An information modeling approach in conceptual design for cooperative design

Information modeling is critical to the integration of conceptual design and process planning. An information model for conceptual design is provided in this paper. Conceptual design is a key activity in early product development. It determines product functions, form, and the basic structure. Since major manufacturing cost is determined in early design, it is critical to be able to assess manufacturability and cost as early as possible in the design process. A literature review of the current status of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided process planning (CAPP) software technologies, reveals the lack of interface standards to enable the integration of these systems. In order to develop interface standards, information models have to be first developed to define the interfaces. An initial information model for conceptual process planning has been developed. This model includes an activity model and an object model for manufacturing process selection, resource selection, and cost and time estimation. The activity model sets the context in which the objects are used for information sharing and exchange. The object model defines classes used in conceptual process planning. The main purpose of developing this model is to initiate the development of standard interface specifications that are necessary for design and process planning integration.