Knowledge units based research and application on structure design of products

After the analysis of design process of mechanical products, the paper pointed out that the structure design is the key of the connection between conceptual design and detail design process. The paper introduced a method that based on conceptual information knowledge unit for structure design of products. It defined knowledge unit and structure unit, and encapsulation of conceptual information into knowledge (structure) unit to realize the information interconnection and drive mechanism from conceptual design to structure design thus making knowledge structure unit become the main carrier representing product design knowledge; expressed design rules and design knowledge based on knowledge units to establish knowledge library of product design; and then expressed different mechanic structure through combination and variation of knowledge (structure) units during the design process to realize product design; finally, analyzed the structure features of multi-cavity injection mold systems (from 1-cavity mold to multi-cavity mold), and expressed the mold structure by knowledge units, based on which the method of multi-cavity plastic injection mold system design was realized.