The creation of an interdisciplinary design course, the BSc (Hons) Product Design Technology had ... more The creation of an interdisciplinary design course, the BSc (Hons) Product Design Technology had been reported in IEPDE04. The academic year 2004/2005 saw the first cohort graduating from this course. Generally speaking, favourable feedback has been received for the performances of this first cohort of graduates who had demonstrated their competency in the areas of engineering design and industrial design through their final year design projects. The individual final year design project is an important part of the final year syllabus in which sufficient time and other resources are made available to each final year student to realise a fully functional product prototype through complete design and manufacturing processes. However, a number of issues had also been identified. In addition, the important issue of product design in a global context had also been highlighted by the graduates who had benefited from overseas placements, principally those in Asia. This paper discusses important issues and briefly presents the developments and enhancements in teaching approaches and design curriculums which have been designed to address the various issues identified, including the influence of globalisation and improve the students' learning experiences and effectiveness.
International Journal of Technology and Engineering Studies, 2017
Lean manufacturing systems have been established to remove or diminish manufacturing waste and th... more Lean manufacturing systems have been established to remove or diminish manufacturing waste and thus increase operational performance in manufacturing practices. The concept of lean thinking originated from the Toyota production system that determined the value-added activities or steps from non-value added activities or steps; and removing waste so that all phases add value to the process. This study examines the quality management processes which are utilized by Libyan manufacturing companies, and offers a methodology to develop a lean manufacturing framework. The literature review identified very few studies relevant to the use of quality improvement techniques in Libya; and no previous studies related specifically to waste reduction and lean systems, and the barriers that prevent lean manufacturing from being implemented in Libyan manufacturing companies. There are several difficulties that are facing lean manufacturing implementation in Libya such as lack of top management support, poor awareness of the importance of the system from workers, absence of lean training programs, and inadequate infrastructure and economic support. This paper presents types of mixed methods designs and the benefits of using them and the research methodology to develop an understanding in order to determine the barriers behind the lack of lean manufacturing implementation in the Libyan manufacturing sector. Having an understanding of the difficulties that face the implementation of lean manufacturing systems, as a new and modern system and using this to develop a suitable framework will help to improve the manufacturing sector in Libya.
Polymer surface patterning and modification at micro/nano scale has been discovered 16 with great... more Polymer surface patterning and modification at micro/nano scale has been discovered 16 with great impact in applications such as microfluidics and biomedical technologies. We proposed 17 a highly efficient fabricating method for polymer surface which had control over the surface 18 roughness. This was achieved by polymer positive diffusion effect (PDE) for ion bombarded 19 polymeric hybrid surface through Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology. The PDE was theoretically 20 analyzed by introducing positive diffusion term into the classic theory. The conductivity induced 21 PDE constant was discussed as functions of substrates conductivity, ion energy and flux. Theoretical 22 analysis results successfully predicted the experiential results on the conductivity-induced PDE 23 effect on surface roughness control and patterning milling depth. Resulted micro-roughness 24 patterns have demonstrated surface wettability control in hydrophobic and superhydrophobic 25 surfaces (contact angles CA ran...
The sand casting process is utilised for over 70% of all castings, the traditional this process r... more The sand casting process is utilised for over 70% of all castings, the traditional this process requires a disposable sand mould, A pattern the shape of the product to be manufactured, plus manufacturing features is used to create the cavity. Additive Manufacturing processes have been used to generate the sand mould tools directly without patterns, hence reducing the lead time and manufacturing design constraints. This paper focuses on optimising the characteristics of the 3D Sand Printing process to traditional produced Furan mould tools, cumulating with an automotive turbo charger case study, to validate the build parameters optimisation process.
