Faculty Early Career Development: Research in Combinatorial Structure of Mechanical Parts

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9502728 Shapiro A major roadblock for rapid prototyping of mechanical systems is the absence of combinatorial models to describe mechanical forms, functions, and fabrication processes in terms of discrete, simple, and interacting primitives. The goal of this research is to investigate a combinatorial relationship among mechanical form, function, and fabrication for single-part mechanical components by (1) studying, experimenting with, and modifying existing production practices for a class of industrial parts; (2) developing a new theory capable of supporting systematic creation and modification of combinatorial models of such parts based on physical and manufacturing characteristics; and (3) developing computer algorithms, representations, and systems that can be used in conjunction with existing commercial CAD software. The education plan considers solid modeling as an intermediate stage in the evolution of engineering languages. With new knowledge resulting from the research, subjects in engineering analysis, design, and manufacturing can be reorganized and systematized. This will contribute to progress along a migration path from solid modeling toward the more general disciplines of mechanical and physical modeling. Insights and new knowledge resulting from this research should lead to better approaches toward engineering design, more effective communication among many engineering activities, and more efficient production processes. Generalizing these results to mechanical functions, processes and systems that involve multiple interacting parts and phenomena can improve our ability to effectively automate some aspects of design while still incorporating important human engineering knowledge and experimentation.