Software Tools PDF

To support Japanese design activity, software of computer aided creation called “creative design engine” is proposed. It is composed of thinking operation engine, knowledge search engine, decision transfer CAD and design knowledge database. Especially, it assists functional analysis and mechanism selection in designer’s thinking process.

This paper proposes an architecture for a design knowledge database that is aimed at providing a substrate for automation in the engineering design process. We address issues of knowledge representation, knowledge source, and design processes that make use of this knowledge. The knowledge representation is based on the Axiomatic Design view of design as a top-down hierarchical problem solving process. Every step in the decomposition process is regarded as a building block, and is an element of the database. The design step is thus a unit of design knowledge; it may sometimes be a physical component, feature or parameter, but it can be any aggregation of hardware, software and disembodied abstract concepts. A design step primarily contains knowledge describing modifiable parameters, physical behavior and interfaces. All information is stored in a mathematical form, in attempt to alleviate many of the ambiguity and incoherence problems associated with earlier work involving textual, keyword and symbolic representations. Furthermore, the computational representation makes the information more systematically accessible and amenable to fully automated design.

There are two axioms in the axiomatic approach. The first axiom is the independence axiom which helps to prevent problems from occurring the initial stages of design resulting in the increase of overall system efficiency. The second axiom is the information axiom which helps to determine the most optimized design among the numerous proposed design. Information Axiom states that the information content was defined in terms of the probability of being able to satisfy a given FR. The proposed method for measuring information content can overcome the problems of the conventional method. By considering the weight for each design parameter when measuring information, an optimum design may be determined even when the total information content is the same. Furthermore, merits and demerits of each design may be understood by observing the information content of each design parameter. As a result places where special care is needed can be numerically seen. With similar method the information content of the functional requirement may be measured.

The 1996 CIRP General Assembly in Como, Italy, August 25-31, 1996. (CIRP Annals, Vol. 45/1)
A software tool based on axiomatic design is being developed. Axiomatic Design (AD) provides a framework to describe design objects and a set of axioms to evaluate relations between intended functions (FR’s) and means by which they are achieved (DPs). AD analysis can be performed for engineering change orders (ECO) and field support systems with the capability for organizational learning. The software effort attempts to enhance the engineering CAD environment through the documentation of design rational based on AD and the implementation of AD matrices to evaluate design decisions and provide the proper development sequence.