Identifying mapping relationships between functions and technologies: An approach based on association rule mining

On one hand, design technologies provide solution principles to deliver product functions; on the other hand, they play a major role in achieving efficiency and effectiveness in product design and production. Recognizing this importance of technologies in product development and in response to the lack of investigation, this study proposes an approach based on association rule mining to identify mapping relationships between functions and technologies. Such mapping relationships not only help firms effectively decide on technologies and the corresponding details but also enable them to reuse proven knowledge about functions and technologies. A case study of microlithography machines is reported to demonstrate how the proposed approach identifies mapping relationships from given function and technology data and how these relationships help select technologies and determine details.