1,720,999 research outputs found
A Negative Knowledge Enabling Framework to Support Hybrid Geometric Modeling Education for Industrial Engineering
No full textImpact and Effect of Formative Feedback Improvement for Dormant Deficiencies in MCAD Education
Full text linkConsiderable improvement in student performance and in learning outcomes has been achieved with an educational intervention previously introduced to a CAD course for mechanical engineering. This intervention was based on the novel dormant deficiency concept and metric, and a software-based feedback agent, among other innovations. This step aimed to address the shortcomings of most software tools and educational interventions for automated grading and assessment of CAD models, such as those currently provided to students in CAD courses. Most approaches are not structured to assess CAD model quality with respect to robustness and alterability, due to their static and exclusive nature, which often leads them to discount CAD model regeneration processes and their impact after alteration. However, it also became evident that students still have difficulties handling and correcting shortcomings and errors in their CAD models regarding certain types of dormant deficiencies. This led to several spin-off projects. One such project aimed at extending and improving the quality, scope, and detail of the feedback generated by the software-based feedback agent. After successful prototyping and usability testing, this improved feedback intervention was provided to all CAD course students. The results and outcomes of that project, together with an empirical study, are reported in this paper
Improving the Learning Experience within MCAD Education: The Provision of Feedback on CAD Model Quality and Dormant Deficiency in Real-Time
Full text linkFormative assessment is an important element for supporting any
learning process, with the provision of feedback being one of its most effective
strategies. However, despite the extensive body of research on feedback and its
importance to learning, its effectiveness and usefulness, and thus its expected
effect, are not always guaranteed. This, in part, can be attributed to issues
concerning how students make sense of and act upon feedback and the gap
between how students receive and perceive feedback and how teachers structure
and provide it. After the introduction of a newly developed feedback intervention
aimed at improving the learning experience and, consequently, performance
outcomes, it is now time to determine the next steps. This requires insight into and
understanding of the usefulness and effectiveness of the recently introduced
educational intervention, and this insight should be based on empirical evidence.
This paper reports on the first part of an empirical study organized as a two-part
project aimed at determining to what extent the new feedback intervention has had
a positive impact on the learning experience and outcomes. The study also aims to
determine the effect sizes and their relationships, along with the impact of the
feedback characteristics on the goals in relation to the complex task of creating
robust and best practice-compliant CAD models
Formative Feedback Improvement in MCAD Education: Supporting Knowledge-Driven Dormant Deficiency Detection and Analysis
No full textVirtual prototyping in the design process of optimized mould gating system for high pressure die casting
No full textPurpose – High Pressure Die Casting is a widely used industrial process to manufacture complex-shaped products in light alloys. Virtual prototyping techniques, especially numeric based simulations of the casting process, allow the die filling process to be evaluated and help faster optimization of the gating system, which is the most critical element of the mould. This paper presents a four step approach to design optimal moulds taking advantage of the simulation tools.
Design/methodology/approach - No formalized method to design an optimal gating system is available yet and the majority of the studies aim to optimize existing geometries or to choose from alternative solutions. Rather than optimizing the geometries of predefined designs by running attempt trials, the proposed approach defines a procedure to position cavities, gating systems and, finally, to determine the whole mould geometry.
Findings - The approach is demonstrated through three different industrial applications. The design of a 6-cavity mould for gas cooking burners is reported at first. Then, two test cases, a cup and a radiator, are reported for showing different arrangements of the gating system. The reached quality of the mould design has been assessed using metallographic analyses of the casts.