This paper considers the obstacles that face manufacturing companies in Libya to implement Lean m... more This paper considers the obstacles that face manufacturing companies in Libya to implement Lean manufacturing systems. Lean manufacturing has been developed to eliminate manufacturing wastes and thus improve operational efficiency in many manufacturing processes and industries. This paper aims to evaluate the significance of the barriers to implementing Lean manufacturing in the Libyan environment. In this study a mixed method approach is used, starting with a questionnaire as a quantitative method and followed by conducting interviews to obtain qualitative data. A structured questionnaire was developed and circulated to a large number of manufacturing companies, the paper discusses the findings of the questionnaire and how these can offer an opportunity to develop the interview in the future. The Statistical Package for the Social Science software was used to analyse the data of the surveys. A framework will be proposed to find a suitable implementation process of lean manufacturin...
Polymer surface patterning and modification at the micro/nano scale has been discovered with grea... more Polymer surface patterning and modification at the micro/nano scale has been discovered with great impact in applications such as microfluidics and biomedical technologies. We propose a highly efficient fabricating strategy, to achieve a functional polymer surface, which has control over the surface roughness. The key development in this fabrication method is the polymer positive diffusion effect (PDE) for an ion-bombarded polymeric hybrid surface through focused ion beam (FIB) technology. The PDE is theoretically explored by introducing a positive diffusion term into the classic theory. The conductivity-induced PDE constant is discussed as functions of substrates conductivity, ion energy and flux. The theoretical results agree well with the experiential results on the conductivity-induced PDE, and thus yield good control over roughness and patterning milling depth on the fabricated surface. Moreover, we demonstrate a controllable surface wettability in hydrophobic and superhydropho...
Various aspects of the interdisciplinary design course, the BSc Product Design Technology (PDT) c... more Various aspects of the interdisciplinary design course, the BSc Product Design Technology (PDT) course, including the influences of globalisation, had been explored and reported in IEPDE04 and EPDE06. The role and importance of the design discipline in sustaining UK economic growth has prompted a vertical integration between schools and universities in the provision of design education. In spite of this vertical integration, it is still a challenging task educating and shaping future product designers to enable them to transform their innovative ideas to products for the global market through the iterative design process. Experience shows that a significant proportion of students in product design courses find it difficult to grasp and appreciate the differences between various stages of the design process, particularly the embodiment, detailed design stages and communication of the resultant design through technical drawings. PDT integrates applied sciences and applied arts, interweaving them with participative design modules and supportive taught modules. Pedagogical research specific to PDT in this university is being carried out and the resultant "learners' engagement model", which can form the basis for discipline and strategic development, is used to address some observed weakness in students' performance in design.
Ds 78 Proceedings of the E Pde 2014 16th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design University of Twente the Netherlands, 2014
This paper explores the differing approaches and experiences of two tertiary level courses provid... more This paper explores the differing approaches and experiences of two tertiary level courses provided by two UK University providers within the Product Design subject area. Both institutions provide quite different learning experiences for the students on their courses, both deemed valid in their own right. These differences include syllabus content and delivery, learning environment, to assessment methods. Exploration of student experiences, expectations and aspirations are compared and contextualized in the light of both of these different approaches, one rather engineering biased, the other more creative design focused. Graduate quality from both courses is high, valued by industry and validated by published data on graduate employment rates and roles as provided on behalf of the UK government/Higher Education Authorities. High Employment or further study rates support the assertion that both courses are valued and contribute enormously to the employability of the students undertaking these courses.
Changes in industry require new forms of design education that better prepare students for the re... more Changes in industry require new forms of design education that better prepare students for the realities of concurrent engineering, increased involvement of suppliers in agile manufacturing, and the digitisation and virtualisation of collaboration. This article outlines these challenges for virtual design collaboration and reports first experiences of a distributed design studio (DDS) established between three European universities. In the DDS, students were taught core skills for virtual collaboration and could practice designerclient interaction in an experiential learning environment. The results of a course evaluation (during, at the end and one year after) show that students positively evaluated their own skill development. Student and staff feedback indicated that the embodiment phase proved to be more challenging and the evidence showed it coincided with reduced communication. Overall, the studio format can be seen as a suitable and realistic environment for practicing the relevant skills for virtual teamwork and designer-client communication. As a teaching initiative across institutions, it also served as personal development for staff.
