Feature Models in Virtual Product Development (original) (raw)
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Challenges in feature-based manufacturing research
Communications of the ACM, 1996
Smooth integration of computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing (CAM) is vital for companies' survival in the present competitive marketplace. One key component in this effort is the representation of product designs in terms of features, elements that are semantically higher-level than the pure geometric elements typically used in CAD and CAM systems.
Design for manufacturability in virtual environment using knowledge engineering
Management and Production Engineering Review, 2014
Design for manufacturing (DFM) strategies help companies to develop new products that are feasible to manufacture. In the early stages of design all engineering activities are initiated in computer aided systems. When the design is finished, the process of manufacturing and production planning begins. Issues often occur at this point because two teams, designers and manufacturers, have been working separately. The resulting question is: ‘how can Knowledge Engineering (KE) be used effectively to enhance manufacturability during early design?’ Even if the most complex geometrical product can be realized using today’s technologies such as rapid prototyping it is only true in unit production. In lot and mass production where CNC machines are used, complex geometry causes a number of difficulties. So it is important to investigate the project carefully in the early design stage from the point of view of whether it will be possible to manufacture.
Virtual engineering in design and manufacturing
Advances in Manufacturing, 2014
Manufacturing systems of the future highly demand that the product data are built into the product model, and smooth data transfer to other computer-aided technologies are enabled. Depending on the type of the manufacturing system, it is envisaged that virtual engineering (VE) technologies play a significant role in integrating the computer-based technologies involved in the product's life cycle. Simulations in a virtual world and exchange of real time product or design data are among the benefits for today's global oriented manufacturing business. To highlight the significance of design as carrier of product data and the key role played by VE technologies to inter-link design, manufacturing and associated components, this paper presents an overview and analysis of the state-of-the-art VE technologies to indicate potential applications and future research directions.
A feature representation scheme for supporting integrated manufacturing
Computers & Industrial Engineering, 1994
A~traet-Feature-based design representation has been used for supporting the integration of computeraided design and manufacturing. Two main approaches regarding use of features have been taken, (I) feature recognition and (2) feature-based design. The main problem for the feature recognition approach is that the technical information such as tolerance and surface finish is not available in a commercial solid modeller database; and the drawback for feature-based design is very limited modelling space imposed by the modelling scheme. In this paper, a new feature model is proposed as part of a product model to improve design representation in a computer-integrated manufacturing environment. The feature model is a surface-based design representation scheme, and has a general modelling space with a limited number of features. The features are defined by either planar, quadratic, toil, or parametric equations, and are associated with various types of technical constraints such as tolerance, surface finish and relations. Therefore, the feature-based product description can be used to integrate solid modelling and manufacturing applications such as process planning for machining and inspection. Examples are presented to illustrate the model and its applications.
The Application of Features in Airframe Component Design and Manufacturing
CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology, 1993
ABSTRACT This paper discusses recent results obtained from the development of a CAD/CAM application, which supports the generation of the manufacturing information for airframe components, which are produced using the rubber pad pressing technique. It describes the design module, which has been developed to generate feature based product models. The feature based approach guides the designer in creating product models according to company rules. These models represent the input for the subsequent modules for manufacturability analysis and tool design. The features are implemented as extensions to the data structure of a commercial geometric modeler. The functionality of the manufacturability and tool design modules are briefly discussed to clarify the demands these modules put on the product model. It is shown how high level design modifications can be supported using the proposed product model.
Review of research in feature-based design
Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 1993
Research in feature-based design is reviewed. Feature-based design is regarded as a key factor towards CAD/CAPP integration from a process planning point of view. From a design point of view, featurebased design offers possibilities for supporting the design process better than current CAD systems do. The evolution of feature definitions is briefly discussed. Features and their role in the design process and as representatives of design-objects and design-object knowledge are discussed. The main research issues related to feature-based design are outlined. These are: feature representation, features and tolerances, feature validation, multiple viewpoints towards features, features and standardization, and features and languages. An overview of some academic featurebased design systems is provided. Future research issues in feature-based design are outlined. The conclusion is that feature-based design is still in its infancy, and that more research is needed for a better support of the design process and better integration with manufacturing, although major advances have already been made.
1999
Manufacturing enterprises are being forced into greater collaboration with customers and suppliers in order to produce quality products in smaller batches, shorter lead times and with greater variety. Consequently, the design-for-manufacturing task must be conducted in these virtual and distributed enterprises across traditional organizational boundaries. This paper proposes the use of standard information models to support the product realization process. While extensive work has been performed in developing product data models little eort has been performed in developing a manufacturing model. The design-for-manufacturing stages are identi®ed with their requisite information requirements. Dierent approaches used to model various aspects of manufacturing processes are reviewed and found inadequate for supporting the entire design-for-manufacturing task. The development of a standard manufacturing systems information model written in EXPRESS and based upon the modelling methodology adhered to by standard for the exchange of product (STEP) is proposed to ®ll the void. Initial developments in this area are discussed, the model is illustrated with an example, and the potential bene®ts to manufacturing are reviewed.
International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management, 2017
A standard method-of-work, employed by manufacturers of engineering-to-order (ETO) products, involves primarily a knowledge-based engineering (KBE) system and a 3D mechanical CAD system. The KBE system includes technical guidelines, design rules, facts, 'best practices' and even a company's commercial and business rules. Thus, when a client places a new order, the manufacturer's aim is to employ its KBE system and (hopefully) minimal user involvement to more-or-less automatically produce the complete 3D CAD model and technical drawings of the requested product. The present paper proposes a solution method for this KBE-CAD transformation problem by using two product models, the schematic assembly model (SAM) and the intermediate assembly model (IAM), in this manner: KBE-SAM-IAM-CAD. The SAM is designed to fully employ all sorts of information available in the KBE system, and incorporate that either in the list of 'SAM components' or in the related 'SAM connection rules'. Then, the IAM translates this 'SAM model' into 3D part models and assembly features, in a manner that production of the final 3D mechanical-CAD model is automatic. This paper also describes and demonstrates a complete implementation of the above KBE-SAM-IAM-CAD methodology in a major industry.
A computational tool for virtual product development exploiting changeability knowledge
2017
Shifts in customer needs coupled with highly competitive markets and technological advances, means that product families evolve over time. Product family evolution has an effect not only on how the current and future manufacturing requirements are defined but also on the manufacturing system design process itself and represents one of the main difficulties in designing manufacturing systems. Two types of factory life cycle consequences have been identified which may occur as a result of design decisions during the manufacturing system synthesis design activity. This research therefore contributes a novel changeability knowledge based product development approach framework to reveal and analyse the consequences of commitments made during manufacturing system design on future product capability, hence on product evolution, and factory changeability. This approach was implemented in a computational tool for virtual product development which exploits changeability knowledge to assist, g...