A methodology and supporting framework for functional modeling and configuration in conceptual design

Abstract

Concurrent Engineering has brought much attention in recent years to engineering design and its impact on issues such as costs, cycle-time, quality, and other life-cycle processes. Coupled with global markets and the rapid rate of technology advancements, the need for improved methods and supporting tools for engineering design is significant. To date, advances for engineering design have predominantly focused on tasks that are well into the latter stages of product development. Advances for early design (where over 60% of lifecycle costs are committed) still remain largely investigational, specialized, and rarely consider the requirements for functional abstraction and detail necessary in a concurrently engineered development process. In general, methodologies have taken either a top-down or a bottom-up approach to design, and as such, have virtually guaranteed the continued separation of abstraction and detail during conceptualization.

This research proposes a methodology based on the blending of top-down and bottom-up approaches. Toward this end, a framework for integrated conceptual design is presented. Three mechanisms are central to the framework definition, including: 1) a functional modeling environment supporting concept model building, knowledge capture, and reuse, 2) a components knowledge-base supporting configuration, and 3) an integrated design domain accessible from the functional modeling environment interconnecting tools, analysis routines, and data sources necessary for design synthesis, analysis, and evaluation.

Based upon an object-oriented paradigm and semantic reasoning, the framework for functional modeling and configuration has been designed in detail. A Windows-based user interface has been prototyped and enables designers to both visualize and compose conceptual models using a building-block approach. An example design problem in the domain of power conversion systems is provided and demonstrates the methodology for technologically sophisticated products where conceptualization crosses electrical, mechanical, and software domains (mechatronics). A use case model and object class diagrams describe and document the framework function and architecture.