ABSTRACT: This exhibition aims to demonstrate the specific outcomes which have been generated by ... more ABSTRACT: This exhibition aims to demonstrate the specific outcomes which have been generated by students participating in the Globally Distributed Design Studio course conducted across three universities, Delft, Napier and Northumbria. The exhibition of the specific student ...
ABSTRACT: The Globally Distributed Design Studio (GDDS) was developed as a course in which studen... more ABSTRACT: The Globally Distributed Design Studio (GDDS) was developed as a course in which students could practice virtual collaboration and designer-client interaction. Geographi¬cal distance was used to provide students with an experiential learning environment to prepare them ...
The ankle joint is often affected by arthritis, giving a joint that is painful, stiff, and restri... more The ankle joint is often affected by arthritis, giving a joint that is painful, stiff, and restricts movement. This can result in a huge loss of mobility for the sufferer. Unlike replacement of the hip, the replacement of a diseased ankle joint is not as straightforward and the outcomes do not reach the same success levels. The preferred surgical choice is arthrodesis, a procedure whereby the two bones forming the joint are fused together to eliminate the joint and hence pain. The success of the procedure is dependent upon several factors, two of the most significant being the levels of contact area and pressure achieved during the compression period, during which bone growth occurs across the two bones being compressed together. These factors influence joint stability and micromotion at the bone to bone interface during this growth phase. This study investigates the levels of contact areas and pressures that can be achieved for different arthodesis variables. These variables include the joint shape, which can be curved or flat, and the position of the compression pin within the talus, namely anteriorly or centrally positioned with reference to the talar dome. Influence of the Achilles tendon in joint stability is also investigated. A test rig was developed allowing load/deflection curves to be determined for various configurations of these variables. Models representing the bones under consideration, together with pressure sensitive film, allowed measurement of contact areas and pressures within the joint under compression, achieved using pins and instrumented compression rods. Results indicate there is little significant variation in contact area and pressure for the different shaped joint cuts, however, if the talar pin is placed in a more anterior position then the contact area can be improved over a centrally positioned pin. Anterior pin placement also gives increased resistance to motion and mechanical stability. It has been established that the athrodesis construct is especially weak in terms of rotation about the tibial axis, and the results from this study indicate that through the use of a curved joint shape the resistance to this motion can be improved greatly.
The UK has committed to various legally binding targets with regard to renewable energy technolog... more The UK has committed to various legally binding targets with regard to renewable energy technology and greenhouse gas reduction. As a result, government policy and legislation have been significant in investing in renewable energy technology, driving innovation since 1990. The aim of this work identifies the key drivers behind commitments and to assess the role of government, business and organisations in the uptake of renewable energy and the development of a decentralised energy network as a result of greenhouse gas emission reduction target. This article presents quantitative analysis of primary research from government and industry. The novel aspect of this investigation is that the conclusive outcomes arise as a result of a unique research method by combining primary and secondary sources with support of company data from Nestlé and Transport for London. The main findings demonstrated that government support is one of the key drivers for innovation into renewable technology; ho...
The Globally Distributed Design Studio (GDDS) was developed as a course in which students could p... more The Globally Distributed Design Studio (GDDS) was developed as a course in which students could practice virtual collaboration and designer-client interaction. Geographical distance was used to provide students with an experiential learning environment to prepare them for collaboration in a distributed product development process. The GDDS course was established between three universities. The results of a mid-term course evaluation show that most of the students found it an interesting and motivating experience and felt they had improved their skills for virtual teamwork and designer-client communication. In terms of the student feedback, the course can be seen as successful even more so for collaboration across greater distance.
