ROBUST ADAPTABLE DESIGN OF MECHANICAL PRODUCTS

For an adaptable product, both configuration and parameter values associated with the configuration can be adapted in the product operation stage to satisfy different requirements. This research aims at developing a new design approach to identify the adaptable product whose functional performance is the least sensitive to parameter variations caused by uncertainties. First different configuration candidates in design and different product configurations in operation stage to satisfy design requirements are modeled by a novel hybrid AND-OR tree. Product/operating parameters associated with configurations are also modeled. A two-level optimization method is developed for identifying the optimal design configuration and the parameter values: design configuration optimization for identifying the optimal design configuration and parameter optimization for identifying the optimal parameter values associated with this design configuration. Case study of an adaptable vibratory feeder is developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the newly developed robust adaptable design method.