Abstract
Actual design methods are multiobjective design satisfactions with heterogeneous objective functions such as performance and cost, and with dimensionaL design variables such as part size and distance. To materialize the actual designs in computer-aided design, this paper presents a new method which determines structural dimensions (design variables) in order to make all objective functions accomplish their respective functions. Heterogeneous objective functions can be described in the same form (a new concept termed attainability), which apparently indicates the satisfied functions by a positive sign or zero. The sensitivity coefficient matrix provides the most successful variables which can improve a minimum, as well as a negative, attainability to positive or zero, and simultaneously keep all positive attainabilities positive or zero. Values of the variables are revised iteratively for this purpose. In an agricultural transmission gear design, the method produced significant and practicable results in short CPU time.
