INTRODUCTION
For
companies worldwide, design has become strategic,
the very core of their efforts to differentiate
what they create and produce. Design is becoming
a commodity,
which was formerly thought of as great design is
now seen merely as good, what was once exceptional
is now
standard. Managers everywhere are turning to style,
usability, special materials, and aesthetics, the
tools of design, to innovate. The differentiation
of products and services increasingly requires
a much
higher level
of execution. In design, envisioned application
domains as electro-mechanical systems, chemical
processes,
electronics and buildings, to name a few are increasing
excellence.
To reach new levels of competitiveness, companies must
be at the forefront in the design of new, innovative
artifacts that take advantage of their talent to develop
and utilize new technologies. These artifacts include
original electronic-mechanical devices, optimally developed
chemical processes, reconfigurable and intelligent devices,
and innovative manufacturing processes that create structures
of heterogeneous materials.
Fitting to rapid technological advances in materials,
manufacturing processes, and information technologies,
the design techniques developed currently effective
complex competitive environment. The vision is
to create support technologies and systems for
WEB collaborative
design and information-driven manufacturing.
The research targets are to provide an order of
magnitude improvement
in time and cost for modeling, design and manufacture
compared (lead-time) to present methods.
The researchers collaborate in pursuing multidisciplinary
projects that are developing algorithms, software tools
and systems for Agent-based Design and Manufacturing,
Intelligent CAD, analysis of complex Electro-mechanical
assemblies, Simulations, Optimization of Large Scale
Systems, Rapid Prototyping (physical and virtual), Shape
Deposition Manufacturing (SDM), Information Management
and Visualization.
Design is an omnipresent activity in each and every
one engineering disciplines, ensuring quality, timeliness,
manufacturability and marketability of engineering designs
as a essential subject in product development. Engineering
Design is intended to provide a company methodological
basis for engineering design that will be largely applicable
in all engineering areas. The requirements for more formal
foundation in design consist in interdisciplinary design
tools, which emphasize design methodology, teamwork,
and software involving CAD and 3D simulation.
Design
Research is focused on knowledge and increasing
engineering design innovation to facilitate
individual creativity, comprehending the team design
process, and developing advanced tools and methods
that promote superior design and manufacturing
of products.
The research comprises to develop concepts and
technical solutions for design concept, concurrent
engineering,
distributed collaborative design, and design knowledge
capture, indexing and recycle. Focus on methods
and tools for improving the design of specific
engineering systems,
with research in structural integrity evaluation
and system modeling, virtual design environments,
ergonomics,
biometric robots, vehicle dynamics, and driver
assistance systems.