This paper discusses the problem of traditional design practice from concurrent engineering (CE) view point and the shortcoming of existing design models or methods related to the robust and flexible design, and also introduces the Set-Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE) as an alternative CE paradigm. Then, a new design methodology, called preference set-based design methodology (PSD), is proposed to achieve the design flexibility and robustness while incorporating the designer's preference structure under various sources of uncertainties. The PSD methodology provides a foundation for the computer-based implementation of the SBCE principles. In contrast to existing optimization techniques, the approach generates a ranged set of design solutions that satisfy changing sets of performance requirements. The proposed design approach is illustrated with two example problems, such as a side-door impact beam design and real vehicle side-door structure design.
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