2D drawings and annotated 3D models contain very different information. Moving from a largely paper-based product definition to annotated 3D models, or Model-Based Definition, is not a straightforward process. How can we ensure our models contain the right information? Who decides what’s “right”?
Think of drawing-based product definition as our elderly great-grandparent. She’s been around for ages. Her routines are fairly predictable. Now consider Model-Based Definition as our growing and changing teenager. He’s still growing into his own and, understandably, a bit awkward. So we ask fellow parent friends for advice on tough matters.
Enter Dr. Nathan Hartman of the Purdue University Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Center of Excellence. He’s working with representatives across various manufacturing sectors (his fellow parent friends) to figure out the right information to be stored in the model. And he’s taking a research-based approach (which is more than most of us with parents of teenagers can claim) using the modified Delphi method to work towards establishing consensus on the critical information necessary to define Model-Based Definition.
What is the Delphi method? From Wikipedia:
The Delphi method is a structured communication technique or method, originally developed as a systematic, interactive forecasting method which relies on a panel of experts. The experts answer questionnaires in two or more rounds. After each round, a facilitator or change agent provides an anonymous summary of the experts’ forecasts from the previous round as well as the reasons they provided for their judgments. Thus, experts are encouraged to revise their earlier answers in light of the replies of other members of their panel. It is believed that during this process the range of the answers will decrease and the group will converge towards the “correct” answer. Finally, the process is stopped after a predefined stop criterion (e.g. number of rounds, achievement of consensus, stability of results) and the mean or median scores of the final rounds determine the results. Delphi is based on the principle that forecasts (or decisions) from a structured group of individuals are more accurate than those from unstructured groups.
Dr. Nathan Hartman will present at the 3D Collaboration and Interoperability Congress (3D CIC) about this study to identify critical information necessary to define Model-Based Definition, including the study’s motivation, results to date, and early conclusions. 3D CIC will be held in Golden, Colorado on October 25 & 26, 2016.
Presentation Title: Identifying Critical Information for Model-Based Product Definition
Abstract: As the manufacturing industry evolves towards using annotated 3D models, commonly called Model-Based Definition (MBD), as the communications mechanism to convey information through the product lifecycle, it relies on a Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) to use MBD as a way to transition away from traditional paper-based drawings and documentation. Historically, drawings were rich in information content, using the manufacturing context to give meaning to specialized jargon and symbology. As companies have continued to widely adopt MBD methods and tools, the debate about what information should be stored in a model has intensified. The creation of a model is much different than the creation of a drawing in terms of information content and the technology used to create and display the information. As such, it is imperative to understand what information is needed in the transition from drawings to models so that models represent all the relevant information needed for processes to continue efficiently, just as drawings did over the centuries. Building on previous work, this study used a modified Delphi method in an attempt to establish consensus across various manufacturing sectors regarding the critical information necessary to define an MBD in a particular space. This presentation will focus on the motivation for conducting the study, the results to date, and any conclusions drawn from those results.
About the Presenter: Nathan Hartman is the Dauch Family Professor of Advanced Manufacturing and Associate Department Head in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University, and Director of the Purdue University Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Center of Excellence. Dr. Hartman is also Co-Executive Director of the Indiana Next-generation Manufacturing Competitiveness Center. In 2011, Professor Hartman was designated a University Faculty Scholar.
Professor Hartman’s research areas focus on the process and methodology for creating model-based definitions; examining the use of the model-based definition in the product lifecycle; developing the model-based enterprise; geometry automation; and data interoperability and re-use. He has been awarded over $9,000,000 in research funding to support his work, primarily from industrial and manufacturing corporations. Professor Hartman’s industry research partners include Rolls Royce, Cummins, Boeing, GM, Rockwell Collins, Textron, Gulfstream, Procter & Gamble, GM, Honda, and others. He has also done funded research work through NSF and NIST programs.
Professor Hartman currently teaches courses in 3D modeling, virtual collaboration, 3D data interoperability, and graphics standards and data exchange. Professor Hartman also leads a team in the development and delivery of online PLM professional education certificate programs for Purdue’s various industry partners. He also works closely with the Ivy Tech Community College system around design technologies and digital manufacturing curricula to support Indiana’s education and workforce development needs. Professor Hartman holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Purdue University and a Doctorate from North Carolina State University. Dr. Hartman spent over eight years working in industry for Fairfield Manufacturing Company, Caterpillar, and Rand Worldwide.
More about 3D CIC:
The 2016 theme for the 3D Collaboration and Interoperability Congress is Commercial Applications of Model-Based Business Process, focused on real commercial users sharing their MBD/MBE journeys and experiences. Join Action Engineering at 3D CIC in Golden, Colorado on October 25 & 26, 2016. Click here to learn more about and register for 3D CIC.
