Assembly workshops for acquiring and integrating expert knowledge into assembly process planning using rapid prototyping model

For the integration of experts’ and non-experts’ knowledge from the assembly planning into the product development process, assembly workshops are used to acquire the knowledge and to transfer it back to the product development. A workshop was conducted using a 3D printed model of a large-volume assembly group from the aviation industry. For a repeatable implementation of the assembly workshops with a changeable assembly sequence, individual components and connecting segments are structurally simplified, so that a non-destructive assembly and disassembly can be ensured. By using questioning and observation methods the expertise of assemblers and laymen are documented. The findings of the workshops from the laymen and expert groups are evaluated to show the ability of the probands for transferring the assembly structure. For the laymen, the simplification of the components mainly influences this ability. The workshop provides a basic understanding of what experiences or learnings, generated during the assembly, can be considered in order to plan assembly processes. The prerequisite is that the participants can recognise the restrictions and the assembly effort of the real assembly, while using the simplified 3D printed model.