Modeling Kernel to Support Collaborative Concurrent Engineering

We propose to develop innovative data structures that will support qualitative and quantitave reasoning for implementing collaborative concurrent engineering - design for assembly, design for manufacture, and conceptual prototyping. The data structures will support representation of: DESIGN & DETAILING INTENT - formal representation of design features and dimensional/detailing relationships between them; FUNCTIONAL - feature, part, and assembly attributes and derived values; TOLERANCE - set based value representation on tolerance values; DEGREES OF FREEDOM - Kinematic, Finite element, Product configuration, and Assembly process degrees of freedom representation; DESIGN RATIONALE - Capture and representation of design rationale. In addition derived information that can be used in design optimization, engineering analysis, and product engineering will also be represented. The following data structures will be used to model the above mentioned information: 1) Frame data structure - to model qualitative/functional information 2) Free space data structures (configuration space, skeletons (MATs), vornoi diagrams) 3) Plans - for solving constraints and to support generic programming 9) Predicate logic based event history - for design rationale 5) Combinatorics graph - to suppport assembly process analysis 6) PDES/STEP SDAI API - to support standards based access to the above data structures. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS: The proposed project will result in a new generation modeling kernel that will result in expansion of the existing MCAD/CAE market. The kernel can be sold as add on the existing solid modeling products and kernels, and can be used to generate new generation applications in design for manufacturing design for assembly, and conceptual prototyping.