Live-Lab GSD – Generational Sheet Metal Development: a validation environment for methodological design support in sheet metal development

This paper describes the development of a Live-Lab for generational sheet metal development, which can be used to validate methods, processes, and tools. For this purpose, requirements regarding the design task, development process, participants, equipment, and data collection for a Live-Lab are derived based on a literature review and expert interviews. Subsequently, a Live-Lab is developed and presented in which the test subjects develop and manufacture a gas grill over six months. Based on the concept of the Live-Lab, which was implemented and carried out in three years, the validation of three different approaches for methodological design support is described. These approaches address (1) engineering generations and variation types, (2) sheet metal design concerning sustainability, and (3) decision heuristics in agile development.