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Application of PLM to MEMS Devices in Education

Brian Humann, Charles Pezeshki, and M. Grant Norton

College of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Washington State University Pullman, WA 99164

Abstract

Industrial usage of Product Lifecycle Management software has enabled engineers to design, analyze, and manage products from conception to retirement. PLM software is currently used in the aerospace, automotive, chemical and petroleum, and electronics industries. With the increased use of PLM software product development has become more streamlined and requires engineers to be proficient with these new tools. Additionally, the increased development and usage of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) has created a need for engineers to have some knowledge of such devices. Since PLM has been successful in other industries there is no reason that the same success cannot be anticipated in the MEMS industry. Currently PLM software has no specific tools for MEMS simulation, but the design and management tools can be used in conjunction with specific MEMS analysis software.

In a university setting with an integrated PLM curriculum, the addition of some basic MEMS examples would expose students to MEMS devices and practices. Specialized MEMS software would not be necessary as the MEMS device models could be scaled so that analysis is possible using tools within the PLM system. Students could then compare their simulation results with both published experimental results and with theory taught in the curriculum. We present a series of case studies including a micro beam frequency response and a micro gear train analysis, giving students a basic understanding of MEMS applications and how PLM can be applied to the MEMS industry.

Introduction

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) has been developed as a means for engineers to plan, design and test a product from the opening stages of product description through the design, testing and manufacture, to the retirement of the design. The PLM software suite contains a database management tool that allows all documents pertaining to the design to be stored and easily accessible. The suite also contains an integrated CAD and analysis package that allows for the modeling of the product along with analysis of the generated models. All of the models and analysis information are also stored in the database for easy access. This means that any changes to the design are documented and stored for later review. This use of a database means that all information for a given product is readily accessible to engineers allowing for more efficient product development. Additionally the usage of Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEMS)

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Humann, B. (2004, June), Application Of Plm To Mems Devices In Education Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13326