subject: Design modeling and prototype [print this page] Design modeling and prototype Design modeling and prototype
Introduction
Centraltodesigningis the use of models. These can vary from very simple models used early in the design process, to detailed prototypes made when the design is well developed. Models such as drawings or constructions allow problems to be explored, ideas to be visualized, and intentions to be communicated. These in turn facilitate feedback from a variety of sources such as users, manufacturers, or other members of the design team. Sketches may be used to generate vague or conceptual ideas early in the design process, three-dimensional models are used to visualize and communicate new ideas for consumer products, and full-size constructions, for example of a new car, can be used to facilitate user trials and testing.
Mathematical modeling
Theuseofmathematical modelling may provide a very quick and cheap means to establish volume, strength, or weight of components. Conceptual modellingthat is, the ability to hold and use models held in the mindis a vital skill in designing. Engineering drawings are models intended to provide clear and unambiguous information regarding a design proposal. Increasingly, computer models are used because of their ease of modification and speed of communication. Engineering designers, for example, may use Finite Element Analysis systems to predict the physical behaviour of an object, including points where it is weak and likely to fail. Rapid prototyping techniques such as stereo lithography and fused deposition modelling can transform digital computer-aided design (CAD) models into tangible three-dimensional models.
Bymodellingaproduct or system before it is manufactured the designer can weed out poor designs and focus on improving the better ones. Different types of model are used at different stages of the design process. Generally, the more detailed and expensive models are used later in the design process. As a means of working with conflicting requirements, modelling can be used to bring certain desired features to the fore so as to examine, evaluate, and communicate a particular "mix"but, equally importantly, modelling is the vital tool for a "what if" strategyas in "what if I bring these two or more aspects together?"and is vital to creativity.
Prototype
Prototype, model or early version of a product, intended to test and develop the design. Before investing in the equipment to put a product into mass production, a manufacturer must be confident that the design is safe and reliable. Designers and engineers use prototypes to achieve this.
Prototypes can be very simple, consisting of only a few components. An example would be a prototype to find how fast a lawnmower blade rotates when driven by a certain motor. All that would be needed for this prototype is a motor, a blade, and a power supply.
As design progresses, prototypes become more complicated as more features are included. By gradually increasing the prototype's complexity, problems with the design can be identified and corrected.
Towards the end of the design process, the prototypes look very like the final product. The main difference is that the prototypes are not made using the mass production processes that will be used for the product itself, as these do not yet exist.
The key role of a prototype is to reduce the risk of design mistakes. If a plastic is not thick enough on some part of a product, a component might come loose, injuring the user. This could result in the manufacturer being sued, and the mass production equipment requiring expensive modifications. By using prototypes, manufacturers can gain confidence in their designs and can justify the investment required to put them into production.
