Parameter Interrelation Based Modeling for Engineering

Engineering activities have been integrated into comprehensive computer systems. Powerful software is available for product development, production planning, equipment control, and product data management purposes. Lifecycle management of product related engineering is supported. It starts with an initial hand sketch about a product and finishes with recycling of that product. While advanced engineering systems are excellent frameworks, expected enhancements in computer methodology require extensive research in modeling and intelligence in the future. The authors joined to efforts to develop product models with some intelligence. In this paper, they present a contribution to enhanced definition and intelligent integration of model descriptions and modeling processes. They concentrate their efforts around computer description of human intent and predicted behavior of products. Communication is enhanced by description of comprehensive and well-organized range of associative engineering objects. Unified generic definition of engineering objects assist creation of descriptions for instances of engineering objects. For integrated application of the presented methodology, the authors introduced integrated model object (IMO). The proposed modeling methodology has been developed as an extension to CAD/CAM systems utilizing professional software tools for creation, generation, store, and application of shape and other model entities. The paper introduces a method for integrated description of closely connected engineering objects in the organization of a communication intensive integrated model object (IMO). Following this, a method for processing of information about accepted or attempted changes initiated by modeling procedures, interfaced humans and outside world of an IMO is detailed. Next, change information initiated communication to propagate it in its affect zone is explained. Human aspect is included by analysis of knowledge sources in order to choose the right meth- - od for application of knowledge. Finally, implementation of the proposed intelligent model object as extension to professional engineering system is discussed