Design Support System by Combination of 3D-CAD and CAE with Preference Set-based Design Method

Various computer-based simulation tools such as 3D-CAD systems and CAE are widely used to design products at the early phase of design. Designers must search the optimal solution that satisfies a number of performance requirements by repeating analysis and modification of the CAD models. They need to confirm the results of CAE analysis until they can obtain a better design solution. These works impose a heavy burden on designers and analysts. Therefore, design works can be more efficient if we can automate these iterative processes. Moreover, the early phase of design contains multiple sources of uncertainty in describing design, and nevertheless the decision-making process at this phase exerts a critical effect upon drawing a successful design. Therefore, handling the uncertainties in the early phase of design has great importance especially for concurrent engineering (CE). The previous series of our studies have proposed a preference set-based design (PSD) method that enables the flexible and robust design while incorporating designer's preference structure. In contrast to conventional optimization techniques, this method generates a ranged set of design solutions that satisfy sets of performance requirements. The combination of 3D-CAD and CAE with PSD method can be more powerful design support system. In this study, a system based on PSD method is implemented by combination of 3D-CAD and CAE, and a design example of a swing arm is demonstrated to show the effectiveness of the proposed system for obtaining the multi-objective satisfactory solutions reflecting the designers' intentions.