Systems engineering and multi-disciplinary design optimization

Abstract

The worlds of Systems Engineering and Multi-disciplinary Design Optimization are distinct disciplines which represent the qualitative and quantitative side of product development methodology. Merging these two worlds would improve the applicability of both. This will,however, require a substantial range of additional concepts, methods and tools on both sides. The Design and Engineering Engine is such a concept. It sets a framework in which part of the abstractions from Systems Engineering can be implemented using the Multi-disciplinary Design Optimization approach as a structured design domain search. The Design and Engineering Engine adds the concepts of High-Level Primitives and Capability Modules to structure a-priori product family characterization and re-usability of engineering processes. The potential of the concepts has been shown successful in several pilot projects. © 2008 Springer-Verlag London Limited.