Project Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF), Division of Design, Manufacture and Industrial Engineering, REU Program
Principal Investigators: Sven K. Esche and Constantin Chassapis
Undergraduate Research Assistants: to be determined
Amount: $15,188
Project Duration: September 1, 2003 - May 31, 2004
In this REU project, the manufacturing cost modeling in the various stages of the product development cycle will be investigated where exact information on the product itself, the materials to be used, the manufacturing processes to be implemented, etc. might not be available yet. Therefore, a stochastic modeling approach will be employed. Subsequently, the process of design decision making based on the outcome of the cost modeling will be studied.
The two participating students will consider the injection molding and forging processes, respectively, which both represent manufacturing processes with widespread application. The project will include the programming of the resulting stochastic cost models using MATLAB. The later stages of this project will also involve simulations of the injection molding and forging processes with Moldflow and Deform, respectively, in order to more accurately determine some of the processing parameters that are contained in the cost models for the later stages of the development cycle.
This project draws on the effective integration of scholarly research and education to attract a diversified pool of talented undergraduate students into careers in engineering. It helps to ensure that the students receive the best education possible. An active research experience during the undergraduate program is widely considered to be one of the most effective ways to attract talented undergraduates to careers in engineering.