This paper on "Concurrent Product Design for Ease of Assembly within an Integrated Environment" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on Design, Simulation & Optimisation: Reliability & Applicability of Computational Methods - 9-11 April 1997, Stuttgart, Germany.

Abstract

Design plays a key role in the development and rationalisation of the manufacturing and assembly process. If the designs are not good from the assembly standpoint rationalisation of the chain of assembly will only be of limited success. This paper addresses the incorporation of a knowledge based product design cycle for assembly process generation within a CIM environment. The factors which affect the relationship between the design process and assembly process are addressed. Due to the generation of a large amount of data during the design process in an integrated environment, the introduction of a reasoning and decision making system would help to resolve some of the problems associated with rationalisation of product design for assembly during the design process.