A distributed collaborative product design environment based on semantic norm model and role-based access control

With the boom of Internet Technology, it becomes possible to combine designers from different disciplines into one team to support product design globally. In this paper, a distributed collaborative product design environment is presented to support top-down process oriented product design. In conceptual design stage, the artifact is managed by semantic norm model (SNM). In SNM, the designers can define virtual components at early design stage and instantiate those components at later detailed design stage. By role-based access control (RBAC), different roles with corresponding permissions could be assigned to distributed designers, and the designers could concurrently modify different components of the product relevant to his or her roles. Based on the SNM and RBAC system, a distributed collaborative product design environment is developed and the top-down oriented product design process is demonstrated.     

Internet Based Collaborative Product Conceptual Design

Generation of Product Concept needs to give full play to the designers' innovative potential and collaborative work of experts in different fields. However, the collaborative innovative capabilities of geographically distributed designers are often limited and hindered by space and time. Therefore, on the basis of the requirements analysis of Internet based collaborative conceptual design and the research work we have done, this paper proposes the overall framework of supporting collaborative conceptual design on Internet. Based on this overall framework, the authors further put forward collaborative conceptual design process model that includes three stages: concept generation, concept communication and optimal product concept selection. At the end of the paper, the experiment environment of collaborative design is described. The overall framework and collaborative conceptual design process model proposed can take full advantage of Internet and give full play to experts' experiences and wisdom, so that the rapid development and innovative design of product can be provided with effectively and efficiently implemental mode and support on Internet.     

Multi-level assembly model for top-down design of mechanical products

To enable next generation CAD tools to effectively support top-down design of products, a top-down assembly design process is refined from the traditional product design process to better exhibit the recursive-execution and structure-evolvement characteristics of product design. Based on the top-down assembly design process, a multi-level assembly model is put forward to capture the abstract information, skeleton information and detailed information involved. The multi-level assembly model is a meta-level implementation and is easy to be extended. Moreover, the inheritance mechanisms are explored to ensure the feasibility of information transferring and conversion between different design phases in the top-down assembly design process. A top-down assembly design sample is analyzed at length to show the application effects of the multi-level assembly model and the relevant inheritance mechanisms. In addition, a practical topic about the model adaptation of existing CAD systems is also discussed for a broader application of the top-down assembly design. Finally, the conclusion of the work and the future directions for further exploration are given.     

Collaborative virtual prototyping of product assemblies over the Internet

Product assembly design is a complex activity involving collaboration between several designers. Currently, many manufacturing firms out source the design and development of different portions of a product to different suppliers. Due to the absence of an integrated tool for collaborative product assembly design, designers currently follow an indirect approach. This makes collaboration an unorganized and inefficient activity. This paper discusses the architectural novelties and design considerations utilized to develop an integrated collaborative assembly design tool. Further, the scenarios of using such a tool are discussed in detail. This discussion highlights how the tool contributes towards making collaboration an organized and efficient activity and enables designers to rapidly design and prototype the product assembly.     

Internet驱动的产品协同装配理论和技术研究*

介绍了Internet驱动的分布式产品协同装配中的关键技术问题,协同装配设计平台的构建、产品模型呈现方法、冲突处理、协同装配信息建模和协同装配设计优化,并分析总结了目前存在的问题。最后构建了一个全面的产品协同装配系统框架。     

Design and implementation of an agent-based collaborative product design system

The evolution of computer science and technology has brought new opportunities for multidisciplinary designers and engineers to collaborate with each other in a concurrent and coordinated manner. The development of computational agents with unified data structures and software protocols contributes to the establishment of a new way of working in collaborative design, which is increasingly becoming an international practice. In this paper, based on the analysis of the dynamic nature of collaborative design process, a new framework for collaborative design is described. This framework adopts an agent-based approach and relocates designers, managers, systems, and the supporting agents in a unified knowledge representation scheme for product design. In order to model the constantly evolving design process and the rationales resulted from design collaboration, a Collaborative Product Data Model (CPDM) and a constraint-based Collaborative Design Process Model (CDPM) are proposed to facilitate the management and coordination of the collaborative design process as well as design knowledge management. A prototype system of the proposed framework is implemented and its feasibility is evaluated using a real design scenario whose objective is designing a set of dining table and chairs.     

