Title: Towards the routinisation of engineering analysis to support product design

Authors: Russell S. Peak, Andrew J Scholand, Diego R. Tamburini, Robert E. Fulton

Addresses: Engineering Information Systems Laboratory, CALS Technology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0585, USA. ' Engineering Information Systems Laboratory, CALS Technology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0585, USA. ' Engineering Information Systems Laboratory, CALS Technology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0585, USA. ' Engineering Information Systems Laboratory, CALS Technology Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0585, USA

Abstract: While it is generally agreed that designers would like to benefit more from analysis, there are few methodologies for identifying appropriate analysis models and transforming them into readily usable tools. This paper identifies designers| needs with regard to the analysis of physical behaviour, and introduces the term ||routinisation|| to describe the process of creating automated analysis modules that can be regularly used in product design. A routinisation process is presented with electronic packaging examples. Based on the multi-rep reservation architecture design-analysis integration strategy, this process creates catalogues of product model-based analysis models (PBAMs) - analysis modules that associate design data with analysis models to obtain results in a highly automated manner. Routinisation is illustrated using a PBAM for printed wiring board warpage analysis from the TIGER project. Other electronic packaging applications, such as solder joint fatigue, are highlighted. Design inputs come from STFP product models, and solution methods range from encoded formulae to multi-vendor finite element analysis. Observations are given, including how routinisation is a knowledge capture technique that aids both engineering analysis and product designers. While it transforms the research of the analyst into tools for the designer, it serves as a catalyst that reveals new problems for the analyst to tackle.

Keywords: computer-aided design; CAD; computer-aided engineering; CAE; constraint schematic; design-analysis integration; DAI; multi-representation architecture; MRA; routinisation, STEP, product models, engineering analysis, product design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.1999.004717

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 1999 Vol.12 No.1, pp.1 - 15

Published online: 07 Jul 2004 *

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