Concurrent engineering utilities for controlling interactions in process planning

This paper presents two concurrent engineering tools for serving in process planning. The first one, as design for manufacturing utility, evaluates critical interactions between several types of machining features (i.e., holes, pockets, etc.) on prismatic parts, and modifies original design (if possible) and reflects the modifications to all down- and up-stream stations in CAD/CAM integration. The second one is for group technology and flexibility, by which products are designed according to the existing manufacturing system. Methodologies of the developed systems are illustrated with several examples throughout the paper.