Title: Functional design and optimisation of parametric CAD models in a knowledge-based PLM environment

Authors: S. Gomes, A. Varret, J.B. Bluntzer, J.C. Sagot

Addresses: SeT Laboratory, Belfort-Montbeliard University of Technology (UTBM), 90010 Belfort Cedex, France. ' SeT Laboratory, Belfort-Montbeliard University of Technology (UTBM), 90010 Belfort Cedex, France. ' SeT Laboratory, Belfort-Montbeliard University of Technology (UTBM), 90010 Belfort Cedex, France. ' SeT Laboratory, Belfort-Montbeliard University of Technology (UTBM), 90010 Belfort Cedex, France

Abstract: The main purpose of this paper is to present our approach to automatically generating optimised 3D Computer-aided Design (CAD) models into which all the known expert design rules are integrated, by changing only functional requirements for the same product architecture. Through the requirement specifications integrated into our ACSP Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system (functional and product architecture parameters), we are able to generate and automatically draft/produce/test/validate/optimise a parametric product architecture and its geometric skeleton, using a commercial CAD software program. A knowledge-based engineering software program, using constraint propagation with a first-order inference engine, and a multiobjective optimisation solver are used as an interface between the PLM system and the CAD software.

Keywords: functional design; knowledge-based engineering; KBE; multi-objective optimisation; product lifecycle management; PLM; computer-aided design; CAD; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2009.026174

International Journal of Product Development, 2009 Vol.9 No.1/2/3, pp.60 - 77

Published online: 27 May 2009 *

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