The generation of assembly data tool

Describes the generation of assembly data or GOAD tool that has been developed by the GEC-Marconi Research Centre on the Alvey design to product (DtoP) project. GOAD is integrated into the DtoP system and carries out the assembly process planning activity. The main task of the GOAD tool is to use the product description defined in the designer system to generate the assembly cell program and other information specifying how the product should be assembled on selected assembly cells in the factory. It carries out this task completely automatically by using a knowledge base of assembly planning techniques, assembly methods and equipment capabilities. The GOAD tool uses state of the art assembly planning and knowledge representation techniques that have been developed over the five year period of the project. Unlike similar robot programming systems, GOAD is integrated with a knowledge-based computer aided design system and uses as input a description of the product to automatically plan out and generate the assembly cell programs