Spatially-Visualized-Physical-Mechanism analysis – A novel perspective for mechanical engineering learners in postdigital era of data analytics

Abstract

Spatial visualization through freehand sketching is an exceptional first-hand tool for expressing thoughts and ideas, in the process of being creative. Physical-Mechanism (P-M) analysis in machining, on the other hand, involves understanding based on the physics involved in the machining operation. This work spatially visualizes the tool-workpiece interface from the physics viewpoint and gradually builds up the tree of the causal factors. This is done through a detailed why-why analysis in the form of a mind-map through lateral, divergent, and creative thinking. Three different machining types, viz., machining through multi-point cutting tool, single point cutting tool, as well as nonconventional machining, are considered as the case studies for building up a novel Spatially-Visualized-Physical-Mechanism (S-V-P-M) analysis. The learning from this S-V-P-M analysis is applied in formulating a detailed Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for the honing machining operation. A data-analytics based DMAIC approach is adopted as a validation for this S-V-P-M analysis. Thus, this work adopts a novel and creative approach by integrating freehand sketching as well as spatial visualization with P-M analysis to generate a novel S-V-P-M analysis (Spatially-Visualized-Physical-Mechanism analysis) for machining operations.