Sponsors: NSF, Hebrew University
Dr. Sacks (jointly with Dr. Joskowicz of Hebrew University) is developing the HIPAIR environment for computer-aided mechanical assembly design. Mechanical assembly design is the task of devising an assembly of parts that performs a function reliably and economically. It is a ubiquitous activity that spans mechanical, electrical, and biomedical engineering. Sacks's research addresses the fundamental design task of contact analysis: computing the changing sequence of touching features and compliant motions in an assembly of moving parts. The HIPAIR design environment automates contact analysis for general planar assemblies and supports the related tasks of simulation, parametric design, and functional tolerancing. HIPAIR allows designers to perform computations that lie outside the scope of previous software and that defy manual analysis. It allows them to visualize assembly function under a range of operating conditions, to find and correct design flaws, and to evaluate the functional effects of part tolerances.
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