装配式建筑自上而下设计信息协同与模型构建

为顺应国家建筑产业化、智能化发展的政策引导,针对当前装配式建筑专业信息缺乏关联、模 型利用不充分、数据传递效率低下等问题,提出基于建筑信息模型(BIM)技术的自上而下设计方法。以装配式 建筑的设计阶段为切入点,详细阐述了基于 BIM 技术的装配式建筑自上而下设计流程。结合装配式建筑的标 准化构件设计和组装特点,提出一种基于自上而下设计的装配模型,并从层级和专业 2 个角度描述了模型的架 构。针对各专业模型传递时的数据信息标准化、一致性问题,通过工业基础类(IFC)标准对装配模型进行实体和 属性集的扩展,提出基于 IFC 标准的各专业、各阶段的自上而下设计信息协同。经实例验证了 IFC 扩展装配模 型的自上而下设计可行性,为装配式建筑的协同设计提供了有益的方法借鉴。     

Internet-enabled real-time collaborative assembly modeling via an e-Assembly system: status and promise

Collaborative CAD systems enabling collaboration in computer-aided design processes among distributed designers are gaining more and more attention. Yet, such systems, especially in support of collaborative assembly modeling, are hardly achievable. Targeting this gap, this paper addresses an Internet-enabled real-time collaborative assembly modeling system, named e-Assembly. This emerging system allows a group of geographically dispersed designers to jointly build an assembly model in real time over the Internet. In particular, this paper proposes a new assembly representation, called Collaborative Assembly Representation, for Internet-based collaborative assembly modeling. Also, collaborative assembly constraint satisfaction is addressed based on three coordination rules embedded in e-Assembly. Furthermore, the system architecture and realization of e-Assembly are provided. Finally, a prototypic implementation of e-Assembly is presented for demonstration and discussion.     

Ontology-based assembly design and information sharing for collaborative product development

To realize a truly collaborative product design and development process, effective communication among design collaborators is a must. In other words, the design intent that is imposed in a product design should be seized and interpreted properly; heterogeneous modeling terms should be semantically processed both by design collaborators and intelligent systems. Ontologies in the Semantic Web can explicitly represent semantics and promote integrated and consistent access to data and services. Thus, if an ontology is used in a heterogeneous and distributed design collaboration, it will explicitly and persistently represent engineering relations that are imposed in an assembly design. Design intent can be captured by reasoning, and, in turn, as reasoned facts, it can be propagated and shared with design collaborators. This paper presents a new paradigm of ontology-based assembly design. In the framework, an assembly design (AsD) ontology serves as a formal, explicit specification of assembly design so that it makes assembly knowledge both machine-interpretable and to be shared. An Assembly Relation Model (ARM) is enhanced using ontologies that represent engineering, spatial, assembly, and joining relations of assembly in a way that promotes collaborative assembly information-sharing environments. In the developed AsD ontology, implicit AsD constraints are explicitly represented using OWL (Web Ontology Language) and SWRL (Semantic Web Rule Language). This paper shows that the ability of the AsD ontology to be reasoned can capture both assembly and joining intents by a demonstration with a realistic mechanical assembly. Finally, this paper presents a new assembly design information-sharing framework and an assembly design browser for a collaborative product development.     

