The Use of a Concurrent Design Methodology to Improve Product Design Understanding

Abstract

Concurrent design principles are now widely used by a number of manufacturing industries to reduce lead times between design and manufacture and to assure product quality. These principles have been built into integrated project work at Edge Hill to increase students' awareness of 'holistic' design methods and to increase their capabilities in packaging functional products. This paper discusses the use of concurrent engineering in modern manufacturing industry, outlines how projects can be used to develop concurrent thinking and discusses how subject areas such as electronics, product design and computer aided manufacture can be effectively integrated using this approach. Three examples are provided which illustrate the type of proj ects that have been carried out, the processes used and skills which are developed through integration.