A unity sketch based modelling environment for virtual assembly and machining to evaluate DFMA metrics

Current tools used to carry out design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) evaluations are time consuming to use. This increases the cost of bringing a product to market by extending the length of the design process. The steps that comprise the design, analysis and redesign process are typically carried out in series over long periods of time using different tools. Introducing concurrent engineering practices could significantly reduce the time taken to complete this process and improve workplace DFMA learning. An opportunity exists to create and test an integrated real-time DFMA tool using the UNITY game engine, which could potentially address these problems. If this approach can be achieved it has the potential to decrease the time taken for the design process and enable a greater number of solutions to be considered potentially leading to a more optimal design solution. Having a more optimal design could lead to major cost reduction in later stages of product development by reducing the work needed to plan and carry out the manufacturing process and creating a product that is easier and less costly to maintain.
This paper reports on a pilot haptic sketch-based system to investigate its feasibility to conduct concurrent DFMA.