Title: A set-based-inspired design process supported by axiomatic design and interactive evolutionary algorithms

Authors: Mikael Ström; Krister Wolff; Jeremy Jean-Jean; Göran Gustafsson; Ola Isaksson; Hans Johannesson

Addresses: RISE IVF AB, PO Box 104, SE-431 22 Mölndal, Sweden ' Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden ' Polestar, Assar Gabrielssons Väg 9, SE-418 78 Gothenburg, Sweden ' Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden ' Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden ' Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract: This paper presents an approach towards a set-based design-inspired concept development process for products with a solution space consisting principally of different solution alternatives and parameterised variants of these. The hypothesis is that such a concept development process can be based on traditional synthesis methods, an SBD-inspired elimination strategy, axiomatic design and interactive Evolutionary Algorithms (IEAs) for the synthesis of solution candidates and the successive reduction of the solution space. Axiomatic design and its axioms are used to evaluate and eliminate unfeasible alternatives, whereas IEAs, combined with human judgement, are employed for the evaluation and elimination of variants. Stated criteria specifying a design problem can be of different kinds with different ontologies described by different authors. This study focuses on functional, constraining and qualitative criteria. Results from performed industrial case studies show that the proposed method can reduce the lead time in design work.

Keywords: concept development; set-based design; axiomatic design; interactive evolutionary algorithms; qualitative criterion; product development.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2023.133054

International Journal of Product Development, 2023 Vol.27 No.3, pp.186 - 212

Received: 27 Jan 2021
Received in revised form: 03 Feb 2022
Accepted: 31 Mar 2022
Published online: 29 Aug 2023 *

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