MANAGING ENGINEERING DATA FOR COMPLEX PRODUCTS

In this article we propose a design framework that integrates many application programs and manages the enormous quantity and variety of data generated while designing a complex product. Our discipline-independent framework provides data management services, such as version control and configuration management, needed by many engineering disciplines. This discipline-independent framework may be extended to satisfy the particular needs of specific engineering disciplines. The framework supports a message passing system and a flexible formula language, which facilitate the integration of design data from multiple disciplines. Our framework also includes powerful features for designing products with customer selectable options. First, we provide constructs, called option variables and option restrictions, for indicating what options are to be offered. Then, our option language allows designers to specify the product parametrically as a function of the option variables. Finally, we provide features for verifying that the design satisfies specified constraints for all combinations of options to be offered.