Elements of Axiomatic Design

Professor Christopher A. Brown
This title contains a video textbook on Axiomatic Design in multiple modules of 10 to 20 minutes each. Axiomatic Design is a powerful engineering design method, which is based on two axioms and a systematic decomposition of problems. Basic and intermediate levels are covered. This material is used for a part of courses on Axiomatic Design of Manufacturing Processes, offered by Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Mechanical Engineering Department and two of its programs: Materials Science and Manufacturing. A little course specific material is included, the rest is of general interest. The part on manufacturing processes is included in another larger video book encompassing both topics.

This part includes:
1. AD Basics (11 modules)
1.1. Intro –What is design? Is design a scientific discipline?
1.2. What makes a design good?
1.3. Examples of Axiom One
1.4. How can a design solution be rendered semantically?
1.5. Decomposition rules
1.6. Example: ski bindings, steering columns, machine-machine interactions
1.7. Axiom 2
1.8. Constraints
1.9. Matrix and manipulation
1.10. Design reviews
1.11. Summary of basic AD
2. Intermediate AD (11 modules)
2.1. Introduction
2.2. FRs and Theme selection - CEME min
2.3. Decomposition techniques
2.4. Classification of procedural errors in FR definition - Thompson ICAD 2013
2.5. CNs and the requirements process - Thompson CIRP 2013
2.6. Kinds of coupling (ICAD paper from Florence)
2.7. Inheriting coupling – child to parent
2.8. AD of MFP considering coupling (Brown ICAD paper 2014)
2.9. Tolerances and the relations between FRs, DPs and PVs
2.10. Developing design equations
2.11. Summary, innovation, and value chain