FIVE MINUTES FROM THE TASK TO THE OPTIMAL SOLUTION – A CONTRIBUTION TO AN ALGORITHM-BASED CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

The paper describes an approach to the algorithmization of conceptual design in product development. The conceptual process can be understood as a transformation and enrichment process from customer needs to product properties. The vague and incomplete design task is concretized to the point that the optimal product can be found with mathematical optimization methods and new CAD modelling technologies. Thus computer-aided work is applied on all the processes of the task clarification and conceptual phase. The application is demonstrated at the generation of integral sheet metal profiles, produced with the innovative technology of linear flow splitting, which was the starting point of the newly launched Collaborative Research Center 666 "Integral sheet metal design with higher order bifurcations".