Benefits of Using Cost Models to Guide Composite Frame Designs

This article describes the use of cost models to: evaluate alternative frame designs, trade off applicable manufacturing processes and understand impacts of design features and material selections. This capability goes beyond pure cost values and allows a designer to identify the optimal and most affordable configuration and manufacturing plan during the design phase. Cost models can be tools that engineers rely on to quickly and comprehensively evaluate and compare various options within the design and manufacturing environments. To illustrate this concept, the process of improving the design and manufacturing of an engine front frame using cost and manufacturability models will be presented. Each step of this process will illustrate the use of the cost modeling tools and their respective results. The results of the study illustrate the ability of exercising cost models early on in the design process to yield substantial cost savings.