computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), manufacturing execution systems (MES), and real-time process control. The methodology employs advanced multi-objective optimization techniques including topology optimization, shape optimization, and robust design under uncertainty, while incorporating design for manufacturing (DFM) principles to ensure manufacturability analysis, cost estimation, and quality prediction throughout the design process. This systematic integration approach enables virtual prototyping, collaborative design, and data management through product lifecycle management (PLM) systems that coordinate multiple engineering software tools and automate design workflows.

This integrated approach delivers transformative benefits across automotive and aerospace industries, where vehicle and aircraft component design requires sophisticated optimization and manufacturing process planning. The system provides significant time reduction in product development cycles, improved design accuracy and manufacturing quality, and enhanced collaboration capabilities for distributed engineering teams. Companies implementing this framework experience reduced time-to-market, lower development costs, and increased innovation capability through better knowledge capture and organizational learning. The technology enables mass customization and personalized products while supporting sustainable design principles and circular economy considerations. The research team at Carnegie Mellon seeks industry partnerships to validate these methodologies in real-world applications and collaborations with manufacturing companies interested in implementing advanced design engineering systems that bridge the gap between design creativity and manufacturing reality.

For complete technical details and experimental results, please refer to the original publication: 19-asme-idetc-cie-zhang.pdf