A Grammar-Based Model for the Mass Customisation of Chairs: Modelling the Optimisation Part

Abstract

This research presents a methodology to develop and implement a generative design system as the technological model for mass customisation in the furniture industry. The generative design system comprises two subsystems that permit the generation and the evaluation of customised designs within a predefined design language. The shape generation subsystem is defined by shape grammars and parametric design models. The shape evaluation subsystem encompasses simulation and optimisation to guarantee the structural feasibility of the customised designs under operating conditions. This paper focuses on the modelling activities regarding the constitution of the optimisation part of the shape evaluation subsystem. Structural optimisation using simulated annealing is applied to assist the designer in the automatic search for an optimal grammar-based detailed solution. The theoretical model is illustrated by its application to a symbolic mass production problem: Thonet bentwood chairs, which were changed to comply with the mass customisation paradigm.