The creation of an interdisciplinary design course, the BSc (Hons) Product Design Technology had ... more The creation of an interdisciplinary design course, the BSc (Hons) Product Design Technology had been reported in IEPDE04. The academic year 2004/2005 saw the first cohort graduating from this course. Generally speaking, favourable feedback has been received for the performances of this first cohort of graduates who had demonstrated their competency in the areas of engineering design and industrial design through their final year design projects. The individual final year design project is an important part of the final year syllabus in which sufficient time and other resources are made available to each final year student to realise a fully functional product prototype through complete design and manufacturing processes. However, a number of issues had also been identified. In addition, the important issue of product design in a global context had also been highlighted by the graduates who had benefited from overseas placements, principally those in Asia. This paper discusses important issues and briefly presents the developments and enhancements in teaching approaches and design curriculums which have been designed to address the various issues identified, including the influence of globalisation and improve the students' learning experiences and effectiveness.
International Journal of Technology and Engineering Studies, 2017
Lean manufacturing systems have been established to remove or diminish manufacturing waste and th... more Lean manufacturing systems have been established to remove or diminish manufacturing waste and thus increase operational performance in manufacturing practices. The concept of lean thinking originated from the Toyota production system that determined the value-added activities or steps from non-value added activities or steps; and removing waste so that all phases add value to the process. This study examines the quality management processes which are utilized by Libyan manufacturing companies, and offers a methodology to develop a lean manufacturing framework. The literature review identified very few studies relevant to the use of quality improvement techniques in Libya; and no previous studies related specifically to waste reduction and lean systems, and the barriers that prevent lean manufacturing from being implemented in Libyan manufacturing companies. There are several difficulties that are facing lean manufacturing implementation in Libya such as lack of top management support, poor awareness of the importance of the system from workers, absence of lean training programs, and inadequate infrastructure and economic support. This paper presents types of mixed methods designs and the benefits of using them and the research methodology to develop an understanding in order to determine the barriers behind the lack of lean manufacturing implementation in the Libyan manufacturing sector. Having an understanding of the difficulties that face the implementation of lean manufacturing systems, as a new and modern system and using this to develop a suitable framework will help to improve the manufacturing sector in Libya.
Polymer surface patterning and modification at micro/nano scale has been discovered 16 with great... more Polymer surface patterning and modification at micro/nano scale has been discovered 16 with great impact in applications such as microfluidics and biomedical technologies. We proposed 17 a highly efficient fabricating method for polymer surface which had control over the surface 18 roughness. This was achieved by polymer positive diffusion effect (PDE) for ion bombarded 19 polymeric hybrid surface through Focused Ion Beam (FIB) technology. The PDE was theoretically 20 analyzed by introducing positive diffusion term into the classic theory. The conductivity induced 21 PDE constant was discussed as functions of substrates conductivity, ion energy and flux. Theoretical 22 analysis results successfully predicted the experiential results on the conductivity-induced PDE 23 effect on surface roughness control and patterning milling depth. Resulted micro-roughness 24 patterns have demonstrated surface wettability control in hydrophobic and superhydrophobic 25 surfaces (contact angles CA ran...
The sand casting process is utilised for over 70% of all castings, the traditional this process r... more The sand casting process is utilised for over 70% of all castings, the traditional this process requires a disposable sand mould, A pattern the shape of the product to be manufactured, plus manufacturing features is used to create the cavity. Additive Manufacturing processes have been used to generate the sand mould tools directly without patterns, hence reducing the lead time and manufacturing design constraints. This paper focuses on optimising the characteristics of the 3D Sand Printing process to traditional produced Furan mould tools, cumulating with an automotive turbo charger case study, to validate the build parameters optimisation process.
