Web-Based Self-Paced Virtual Prototyping Tutorials

1. Web-Based Self-Paced Virtual Prototyping Tutorials Chin Pei Tang Graduate Student chintang@eng.buffalo.edu Rajankumar Bhatt Graduate Student rmbhatt@eng.buffalo.edu Leng-Feng Lee Undergraduate Student llee3@eng.buffalo.edu Venkat Krovi Assistant Professor vkrovi@eng.buffalo.edu Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering State University of New York at Buffalo 318 Jarvis Hall, Buffalo NY 14260 Automation, Robotics & Mechatronics Laboratory (ARM Lab) http://mechatronics.eng.buffalo.edu

2. VP in Engineering • Virtual Prototyping (VP) – Simulation-Based Design (SBD) – has gained popularity in most engineering design processes. • Significant demand from industry for students trained in this methodology. • However, not much room in engineering curriculum permits widespread adoption in the lecture-based classroom currently. http://www.dynamicdesignermotion.com/

3. Tutorials Goal • Introduce VP to students in Machines and Mechanism Design • Develop a series of Web-Based Self-Paced Tutorials, permit the students to: • Create engineering analysis models • Develop skills for interactive SBD • Develop engineering judgment http://www.eng.buffalo.edu/Courses/mae412/tutorials/index.html

4. Criteria met? Conventional Approach $$$ 1. Conceptual Design 2. Build Physical Prototype 3. Measure Performance and Test No 4. Modify Physical Prototype Yes 5. Manufacture Product

5. 1. Conceptual Design 2. Build Virtual Prototype 3. Measure Performance and Test by Simulation No 4. Refine Virtual Prototype Criteria met? Criteria met? Yes 5. Build Physical Prototype 6. Test Physically No Yes 7. Manufacture Product Less $ !!! Virtual Prototyping

6. Why VP now? • The availability of low-cost PC based parametric simulation and analysis tools. • The capability of integrating multiple functionalities into a unified environment. http://www.dynamicdesignermotion.com/

7. Need for Our Tutorials • Our students do not have experience with • Operating the CAD application software • Analyzing the resulting output • Factors impeding wide-spread adoption of existing tutorials to directly augment the engineering class: • The vendors’ tutorials may be targeted at more experienced user. • The overall complexity and time required to learn these tools. • Lack of linkage (to the course material)

8. Traditional Approach • Concepts and ideas of mechanism theory are delivered in class-room based lecture. • Mathematical formulation are emphasized. • Approach limits the complexity of the model handled.

9. VP Approach VP allows us to: • Quantitatively analyze complex mechanisms and their motions. • Interactively examine many different alternatives • Interactively animate motions of the mechanism Grashof Non-Grashof However, is a “black box” approach

10. Grashof Non-Grashof Our Philosophy Link Traditional Approach and VP Approach Link Traditional Approach VP Approach

11. Implementation Phase 1 Get familiarized to the tools Understand various mechanisms Phase 2 Develop engineering judgment skills Introduce VP into engineering design process Phase 3 Build physical systems based on SBD