An Industrial-design specification Tool

We are creating a prototype of our Industrial-design specification tool

by using it for

the design and prototype-production process 

of a bicycle-trailer. 

This app will be used to specify, 

not only the structure of the design 

: and its tune-able parameters :, 

but also its construction process 

(individual part creation,  assembly and disassembly)

: and its packaging and transportation :.  

The first step in creating this prototype is

the visual specification of a roadster bicycle and trailer attachment.

Dependency: Completion and launch of of existing wxWidgets InterUnit-UI SDK in October.

We focus on the design of metal-based structures.

Industrial design involves 

• A choice of materials
• Knowledge of available machining techniques
• Method to create joints and other connections using fasteners
• Some ergonomic design and designing for longevity 
• 
  
• Design process Development 

Design process Development

A design process has to be developed for any industrial design

 using locally or easily accessible resources 

such as materials and machining services. 

This helps save time.

For example, to design some aspects of a land-vehicle, 

you could study some design parameters of an existing, 

identify possible design changes, 

and modify an existing land-vehicle unit to test these modifications.

This is an iterative process. 

Computer aids in the industrial design process

A computer based tool can assist this process

 with a precise design specification 

that makes it easy to communicate these design changes.

Other computer aids in the process:

• Design for manufacturing (DFM) 

Incorporate rules specified by a manufacturing process into the design process.

• Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM)

CNC machines or computer controller milling machines

3D printing.

Existing Tools

Primary:

SOLIDWORKS 

Autodesk Inventor

Other Tools:

Creo

Siemens NX

Siemens Solide

A design specification facilitates the production of a physical design,

both at prototype-test stage, when it is used by a fabricator or an assembler, 

and at production stage, when it used by a factory.

Land-vehicle Design Specification
How do you describe the design of a wheel-barrow? a bicycle? a motorcycle? a car?

A wheelbarrow design example

A wheelbarrow is easy to describe. Its construction is simple. 

2 wheels, a container. 2 handles to push the wheelbarrow.

Then if you want someone to build you that design, 

you have to get into details and that is a process of specification. 

The wheels have to roll around an axle. 

The axle has to be attached to the container. 

The handles have to be attached to the container. 

(This is structural specification). 

Then you have to choose the width and diameter of the axle. 

The material to be used (solid steel, heavy gauge iron pipe etc). 

Then you have to specify the wheel geometry and Its hub characteristics. 

(This is still all structural specification). 

Then there is construction-process specification. 

How the axle will fit through the hub.

How the wheel will be prevented from moving across the axle. 

How friction at the wheel-hub axle interface will be handled.

How will you attach the container frame,

which is likely made of flat or angled iron strips,

to the circular cross-section axle. 

Similarly, how you will attach the handles to the container, 

their choice of material (e.g. wooden holding sections attached to iron angled strips).

This could still be called structural specification 

but relates more to the construction-processes involved

(and less to the resulting structural form).

Surface Materials

Then you might specify surface materials

and how they are to be affixed to the (metal) frame. 

Such as rubber coatings for the wooden handles. 

The material to be used for the bed of the container and the one for the side walls.

Tolerances

Then you might specify tolerances. 

If there are threads cut onto the outer surface of the axle, 

how closely should they be spaced 

(which effects the ease of tightening or loosening the nuts),

e.g.  (1mm, 1.5mm 2mm) per turn. 

How well do you ensure the axle is perpendicular to both handles. 

How wide apart are the handles, what is their length?

Both factors effect how easy the wheelbarrow will be to turn.

Summary

Approximately, the process of specifying a design involves 

describing the final structure and how it will be built.

 Structural specification and Construction-process specification.

Observation

Design and construction/production are related to each other

in the following way: 

The ability of the designer to predict the produce-ability of a design

improves over time. 

Once this ability is good enough, design iterations are efficient. 

So the process of design becomes more efficient over time.