Collaboration planning framework (CPF) to support distributed product development

Current marketplace is undergoing major changes that will affect the way organizations conduct their business. Organizations need to respond to a geographically dispersed marketplace. This can be achieved by leveraging globally distributed resources to fully understand and interpret individual customer needs. That is, organizations need to integrate their operations (product development) in a way that will allow dynamic response to market changes. Computer-supported collaborative engineering could provide the integrating mechanisms needed to integrate distributed operations. The change to collaborative engineering should be based on sound and comprehensive methodologies that can analyze current practices, assess their ability to be performed collaboratively, restructure organizational practices to enhance their performance in a collaborative environment, select appropriate tools to support practices, and provide an implementation plan. This paper presents a framework to build computer-supported collaborative product design and development operating in a distributed environment. The framework is composed of six modules that provide a systematic procedure to plan for computer supported collaborative engineering.     

基于VRML的产品虚拟模型协同操作方法研究

针对基于Web的虚拟设计中用户和企业设计人员交流的需要,提出了采用VRML对产品的虚拟模型进行同步浏览和协同设计的新方法,并设计了相应的控制方式.同时结合矢量化的电子图板、文字及语音通信对产品的虚拟模型进行协同操作和讨论,实现了协同操作的系统原型.     

A knowledge intensive multi-agent framework for cooperative/collaborative design modeling and decision support of assemblies

Multi-agent modeling has emerged as a promising discipline for dealing with decision making process in distributed information system applications. One of such applications is the modeling of distributed design or manufacturing processes which can link up various designs or manufacturing processes to form a virtual consortium on a global basis. This paper proposes a novel knowledge intensive multi-agent cooperative/collaborative framework for concurrent intelligent design and assembly planning, which integrates product design, design for assembly, assembly planning, assembly system design, and assembly simulation subjected to econo-technical evaluations. An AI protocol based method is proposed to facilitate the integration of intelligent agents for assembly design, planning, evaluation and simulation process. A unified class of knowledge intensive Petri nets is defined using the O-O knowledge-based Petri net approach and used as an AI protocol for handling both the integration and the negotiation problems among multi-agents. The detailed cooperative/collaborative mechanism and algorithms are given based on the knowledge objects cooperation formalisms. As such, the assembly-oriented design system can easily be implemented under the multi-agent-based knowledge-intensive Petri net framework with concurrent integration of multiple cooperative knowledge sources and software. Thus, product design and assembly planning can be carried out simultaneously and intelligently in an entirely computer-aided concurrent design and assembly planning system.     

协同设计中层次访问控制模型的研究

访问控制是系统安全的重要技术,但在协同设计中应用较少。该文提出一个基于零件层次建模的多层访问控制框架用于协同设计,其中的层次权限模型为3D图形设计提供了部件层和特征层的多级访问许可,通过结合层次权限概念和传统的角色访问控制,实现基于角色的扩展层次访问控制模型。     

基于综合集成法的复杂产品协同设计过程模型及框架研究

建立过程模型及框架,将设计过程有效地表达出来,是协同设计的基础。 论文针对复杂产品设计过程的特征,根据综合集成法,建立了一个以时间、粒度、并行度三 维分布的多层次复杂产品协同设计过程模型。该过程模型在时间维强调多阶段综合,在并行 度维强调多专业综合,在粒度维强调分解与综合的迭代。在该过程模型基础上,结合专家体 系、知识体系、机器体系,提出基于综合集成法的复杂产品协同设计过程框架。该框架中, 机器体系依靠知识体系中的知识,给专家群体提供帮助,专家群体在机器体系提供的项目管 理、群体研讨、协同决策、三维可视化等支持工具帮助下,实现人机结合、多专业结合、多 阶段结合的协同设计过程,以提高复杂产品的协同设计效率。最后介绍了相关原型系统。     

基于Agent分布式仪表产品造型协同设计应用研究

基于Agent代理,提出将Web技术和Multi-Agent技术融合的分布式协同设计系统,为产品设计过程中设计人员之间的信息共享和资源共享提供了更有效的方法.在分析系统体系结构的基础上,着重阐述了Multi-Agent代理模型和工作原理,并将其应用于仪表产品造型设计系统中,实现基于Agent的分布式仪表产品造型设计原型系统.     

