Graham Green’s research while affiliated with University of Glasgow and other places

There is a need for a research management methodology that will utilise research methods on an individual basis and when combined in a multi-method approach. An agreed methodology would enable rapid progress in achieving agreement on the main issues within engineering design research. Researchers at the University of Glasgow have developed a conceptual management methodology, testing it on three engineering design research projects. This paper describes the methodology and presents results indicating its ability to enable rigorous triangulation of research results obtained via different methods and across different research projects forming the basis of an effective management tool.

The continuing development of Rapid Prototyping technologies and the introduction of Concept Modelling technologies means that their use is expanding into a greater range of applications. The primary aim of this paper is to give the reader an overview of the current state of the art in Layered Manufacturing (LM) technology and its applicability in the field of architecture. The paper reports on the findings of a benchmarking study, conducted by the Rapid Design and Manufacturing (RDM) Group in Glasgow [G.J. Ryder, A. McGown, W. Ion, G. Green, D. Harrison, B. Wood, Rapid Prototyping Feasibility Report, Rapid Prototyping Group, Glasgow School of Art, 1998.], which identified that the applicability of LM technologies in any application can be governed by a series of critical process and application specific issues. A further survey carried out by the RDM group investigated current model making practice, current 3D CAD use and current use of LM technologies within the field of architecture. The findings are then compared with the capabilities of LM technologies. Future research needs in this area are identified and briefly outlined.

The University of Glasgow and the School of Design at the Glasgow School of Art have joined forces to redefine the nature of an engineering curriculum and produce a degree program that is rich in both creative design culture and design engineering skills. Graduates of this program are able, creatively, to critically analyze, evaluate and solve a diverse range of design and engineering problems, including their own life-long learning. This innovative curriculum enables graduates to enter the workforce as true reflective practitioners. This paper examines what can be achieved as a result of breaking down traditional engineering education barriers.

Sketching is one of the most important activities in the design and development of new products. Designers produce sketches, from concept design ideas through to highly detailed representations of product artifacts, product sub-assemblies and so on, to communicate with themselves and with others. To this end, the focus of this paper is the description of a study of student designers at work in the early stages of design, with particular emphasis on the visible sketching component of the design process. The study has been carried out to firstly investigate the sketching activity and secondly to explore methods or techniques which might improve the efficiency of this activity. In particular, the paper describes a technique, based upon three types of operation, namely lateral transformations, vertical transformations and duplication, that occur between designer's sketches. These transformations can be used to help track the designer's thinking mode which, it is envisaged, will increase the efficiency of the sketching activity.

The successful design and manufacture of today's increasingly complex engineering products relies to an ever greater extent upon the production and communication of information. The majority of design research to date has concentrated on supporting the information-rich latter stages of design and concerned itself with the distribution of product descriptions for the embodiment and manufacture of products. The conceptual stages of design, typified by vague knowledge and shifting goals, have been excluded from the research investigation. While computer processing power, storage facilities and organisational capabilities could prove useful within the early stages of design what tangible evidence do designers produce that could be captured by digital techniques? This paper studies designers at work in the early stages of design, concentrating on the visible sketching component of the design activity so that it might be understood and its efficiency subsequently improved by computer support.

This paper deals with the background of ODD: Open Dynamic Design. This project aims at the development of a reference in the understanding, teaching and training on engineering design, in relation to the specific industrial needs. The ODD-project first phase started about 5 years ago, to find out which design engineering theories and methods were really applicable in industry and under which conditions. The ODD-philosophy and the first feedback from the results of this new approach will be presented.

RÉSUMÉ Les résultats présentés dans cette communication sont issus de travaux effectués dans le cadre des projets européens ODD (Open Dynamic Design) et DODD (Dissemination of Open Dynamic Design), dont la vocation est de disséminer et de promouvoir les résultats de ODD. Ce projet financé par la DG XXII de la commission européenne sur la base du programme Leonardo da Vinci a pour but de proposer un référentiel européen en matière de formation d'ingénieur en conception de produits mécaniques. Depuis le lancement du projet en décembre 1998, un nombre important d'études ont été menées auprès des différents partenaires pour comparer leurs pratiques et approches méthodologiques en matière de conception. Ce travail a mis en avant l'existence d'une grande variété de méthodes de conception qui emploient des techniques et des outils supports spécifiques. Cette importante diversité fait qu'il n'est pas évident de savoir précisément comment et quand les utiliser au mieux en regard d'un contexte donné. Enfin, il semble également difficile de définir et de mettre en oeuvre une méthode d'ingénierie universelle et générique pouvant répondre à tous les besoins. MOTS-CLÉS Conception mécanique, Formation d'ingénieur, Projet européen, Etude de terrain.