James L. Nevins

A Prototype of Feature-Based Design for Assembly

This paper describes a prototype software system that implements a form of feature-based design for assembly. It is not an automated design system but instead a decision and design aid for designers interested in concurrent design. Feature-based design captures design intent (assembly topology, product function, manufacturing, or filed use) while creating part and product geometry. Design for assembly as used here extends existing ideas about critiquing part shapes and part count to include assembly process planning, assembly sequence generation, assembly fixturing assessments, and assembly process costs. This work was primarily interested in identifying the information important to DFA tasks, and how that information could be captured using feature-based design. It was not intended to extend the state of the art in feature-based geometry creation, but rather to explore the uses of the information that can be captured. The prototype system has been programmed in LISP on Sun workstations. Its research contributions comprise integration of feature-based design with several existing and new assembly analysis and synthesis algorithms; construction of feature properties to meet the needs of those algorithms; a carefully chosen division of labor between designer and computer; and illustration of feature-based models of products as the information source for assembly analysis and process design. Some of its functions have been implemented approximately or partially but they give the flavor of the benefits to be expected from a fully functional system.

Research on Advanced Assembly Automation

The advancement and application of any manufacturing technique require two research issues to be resolved. First, the technique must be understood. That is, there must exist mathematical models of the techniques performance which have been experimentally verified. Second, the relation between the technique and other manufacturing processes with which it will work must be understood so that the new technique can be integrated with the rest of the factory. As these steps are accomplished for more processes, integrated factories of a new kind will emerge.

Prototype of feature-based design for assembly

This paper describes a prototype software system that implements a form of feature-based design for assembly. It is not an automated design system but instead a decision and design aid for designers interested in Concurrent Design. Feature-based design captures design intent (assembly topology, product function, manufacturing, or field use) while creating part and product geometry. Design for assembly as used here extends existing ideas about critiquing part shapes and part count to include assembly process planning, assembly sequence generation, assembly fixturing assessments, and assembly process costs. This work was primarily interested in identifying the information important to DFA tasks, and how that information could be captured using feature-based design. It was not intended to extend the state of the art in feature-based geometry creation, but rather to explore the uses of the information that can be captured. The prototype system has been programmed in LISP on Sun workstations. Its research contributions comprise integration of feature-based design with several existing and new assembly analysis and synthesis algorithms; construction of feature properties to meet the needs of those algorithms; a carefully chosen division of labor between designer and computer; and illustration of feature-based models of products as the information source for assembly analysis and process design. Some of its functions have been implemented approximately or partially but they give the flavor of the benefits to be expected from a fully functional system.

Intelligent Systems in Manufacturing

Abstract Manufacturing is one of the most complex things that people do collectively. Consideration of advanced or automated manufacturing systems means not merely mechanizing todays processes and methods. It really means addressing the entire functional way that manufacturing is carried out and addressing it with new methods and new kinds of systems. This paper will outline some of the issues and techniques associated with four manufacturing areas. The areas chosen to illustrate these issues are a) materials, b) process control, c) inspection, and d) assembly

An integrated system for concurrent design engineering

The authors describe a system that provides an integrated environment for product design and design evaluation. The system uses a feature-based design for assembly methodology, and serves as a decision and design aid for users interested in concurrent design. This is accomplished by integrating feature-based design with assembly analysis and assembly system synthesis. The authors illustrate how feature-based product models can serve as the base representation for assembly analysis and process design. Feature-based design captures design intent (assembly topology, product function, manufacturing, and field use) during the creation of part and product geometry. Design for assembly as used here extends existing ideas about critiquing part shapes and part count to include assembly process planning, assembly sequency generation, assembly fixturing assessments, and assembly process costs.<<ETX>>