Product Data Management Systems: State-of-the-Art and the Future

We survey the current state-of-the-art in (commercial) Product Data Management (PDM) systems. After identifying the major functions of PDM systems, we indicate various shortcomings of the current PDM technology. An important shortcoming is in the representation and use of functions. We review the functional representation literature in the context of PDM technology. Systems management aspects of an engineering project is also commented on. We believe these two areas are the next two challenges awaiting PDM technology in the near future.

Engineering Information Systems to Allow the Integration of Process Monitoring With Asset Management

A system has been developed whereby process data downloaded from PLC’s is entered into an information chain which incorporates an analysis module which provides tailored reports to a wide readership. The various positions associated with running the factory were analyzed for the types of decisions associated with the job responsibility plus the information necessary to support the decision making. A case study is presented for analyzing aspects of the manufacture of three piece steel aerosol cans. A hardware and software solution was designed, linking a machine cell through the PLC to a operator/process interface.

A Prototype Computer Supported Information Relation Analysis Tool (COMSIRA)

A methodology is proposed which aims at covering informational and functional analysis besides decision making processes. It comprises of a set of well defined steps and novel tools. The proposed methodology makes extensive use of reference architectures available. The methodology aims at using limited expertise, limited staff, and expenditure as it is especially suited for introducing CIM in SME’s. A Computer Supported Information Requirement Analysis tool (COMSIRA) has been developed for the methodology, in order to capture and represent the approach of experienced analysts studying the enterprise-wide prospective CIM information requirements. This paper emphasizes the operational aspects of COMSIRA along with introducing the methodology. Some examples extracted from a real case implementation are also presented.

A Concurrent Migration Model for Optimal Utilization of Existing Computer Resources

The paper describes the methodology of concurrent migration with optimal utilization of existing computer resources which has been used in organizations. Concurrent migration bypasses a transitional system which is described as migration model. Migration model includes modules for resource utilization, minimum modification, advance implementation, continuous utilization and concurrent development. Procedure for concurrent migration includes seven steps in which the migration system is included. A case study of concurrent migration of a centralized system converted to a distributed system based on remote/local (R/L) computing is presented to show the availability of the model and the procedure.

Multi-Perspective Information Projection: Structuring Hypermedia Information in Engineering Development Projects

Distributed enterprises are now collaborating closely with their suppliers and partners worldwide while continuously improving their response time to global markets. Such distributed enterprises demand greater levels of support for information sharing and collaborative workspaces among engineering development teams. While the use of Intranets for gathering and sharing information is expanding, the organization of the shared information is usually ad-hoc and is not designed to efficiently serve the diverse information needs of work-groups. Such ad-hoc organizations of information result information overload and hence information users have to resort to (syntactic) keyword search to access information. This paper proposes an Information Projection methodology that integrates the organization of the semantic content of shared information with the organization of syntactic content of documents in a way that is meaningful to specific work-groups so as to reduce information overload. The Information Projection methodology has been applied in three different engineering contexts to varied degrees of sophistication and has shown a significant degree of re-usability, although the information and document models that result are themselves very context specific. The information maps resulting from the context of a MEMS technology development project have also been implemented using basic Web technology (HTML, CGI scripts) and has provided several insights on the implications and limitations of such implementations.

Agent-Based Integrated Product Teams

We propose an agent-based architecture for providing partially automated support to large, concurrent engineering environments that have adopted Integrated Product Team (IPT) practices. We describe classes of agents, show various views from the individual users to the network with a hierarchy for control and coordination, and sketch our strategies for incremental implementation. We have built a Task Structure Specification Tool to delineate and manage the IPT tasks, using blackboard data structures and World-Wide Web compatibility. We review related agent-based engineering efforts, which generally are not sufficient for IPT integration. We suggest that implementing computational IPTs remains a large challenge awaiting agent technologies.

Methods of 3D-Modelling With Parametric CAD-Systems of the Newest Generation

The authors are searching for new ways of using CAD-systems in the engineering design process. This contents among others the creation as well as the refreshing and continued handling of computer-based, three-dimensional product models to be built as prototypes on the department’s Rapid Prototyping machine [1, 2, 3]. In spite of the many advantages of the C-technologies, on several areas a deficit in its dissemination and effective usage still is noticed. The following paper will give an overview on how the parametrical, feature based 3D-CAD-modeler may support the engineering design process. It is described, which functionality the parametric functions of these modelers are offering to the user and how the work with parametrical CAD-systems is structured. Advises are given for a more competitive implementation and time saving work with these systems.

Internet-Based Skill Learning

Non-verbal motional skill plays a very important role in manufacturing. The transfer of the skill is important in two aspects:One is for passing the skill on to others, either from generation to generation or from one place to another. The other is for integrating this information into design. For both of these purposes, the symbolization of motional skill is necessary in order effectively to represent it and to use it. Therefore, in this work, we digitized motion data and allotted attributes to each data chunk and developed a client/server system on the internet. The teacher and the student can teach and learn on their own client machines. Our system pennits the teacher and the student to share the processes of learning in addition to the results.

Intelligent-Agent Approach to Distance Learning

With the proliferation of computers at home and in the work place, email, internet browsers, chat rooms, and network bandwidth availability, the traditional concept of skill training passed from experts to apprentices can now take on a new paradigm shift where these skills can be taught over the internet. With the primary goal of developing a general tool that supports the transfer of skill from an expert to a group of users, this paper proposes a new approach to distance learning, which we consider a subset of the above group, from the current one-to-one (or top-down) approach to a many-to-many (or bottom-up) approach. We introduce the concept of a network centric intelligent agent that will support the passing of knowledge from teacher to students.

Piping Route Path Planning Using Genetic Algorithm

With the increasing diversity of personal preferences for products, the conventional style of design using a series of consecutive procedures is inadequate to create designs that satisfy those preferences under the frequent changes of requirements in design specifications. Under these circumstances, conceptual design plays a key role to comply with those preferences and requirements, and to shorten the lead time in product development. This is also true in the domain of piping layout design, where a designer makes design in a trial-and-error way to comply with the requirements frequently changed in specification until the final design is formulated. The paper describes an approach of piping route path planning using genetic algorithm (GA). Optimization technique of GA generates a preliminary route path through evolution of genes which represent the piping route path. A designer evaluates the route path, modifies it, and repeats the procedure until the appropriate path is designed. In this way, a designer can interactively proceed the layout of piping in a collaborative manner using a design support system. The paper shows the procedure of the method and some results of simulation.