EU-China collaboration in design: research in Web-enabled collaborative design supported by the Asia-Link and Asia IT&C projects

The research of Web-enabled collaboration in total design supported by the European Union's Asia Link project [1] and Asia IT&C project is reported in this paper. The two projects both aim at enhancing research collaboration between the EU and China. The Virtual Research Institute (VRI) is described first, which is the platform for the collaboration for the Asia Link project and is established by utilizing the advanced Web techniques; and then, the framework for the collaboration and the Web techniques involved in the research are presented which represent the major research of the Asia IT&C project. The effective collaboration between the project partners and the impacts of the project outcome on the partnership are also discussed

Workflow Activity Task Controller: an Approach to Distribute Knowledge and Information in Collaborative Product Development

This paper presents a theoretical approach to workflow process management using well established PDM functions for controlling knowledge and information to support collaborative product development processes within the WWW. The new methodology is called Workflow Activity Task Controller (WATC) that can securely distribute design and manufacturing knowledge to support process planning with information exchange during the early stages of the product development phases. Most specifically, WATC uses the methods described herein to link the workflow management of a PDM system with a knowledge-based system and a process planning system. In addition, this framework is flexible and adaptive and can be extended to adapt to a specific company’s needs. The objective and the intention of the development are to improve information flows, promote sharing of design and manufacturing knowledge and subsequently to maximise effectiveness of product development activities and task efficiency

Modelling for data management & exchange in Concurrent Engineering - A case study of civil aircraft assembly line

This research aims to improve the dataflow performance of the Concurrent Engineering (CE) practice in the detail design stage of the aircraft Assembly Line (AL) in the C919 aircraft project. As the final integrator of the aircraft, Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company Ltd. (SAMC) is responsible for developing the AL with global suppliers. Although CE has been implemented in AL projects to shorten lead time, reduce development cost and improve design quality, the lack of experience and insufficient infrastructure may lead to many challenges in cooperation with distributed suppliers, especially regarding data management/exchange and workflow control. In this research, the particular CE environment and activities in SAMC AL projects were investigated. By assessing the CE performance and benchmarking, the improvement opportunities are identified, and then an activity-oriented workflow and dataflow model is established by decomposing the work process to detail levels. Based on this model, a Product Data Management (PDM) based support platform is proposed to facilitate data management/exchange in dynamic workflow to improve work efficiency and interoperability. This solution is mocked-up on the Siemens Teamcenter 8.1 PLM(Product Lifecycle Management) software and its feasibility is checked. The mock-up is evaluated by SAMC experts and suppliers. The feedback shows the acceptance of the model by experts and the urgency of improving data/work flow design before PLM implementing. The result of this research is useful for enterprises in similar environments transiting from pre-PLM to implementing PLM and who wanting to strengthen CE in the new product development

From voice to knowledge: A proposal for a voice annotation system to support collaborative engineering design processes

This paper describes a novel voice interaction mechanism for capturing and managing design knowledge within a collaborative Computer-Aided Design (CAD) environment. We present a software module for speech recognition that integrates with a CAD application to allow the automatic creation of textual annotations in a 3D model directly from voice data. Audio is transcribed automatically, resulting in a textual note that is searchable and available to other users via a Product Data Management (PDM) system, providing an intuitive mechanism to document modeling processes and design knowledge. The system consists of three functional blocks: (1) audio recording, (2) speech recognition, and (3) query management against a cloud-based service. In this paper, we justify the need for our system from a human-computer interaction standpoint and discuss the rationale of its design and implementation in the context of collaborative design communication. Finally, we discuss some application spaces that demonstrate the capability of voice annotations for capturing knowledge

Synchronous communication in PLM environments using annotated CAD models

The connection of resources, data, and knowledge through communication technology plays a vital role in current collaborative design methodologies and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems, as these elements act as channels for information and meaning. Despite significant advances in the area of PLM, most communication tools are used as separate services that are disconnected from existing development environments. Consequently, during a communication session, the specific elements being discussed are usually not linked to the context of the discussion, which may result in important information getting lost or becoming difficult to access. In this paper, we present a method to add synchronous communication functionality to a PLM system based on annotated information embedded in the CAD model. 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UML Based Specifications of PDM Product Structure and Workflow

International audienceThe paper deals with the use of UML approach for the specification of a PDM system. A PDM enables the management of the product data about its entire lifecycle. The main goal of the paper is to highlight the added value of in using an object-oriented approach to modelling and implementing a PDM in a business case study. The chosen object-oriented approach and the used UML diagrams for themodelling and integration of product, process, and resource data is detailed for a turboprop aircraft project

PLM and design education: a collaborative experiment on a mechanical device

The authors would like to thanks Ms Andia Montes C. and Mr Nelson J. for their helpful suggestions received during this experimentThe shift from sequential to concurrent engineering has initiated changes in the way design projects are managed. In order to assist designers, numerous effective tools have been devised for collaborative engineering, which are also well suited to the business world. Faced with these new challenges, practices in design training must evolve to allow students to be mindful of these evolutions as well as to be able to manage projects in these new work environments. After presenting a state of the art of collaborative tools used in product design, our paper presents an experiment focusing on the codesign of a complex mechanical product. This experiment was carried out between two centers of the Arts et Metiers ParisTech School of Engineering, located in Paris and Angers. We analyze the results obtained in this experiment and discuss some ways to improve future projects for inter-centre training programs in design engineering.The shift from sequential to concurrent engineering has initiated changes in the way design projects are managed. In order to assist designers, numerous effective tools have been devised for collaborative engineering, which are also well suited to the business world. Faced with these new challenges, practices in design training must evolve to allow students to be mindful of these evolutions as well as to be able to manage projects in these new work environments. After presenting a state of the art of collaborative tools used in product design, our paper presents an experiment focusing on the codesign of a complex mechanical product. This experiment was carried out between two centers of the Arts et Metiers ParisTech School of Engineering, located in Paris and Angers. We analyze the results obtained in this experiment and discuss some ways to improve future projects for inter-centre training programs in design engineering

UML Based Specifications of PDM Product Structure and Workflow

The paper deals with the use of UML approach for the specification of a PDM system. A PDM enables the management of the product data about its entire lifecycle. The main goal of the paper is to highlight the added value of in using an object-oriented approach to modelling and implementing a PDM in a business case study

Development of a mapping system engineering approaches to classic product development processes of technical products: A work project of project management in product development

Project Work presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Information Systems and Technologies ManagementThe automotive industry faces the challenge of meeting customer requirements while ensuring technological advancements, fast and cost-effective development, and high-quality production. Information systems play a crucial role in efficiently designing internal processes and meeting customer demands. Personalized solutions are increasingly adopted to cater to individual preferences while maintaining up-to-date technology. Information systems are utilized to record and manage customer requirements, optimize production processes, control inventories, and facilitate effective communication between departments. Product data management (PDM) solutions are widely employed, with 77% of automotive companies implementing them. PDM encompasses the storage and management of data relevant to product development, supporting the entire product lifecycle. As product complexity grows, efficient management of product data becomes essential, along with the optimization of business processes to shorten development time and parallelize tasks. CAx coordination, involving computer-aided design (CAD), manufacturing (CAM), and engineering (CAE), ensures smooth communication and coordination across the product development process. PDM systems act as intermediaries between CAx coordination and enterprise resource planning systems, facilitating seamless integration of design and manufacturing processes. Leading providers of enterprise resource planning and CAD systems offer software solutions for product lifecycle management and PDM, enabling centralized and accessible product information, streamlining development and management processes