Using a Knowledge-Based System to Link Design, Manufacturing, and Verification in a Collaborative Environment

Present work deals with the Design GuideLines (DGLs), a Knowledge Based System developed to help the designer defining the products consistently with manufacturing and verification technologies, according to the Concurrent Engineering approach. An example of application of the DGLs is reported. The design of a product is modified respecting manufacturing and verification requirements, and an evaluation of the cost of the modifications is proposed. Rapid Prototyping (RP) technologies are considered as manufacturing technologies in the case study, being somehow still regarded as “new technologies”, while Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs), a widespread verification technique, are considered as measurement tools.