A theoretical framework for an intelligent design catalogue

This paper outlines continuing work on the intelligent design catalogue. The intelligent design catalogue seeks to create a virtual design environment that is linked to a catalogue of standard parts. The theoretical framework for this research draws on several engineering areas. Within manufacturing, process plans can be developed in a virtual environment independently of the machines on the shop floor just as products can be conceptually designed independently of the standard parts available. The standard parts themselves can be grouped borrowing from classification schemes of Group Technology. Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) provides an environment for the development of the software that runs the intelligent design catalogue. As the objects of OOP parallel standard components, OOP also serves as a design paradigm after which the catalogue can be modelled. . Design theory suggests frameworks for developing a (semi-) hierarchical structure for cataloguing parts and design case stud...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2011
• Where: EWC
• Authors: Paul Winkelman
• Keywords: EWC 2011, Intelligent Design Catalogue, Standard Parts, Virtual Design Environment