Colloquia

Summary

This master's thesis investigates the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative design (GD) on Atlas Copco's design processes, as well as their impact on the overall product development workflow. The central research question that guides this study is, What role can AI and generative design play in improving Atlas Copco's product development process?

This study demonstrates, through an in-depth examination of Atlas Copco's product development process and the execution of various use cases, how AI and Generative Design can benefit product development. AI programs accelerate the conceptualization phase by increasing the number of usable iterations during the initial sketching. Furthermore, while Vizcom does not replicate the exact output of human designers yet, it does increase communication speed during the design process. Furthermore, they reduce the time it takes to convert sketches into images that closely resemble the final tool design.

However, safety concerns about sensitive data within Atlas Copco must be addressed. While AI program development has advanced quickly, not all potentially impactful AI programs can be implemented immediately due to these concerns.

The GD extension in PTC CREO speeds up the development of new CAD parts while optimizing tool weight. While the generative design module does not always result in a producible product, it is an excellent starting point for developing innovative designs. Engineers can efficiently create strong yet lightweight designs by adding only the minimum amount of material required by the topology module.

Atlas Copco can significantly improve its product development process by strategically integrating AI and GD at the appropriate stages.