This paper considers the obstacles that face manufacturing companies in Libya to implement Lean m... more This paper considers the obstacles that face manufacturing companies in Libya to implement Lean manufacturing systems. Lean manufacturing has been developed to eliminate manufacturing wastes and thus improve operational efficiency in many manufacturing processes and industries. This paper aims to evaluate the significance of the barriers to implementing Lean manufacturing in the Libyan environment. In this study a mixed method approach is used, starting with a questionnaire as a quantitative method and followed by conducting interviews to obtain qualitative data. A structured questionnaire was developed and circulated to a large number of manufacturing companies, the paper discusses the findings of the questionnaire and how these can offer an opportunity to develop the interview in the future. The Statistical Package for the Social Science software was used to analyse the data of the surveys. A framework will be proposed to find a suitable implementation process of lean manufacturin...
Polymer surface patterning and modification at the micro/nano scale has been discovered with grea... more Polymer surface patterning and modification at the micro/nano scale has been discovered with great impact in applications such as microfluidics and biomedical technologies. We propose a highly efficient fabricating strategy, to achieve a functional polymer surface, which has control over the surface roughness. The key development in this fabrication method is the polymer positive diffusion effect (PDE) for an ion-bombarded polymeric hybrid surface through focused ion beam (FIB) technology. The PDE is theoretically explored by introducing a positive diffusion term into the classic theory. The conductivity-induced PDE constant is discussed as functions of substrates conductivity, ion energy and flux. The theoretical results agree well with the experiential results on the conductivity-induced PDE, and thus yield good control over roughness and patterning milling depth on the fabricated surface. Moreover, we demonstrate a controllable surface wettability in hydrophobic and superhydropho...
Various aspects of the interdisciplinary design course, the BSc Product Design Technology (PDT) c... more Various aspects of the interdisciplinary design course, the BSc Product Design Technology (PDT) course, including the influences of globalisation, had been explored and reported in IEPDE04 and EPDE06. The role and importance of the design discipline in sustaining UK economic growth has prompted a vertical integration between schools and universities in the provision of design education. In spite of this vertical integration, it is still a challenging task educating and shaping future product designers to enable them to transform their innovative ideas to products for the global market through the iterative design process. Experience shows that a significant proportion of students in product design courses find it difficult to grasp and appreciate the differences between various stages of the design process, particularly the embodiment, detailed design stages and communication of the resultant design through technical drawings. PDT integrates applied sciences and applied arts, interweaving them with participative design modules and supportive taught modules. Pedagogical research specific to PDT in this university is being carried out and the resultant "learners' engagement model", which can form the basis for discipline and strategic development, is used to address some observed weakness in students' performance in design.
Ds 78 Proceedings of the E Pde 2014 16th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design University of Twente the Netherlands, 2014
This paper explores the differing approaches and experiences of two tertiary level courses provid... more This paper explores the differing approaches and experiences of two tertiary level courses provided by two UK University providers within the Product Design subject area. Both institutions provide quite different learning experiences for the students on their courses, both deemed valid in their own right. These differences include syllabus content and delivery, learning environment, to assessment methods. Exploration of student experiences, expectations and aspirations are compared and contextualized in the light of both of these different approaches, one rather engineering biased, the other more creative design focused. Graduate quality from both courses is high, valued by industry and validated by published data on graduate employment rates and roles as provided on behalf of the UK government/Higher Education Authorities. High Employment or further study rates support the assertion that both courses are valued and contribute enormously to the employability of the students undertaking these courses.
Changes in industry require new forms of design education that better prepare students for the re... more Changes in industry require new forms of design education that better prepare students for the realities of concurrent engineering, increased involvement of suppliers in agile manufacturing, and the digitisation and virtualisation of collaboration. This article outlines these challenges for virtual design collaboration and reports first experiences of a distributed design studio (DDS) established between three European universities. In the DDS, students were taught core skills for virtual collaboration and could practice designerclient interaction in an experiential learning environment. The results of a course evaluation (during, at the end and one year after) show that students positively evaluated their own skill development. Student and staff feedback indicated that the embodiment phase proved to be more challenging and the evidence showed it coincided with reduced communication. Overall, the studio format can be seen as a suitable and realistic environment for practicing the relevant skills for virtual teamwork and designer-client communication. As a teaching initiative across institutions, it also served as personal development for staff.