Originality/value – The design of a mould is strictly correlated to its product and mainly based on a trial-and-error approach. Numerical simulations offer a powerful and not expensive way to study the effectiveness of different die designs and filling processes. The paper proposes a structured approach for the definition of the gating system. It ultimately leads to improvements in both product quality and process productivity, including more effective control of the die filling and die thermal performance
Innovative Technologies to Support Positioning of Corrective Appliances in Orthodontic Treatments
No full textTime Compression Technologies (TCT) are strongly widening their application fields, particularly in not traditional sectors, such as archaeology, jewellery, architecture and so on. The biomedical domain, especially orthodontics, is one of the most interesting. The design and positioning processes of corrective dental appliances consist of phases which can strongly benefit from Reverse Engineering (RE) and Rapid Prototyping (RP) techniques in terms of quality and time reduction. In these last years new systems have been developed to support the operator work but, unfortunately these technologies are still not largely used in orthodontic laboratories. In this context, the present paper, facing the problem of critical activities identification in corrective treatments orthodontic practice, proposes a low cost and easy to use technical solution in order to support orthodontists for a rapid and accurate positioning of vestibular and lingual brackets. In particular a new CAD (Computer Aided Design) software system to support the dental appliances design process has been implemented
Development of a Multilayer Change Propagation Tool for Modular Products
No full textIn this work we focus our research on the product design related aspects; currently we deal with modularity, product architecture and change propagation issues along the design process. In order to apply abstract concepts to design practise different approaches and tools have been proposed; anyway presently concrete software solutions and applications examples are still lacking. Companies modify their products for a number of reasons and rarely start from new ideas when designing. Due to the lack of suitable tools and methodologies designers are not aware of modifications impacts and propagations when trying to change or update a product. In this paper we present our research efforts in developing a methodology and the related software tool to support change management during the product redesign. It is conceived as guiding tool based on a product multilevel representation: from functional contents to implementation design; currently the designer can obtain a complete presentation of the product parts characteristics and their relations. In this way the resulting graphical model becomes a company tacit knowledge repository about the product. Operational functionalities are provided to support the designer during his activities. This work has been carried out and tested on the redesign process of a washing machine in collaboration with an Italian company, leader in house working appliances
A product model architecture to support the configuration of solution phase in gas turbine plants design
No full textGli impianti turbogas per la produzione industriale di energia stanno assumendo un ruolo importante negli ultimi tempi. Il processo di progettazione dell’impianto è dato da un insieme di attività decisionali complesse ed iterative che coinvolgono tecnici con competenze diverse. La soluzione raggiunta sotto forma di layout di impianto e geometrie delle sezioni deve essere verificata dal punto di vista strutturale, acustico, fluidodinamico e dipende anche dalle esigenze di ingegnerizzazione. Se sono necessarie modifiche le analisi precedenti devono essere ripetute.
Risulta quindi evidente che dalle primissime fasi di definizione dell’impianto il team di sviluppo dovrebbe essere supportato da strumenti collaborativi e coordinati in modo da sviluppare contemporaneamente il prodotto, ognuno dal suo punto di vista tecnico.
In questo contesto questo articolo si pone due obiettivi principali: 1) lo studio e lo sviluppo di uno strumento di progettazione per la configurazione automatica di un impianto turbogas, 2) lo studio di un sistema di progettazione capace di creare selettivamente l’informazione indispensabile alle diverse attività di analisi e di rigenerare la configurazione dell’impianto in base ai risultati delle analisi stesse
Graphical Representation of Parametric Feature-Based MCAD Model Characteristics
Full text linkEducational reforms and recent trends have pushed CAD education further into the mainstream of higher education. This has resulted in a rapidly increasing number of students enrolling in introductory level CAD courses, producing a flood of digital assignment submissions that need to be evaluated in a timely manner. This overwhelming situation has led to accelerated work on software tools for autonomous analysis and grading. However, the type and complexity of CAD model that can be analyzed, and the quality of the feedback that is generated, are still quite limited. In response to this predicament, and also efforts to reform an actual mechanical engineering CAD (MCAD) course, a new approach, framework, and software tool have been developed, based on visual representation and analysis of metrics. These novel instruments are aimed at supporting a more diverse and inclusive analysis and assessment of MCAD models, with a focus on the overall outcome a student produces, which includes model structure, history of model creation, and modeling strategy. The first part of this paper presents the novel approach and instruments for enhanced feature-based MCAD model analysis in the educational context. The second part of this paper reports on their development and implementation, and on the empirical results obtained during testing and evaluation
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