Concurrent engineering must characterize a company’s product life cycle management. Concurrent engineering is a mindset; it is a way of doing things. Concurrent engineering enables the company to develop cost-efficient systems in developing products that consumers need. However, in order for it to thrive, concurrent engineering requires a certain type of organizational culture that was previously established within the company. At the same time, its success is dependent on the application of the right tools. Concurrent engineering’s success depends on the appropriate use of 3D printing technology.
The Importance of Concurrent Engineering
Concurrent engineering is an offshoot of the 1990s business paradigm called lean management systems, and its core principle rests on the idea of reducing waste and eliminating constraints in order to improve the overall efficiency of the company’s production processes (Parsaei and Sullivan 62). Rapid prototyping is also a related concept and the application of concurrent engineering principles compels corporate leaders to establish effective communication systems, as well as practices that will help eliminate costly mistakes and speed up delivery time (Stjepandic and Wognum 288).
In the world of product development, concurrent engineering is also known as Simultaneous Engineering or Integrated Product Development (Moustapha 4). It was created in response to the inherent problems of conventional production systems. In the past, the conventional way of designing and manufacturing products followed an assembly line approach. It is not much different from the antiquated production process paradigm found in most factories. The manufacturing team jumpstarts the process by providing design ideas to the manufacturing engineers. After creating a prototype, the product goes through a series of approval process. After this critical stage, the production team gears up to handle the first batch of output from the production lines. After completing the first stage of the manufacturing process, the marketing department gets the task to sell the product to prospective customers. In other words, it is a serial development process that creates multiple opportunities for mistakes to pile up one after the other until business leaders are made aware of design flaws and other issues that leads to disappointing sales figures (Moustapha 5).
Concurrent engineering attempts to minimize mistakes by allowing continuous feedback from different stakeholders (Parsaei and Sullivan 64). In other words, concurrent engineering does not allow mistakes and design flaws to pile one after the other, because a system is in place to rectify mistakes within the flow of the design process. There is a multi-directional flow of information coming from “product design, market analysis, materials procurement, product cost estimation, machining, assembly, inspection, customer service, maintenance, and product disposal” (Parsaei and Sullivan 4). Thus, manufacturing firms are able to produce products that are in demand using resources that are available to the company.
3D Printing Technology
Information technology, sophisticated communication devices, state-of-the art equipment, and high-tech computer software play important roles in the creation of an effective concurrent engineering system within the organization. However, enhancing the company’s cost-efficiency level in the 21st century is impossible without the use of 3D printing technology.
3D printing technology speeds up the design and manufacturing process because of rapid prototyping (Bordegoni and Rizzi 167). This technology expedites the creation of a prototype with specific design requirements. Designers, corporate executives, and other stakeholders are given a tangible example of the proposed idea. Thus, the manufacturing process takes less time to complete, and high quality outputs are expected on a regular basis (Bordegoni and Rizzi 167).
In the past, 3D computer graphics provides an excellent way to experience product life cycle visualization. However, 3D printing goes beyond the benefits of computer graphics. It enables designers to generate the object. This capability reduces costly mistakes as it enhances the company’s evaluation capabilities, such as: 1) ergonomic and usability checks; and 2) manufacturing and assembly verification (Bordegoni and Rizzi 167).
It is interesting to note that the 3D printing technology is similar to the ink jet printing process. According to expert practitioners, “The x-y plane is the base where we begin; the z-axis denotes height. If you shrink the z-axis to zero, you will have a paper that is generated by a 2D printer” (Zukas and Zukas 2). Both of these technologies share common ground when it comes to the use of a dispenser to apply a certain material into a flat surface. 3D printing uses the same basic principles; however, the main difference is the presence of a design concept called the Cartesian robot. This contraption can move “in three linear directions, along the x, y, and z axes, also known as the Cartesian coordinates” (Evans 2). Aside from the Cartesian robot, the most important component of any 3D printing device is the stepper motor, because it can move with great precision and accuracy (Evans 2). A typical 3D printing equipment contains several stepper motors. The stepper motors enable the accurate and precise movement of the thermoplastic extruder that lays down layer upon layer of hot plastic until a three-dimensional object is formed. A thermoplastic is a special type of material that transforms into a semi-liquid state when heated (Evans 3).
A 3D printing tool’s thermoplastic extruder is comprised of two key components, the filament drive and the thermal hot end. A thermoplastic is oftentimes bundled in spools of either 3 millimeters or 1.75 millimeters of filament (Evans 3). Using a geared mechanism, the filament drive feeds the thermoplastic it into the heater chamber (Evans 3). Once the thermoplastic transforms into a semi-liquid state, the material is forced out through a print nozzle with a 0.35 millimeter opening. The thin hot extrusion is deposited onto a print bed one layer after the other.
Conclusion
3D printing technology enhances the company’s concurrent engineering capabilities because of rapid prototyping capabilities. In the past, designers were limited by the inherent weakness of 3D graphics visualization. In this type of visualization the designers have limited evaluation capabilities. Furthermore, design flaws and other problems are undetected until it reaches the latter part of the development process. In the application of concurrent engineering techniques enhanced by 3D printing technology the manufacturing team are able to generate a three-dimensional object, a tangible example of the proposed idea. As a result, the 3D printer’s output enhances the feedback mechanism. As a result, 3D printing leads to the emergence of better product designs. At the same time, the process creates a product in accordance to the demands of consumers, and considers the challenges created by materials procurement, product cost estimation, machining, assembly, inspection, customer service, maintenance, and product disposal. Success with 3D printing technology is manifested through higher productivity and lower production costs.
References
Bordegoni, Monica and Caterina Rizzi. Innovation in Product Design: From CAD to Virtual Prototyping. New York: Springer, 2011. Print.
Evans, Brian. Practical 3D Printers: The Science and Art of 3D Printing. New York: Springer, 2012. Print.
Moustapha, Imad. Concurrent Engineering in Product Design and Development. New Delhi: New Age Publishers, 2003. Print.
Parsaei, Hamid and William Sullivan. Concurrent Engineering: Contemporary Issues and Modern Design Tools. New York: Springer, 2012. Print.
Stjepandic, Josip and Noel Wognum. Concurrent Engineering in the 21st Century. New York: Springer, 2015. Print.
Zukas, Victoria and Jonas Zukas. An Introduction to 3D Printing. Sarasota, FL: First Edition Design Publishing, 2015. Print.