Research Initiation: Knowledge-Based Simultaneous Engineering for Mechanical Design Using Design Compatibility Analysis

该奖项旨在为基于知识的计算机工具开发一个通用框架，以帮助机械设计中的同步工程。设计兼容性分析(DCA)将作为这些基于知识的系统的基本概念。DCA关注设计要求(规范)与拟议设计之间的兼容性，根据专家的兼容性知识对设计进行评估，给出评估的理由并提出改进建议。DCA将产品的各种生命周期问题(例如，功能性、可制造性、可靠性)统一地集中在一起，即兼容性，从而帮助设计者在设计表现的早期阶段纳入这些问题。第二个焦点是DCA与性能模拟器等分析计算机程序之间的联系。由此产生的框架不仅将作为各种设计专家系统的基础，而且还将加强我们对生命周期设计问题的理解。

The award is to develop a general framework for knowledge- based computer tools that aid simultaneous engineering in mechanical design. Design Compatibility Analysis (DCA) will serve as the underlying concept for these knowledge-based systems. DCA focuses on the compatibility between the design requirements (specification) and the proposed design, evaluates the design based on the compatibility knowledge of experts, gives justification for the evaluation and suggests improvements. DCA accommodates a product's various life-cycle issues (e.g., functionality, manufacturability, reliability) with a unified focus, i.e., compatibility, and thus helps designers to incorporate these issues at the early stages of design representation. The second focus is the linkage between DCA and analytical computer programs such as performance simulators. The resulting framework will not only serve as the basis for various design expert systems, but will also enhance our understanding of the life-cycle design issues.