An application of graph traversal algorithm to design task planning in model-based product development

Abstract

In model-based product development, engineering models representing specific parts a product from diverse aspects and resolutions are used to reduce cost and lead time while systematically reducing design alternatives. Designers in the product development processes will benefit from these models if they are timely available. In order to utilize these models collected from past development processes, we propose a product development process simulation method, which computationally supports planning of the current product development process. In the proposed method, these models are used to identify the types of design tasks and dynamically instantiate them so that they can satisfy given product specifications. The method is integrated with estimation of the degree of progress in product development by using a set-based approach. The simulation procedure performs iterative updates of the degree of progress with a traversal search on the graph, which is made by extracting the attributes and their relations defined in these models, and connecting these models at the attributes in common. The use of the proposed method is illustrated through its application to the development of a wind turbine.

Keywords

• product development process modeling
• system modeling
• graph traversal
• automation
• engineering design