Title :
Preliminary design and manufacturing planning integration using intelligent agents
Author :
Feng, Shaw C. ; Song, Eugene Y.
Author_Institution :
Manuf. Eng. Lab., Nat. Inst. of Stand. & Technol., Gaithersburg, MD, USA
Abstract :
Intelligent agents can enable the integration of preliminary design with manufacturing planning software systems. These agents execute in a computer-based collaborative environment called a "multi-agent platform." A prototype agent platform supporting the integration of preliminary design and manufacturing planning has been developed at NIST. These agents have access to a knowledge base that is implemented by rules, generated by mapping design information to process and resource selections. The rules are derived from an analysis of design factors that influence process and resource planning, such as product material, form, shape complexity, features, dimension, tolerance, surface condition, and production volume. Process planning agents provide process planners with information regarding selection of preliminary manufacturing processes, determining manufacturing resources, and constructing feedback information to product designers. The agent platform enables information exchange among agents based on the integrated object model. The main purposes of developing such a platform are to support product preliminary design, optimize product form and structure, and reduce manufacturing cost in the early design process.
Keywords :
CAD/CAM; computer aided production planning; groupware; intelligent design assistants; manufacturing resources planning; multi-agent systems; computer-based collaborative environment; design factors; feedback information; information exchange; integrated object model; intelligent agents; knowledge base; manufacturing cost reduction; multi-agent platform; preliminary design/manufacturing planning integration; process planning agents; process selections; product dimension; product features; product form; product material; product shape complexity; product surface condition; product tolerance; production volume; resource selections; rules; Collaboration; Intelligent agent; Manufacturing processes; NIST; Process design; Process planning; Product design; Prototypes; Software prototyping; Software systems;
Conference_Titel :
Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design, 2002. The 7th International Conference on
Print_ISBN :
85-285-0050-0
DOI :
10.1109/CSCWD.2002.1047696