Award Abstract # 0133923
CAREER: Product Platform Modeling and Customization

NSF Org: CMMI
Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation
Recipient: THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: January 14, 2002
Latest Amendment Date: October 27, 2004
Award Number: 0133923
Award Instrument: Standard Grant
Program Manager: Judy M. Vance
CMMI
 Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation
ENG
 Directorate for Engineering
Start Date: January 15, 2002
End Date: December 31, 2007 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $375,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $381,000.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2002 = $375,000.00
FY 2005 = $6,000.00
History of Investigator:
  • Timothy Simpson (Principal Investigator)
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
201 OLD MAIN
UNIVERSITY PARK
PA  US  16802-1503
(814)865-1372
Sponsor Congressional District: 15
Primary Place of Performance: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
201 OLD MAIN
UNIVERSITY PARK
PA  US  16802-1503
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
15
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): NPM2J7MSCF61
Parent UEI:
NSF Program(s): ESD-Eng & Systems Design
Primary Program Source: app-0102 
app-0105 
Program Reference Code(s): 1045, 1187, 9102, 9148, 9178, 9231, MANU
Program Element Code(s): 146400
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.041

ABSTRACT

The research objectives of this CAREER Award are to establish a foundation for a decision-based approach to product family design and develop metamodeling strategies for web-based product platform customization. The first objective will investigate methods for generating product platform alternatives and modeling the associated costs, demand, and uncertainties of the products within the corresponding product family derived from each platform alternative. The second research objective will enable rapid customization of platform variants via the Internet. The educational objectives in this CAREER Award will engage students in problem-based learning through industry-focused projects in product family design and customization and assess the effectiveness of the proposed educational activities at enhancing student learning and student's attitudes toward lifelong learning. These educational objectives will be integrated within
three undergraduate courses and one graduate course. Product dissection activities to expose freshmen and women and minority students in grades K-12 to design and product families will also be developed. Three industrial partners -- Durametal, Flowserve, and Ivalo Lighting -- will collaborate in the proposed research and educational activities.

If successful, the results of this research will help companies reduce development costs and time-to-market while increasing product variety and customization. Strategies for web-based platform customization will also enhance customer interaction and improve customer satisfaction. The proposed research will foster the development of design methods and tools that can be used to design families of products that meet a wide range of rapidly changing customer requirements. The educational activities will help prepare students to succeed in today's highly competitive digital and global marketplace in which companies are constantly striving to shorten time-to-market and increase product variety while reducing costs. The research and educational activities will also establish a foundation for a long-term career in engineering design research and education.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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(Showing: 1 - 10 of 18)
Alizon, F., Khadke, K., Thevenot, H. J., Gershenson, J. K., Marion, T. J., Shooter, S. B. and Simpson, T. W. "Frameworks for Product Design and Development" Concurrent Engineering: Research and Applications , v.15 , 2007 , p.187
D'Souza, B. and Simpson, T. W. "A Genetic Algorithm Based Method for Product Family Design Optimization" Engineering Optimization , v.35 , 2003 , p.1
Farrell, R. S. and Simpson, T. W. "A Method to Improve Platform Leveraging in a Market Segmentation Grid for an Existing Product Line" ASME Journal of Mechanical Design , v.130 , 2008 , p.031403
Farrell, R. S., Stump, G., Park, J. and Simpson, T. W. "Prototype Implementation of a Virtual Product Family through a Web-based Custom Product Specification System" International Journal of Mass Customization , v.2 , 2007 , p.161
Jiao, J., Simpson, T.W. and Siddique, Z. "Product Family Design and Platform-based Product Development: A State-of-the-Art Review" Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing , v.18 , 2007 , p.5
Marion, T. J., Thevenot, H. J. and Simpson, T. W. "A Cost-based Methodology for Evaluating Product Platform Commonality Sourcing Decisions with Two Examples" International Journal of Production Research , v.45 , 2007 , p.5285
Nanda, J., Thevenot, H. J., Simpson, T. W., Stone, R. B., Bohm, M. and Shooter, S. B. "Product Family Design Knowledge Representation, Aggregation, Reuse, and Analysis" Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing , v.21 , 2007 , p.173
Park, J. and Simpson, T. W. "Development of a Production Cost Estimation Framework to Support Product Family Design" International Journal of Product Research , v.43 , 2005 , p.731
Park, J. and Simpson, T.W. "Toward an Activity-Based Costing System for Product Families and Product Platforms in the Early Stages of Development" International Journal of Production Research , v.46 , 2008 , p.99
Simpson, T. W. "Experiences with a Hands-on Activity to Contrast Craft Production and Mass Production in the Classroom" International Journal of Engineering Education , v.19 , 2003 , p.297
Simpson, T.W. "Product Platform Design and Customization: Status and Promise" Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing , v.18 , 2004 , p.3
(Showing: 1 - 10 of 18)

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