ABSTRACT: This exhibition aims to demonstrate the specific outcomes which have been generated by ... more ABSTRACT: This exhibition aims to demonstrate the specific outcomes which have been generated by students participating in the Globally Distributed Design Studio course conducted across three universities, Delft, Napier and Northumbria. The exhibition of the specific student ...
ABSTRACT: The Globally Distributed Design Studio (GDDS) was developed as a course in which studen... more ABSTRACT: The Globally Distributed Design Studio (GDDS) was developed as a course in which students could practice virtual collaboration and designer-client interaction. Geographi¬cal distance was used to provide students with an experiential learning environment to prepare them ...
The ankle joint is often affected by arthritis, giving a joint that is painful, stiff, and restri... more The ankle joint is often affected by arthritis, giving a joint that is painful, stiff, and restricts movement. This can result in a huge loss of mobility for the sufferer. Unlike replacement of the hip, the replacement of a diseased ankle joint is not as straightforward and the outcomes do not reach the same success levels. The preferred surgical choice is arthrodesis, a procedure whereby the two bones forming the joint are fused together to eliminate the joint and hence pain. The success of the procedure is dependent upon several factors, two of the most significant being the levels of contact area and pressure achieved during the compression period, during which bone growth occurs across the two bones being compressed together. These factors influence joint stability and micromotion at the bone to bone interface during this growth phase. This study investigates the levels of contact areas and pressures that can be achieved for different arthodesis variables. These variables include the joint shape, which can be curved or flat, and the position of the compression pin within the talus, namely anteriorly or centrally positioned with reference to the talar dome. Influence of the Achilles tendon in joint stability is also investigated. A test rig was developed allowing load/deflection curves to be determined for various configurations of these variables. Models representing the bones under consideration, together with pressure sensitive film, allowed measurement of contact areas and pressures within the joint under compression, achieved using pins and instrumented compression rods. Results indicate there is little significant variation in contact area and pressure for the different shaped joint cuts, however, if the talar pin is placed in a more anterior position then the contact area can be improved over a centrally positioned pin. Anterior pin placement also gives increased resistance to motion and mechanical stability. It has been established that the athrodesis construct is especially weak in terms of rotation about the tibial axis, and the results from this study indicate that through the use of a curved joint shape the resistance to this motion can be improved greatly.
The UK has committed to various legally binding targets with regard to renewable energy technolog... more The UK has committed to various legally binding targets with regard to renewable energy technology and greenhouse gas reduction. As a result, government policy and legislation have been significant in investing in renewable energy technology, driving innovation since 1990. The aim of this work identifies the key drivers behind commitments and to assess the role of government, business and organisations in the uptake of renewable energy and the development of a decentralised energy network as a result of greenhouse gas emission reduction target. This article presents quantitative analysis of primary research from government and industry. The novel aspect of this investigation is that the conclusive outcomes arise as a result of a unique research method by combining primary and secondary sources with support of company data from Nestlé and Transport for London. The main findings demonstrated that government support is one of the key drivers for innovation into renewable technology; ho...
The Globally Distributed Design Studio (GDDS) was developed as a course in which students could p... more The Globally Distributed Design Studio (GDDS) was developed as a course in which students could practice virtual collaboration and designer-client interaction. Geographical distance was used to provide students with an experiential learning environment to prepare them for collaboration in a distributed product development process. The GDDS course was established between three universities. The results of a mid-term course evaluation show that most of the students found it an interesting and motivating experience and felt they had improved their skills for virtual teamwork and designer-client communication. In terms of the student feedback, the course can be seen as successful even more so for collaboration across greater distance.
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