复杂产品协同设计中数据建模与驱动方法

针对在传统基于工作流的协同设计中,不同专业设计人员交流和任务协调困难导致产品设计效率低下的问题,提出复杂产品"一元三层"数据模型和基于数据驱动的复杂产品协同设计技术。首先采用多维多粒度的数据建模和本体描述方法完成了对复杂产品的信息建模,然后采用基于本体的语义检索技术完成协同设计过程任务的数据订阅,最后实现基于数据订阅/发布的复杂产品任务协同技术。实验结果表明,基于数据驱动的复杂产品协同设计技术解决了传统协同设计过程中不同专业设计人员之间交流与任务协调的困难,实现复杂产品协同设计过程的螺旋式上升,从而提高了产品设计效率。     

Design formalism for collaborative assembly design

Joints in product design are common because of the limitations of component geometric configurations and material properties, and the requirements of inspection, accessibility, repair, and portability. Collaborative product design is emerging as a viable alternative to the traditional design process. The collaborative assembly design (AsD) methodologies are needed for distributed product development. Existing AsD methodologies have limitations in capturing the non-geometric aspects of designer's intent on joining and are not efficient for a collaborative design environment. This paper introduces an AsD formalism and associated AsD tools to capture joining relations and spatial relationship implications. This AsD formalism allows the joining relations to be modeled symbolically for computer interpretation, and the model can be used for inferring mathematical and physical implications. An AsD model generated from the AsD formalism is used to exchange AsD information transparently in a collaborative AsD environment. An assembly relation model and a generic assembly relationship diagram are to capture assembly and joining information concisely and persistently. As a demonstration, the developed AsD formalism and AsD tools are applied on a connector assembly with arc weld and rivet joints.     

Development of an integrated-collaborative decision making framework for product top-down design process

A process model based on product function and physical topology structure is proposed. This model decomposes the product top-down design process into module design task, part design task, design parameter and dependencies among them. According to the characteristics of the design process, an integrated collaborative design software framework is designed, which includes module task agent, part task agent and sensitivity-based collaborative design method for agents. The system is developed with Java and Web technologies and applied to the transmission design case to demonstrate its utilization and efficiency.     

A distributed and interactive system to integrated design and simulation for collaborative product development

The goal of applying collaborative product development in industry has raised the need to develop software tools supporting system integration and group collaboration. Current methods and tools mainly focus on the collaborative creation of design components and assemblies. However, few of them support the collaborative work in developing simulation models so that proposed design concepts and solutions can be evaluated by integrating expertise from several disciplines. The purpose of this research is to develop a distributed and interactive system on which designers and experts can work together to create, integrate and run simulations for engineering design. To develop such a system, a number of issues, e.g. effectiveness and efficiency of modeling work, the re-use of models, interaction and cooperation, accuracy of simulation, collaborative operation on models, etc., need to be addressed. This paper describes an open architecture to developing simulations for engineering design in a distributed and collaborative environment, identifies a set of key issues raised in this architecture, and presents the techniques employed in our solution.     

基于本体和粗糙集的协同产品设计知识约简

协同产品设计具有知识来源广、知识类型复杂多样等特点。为简化产品设计知识库并从中有效地提取出对产品设计人员有价值的知识,提出了基于本体和粗糙集的协同产品设计知识约简方法。首先通过引入本体技术对设计知识进行本体建模、显式定义语义和统一表达,以增加产品设计知识的语义;然后通过决策属性的正域及核求解等知识约简方法将设计知识库中对设计人员不重要的、冗余的知识进行约简,精练设计知识库,分析并求解出了约简后知识库中知识的依赖度,从而为设计人员选取与设计密切相关的知识提供依据。最后以汽车发动机的协同设计为例介绍了本文的方法。