R. Banaresalcantara, DESIGN SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR PROCESS ENGINEERING .1. REQUIREMENTS AND PROPOSED SOLUTIONS FOR A DESIGN PROCESS REPRESENTATION, Computers & chemical engineering, 19(3), 1995, pp. 267-277
Design is an important engineering activity, arguably the most importa
nt, because it is the basis for developing new products. An effective
design support system can enhance the design process, and thus improve
the design product. A number of requirements make the development of
a design support system a complex task; useful and directed assistance
requires a representation of the design process to be kept in a compu
table form. The system should furthermore have the flexibility to prov
ide support for exploration, evolution, cooperation, and integration.
The described work addresses the above issues, and proposes solutions
for their achievement using the exploration-based model of design of S
mithers et al. and the hierarchical decision procedure of Douglas. It
proposes a fundamentally new representation consisting of three interc
onnected networks for the design objectives, alternatives, and models
respectively, and examines the behaviour or functionality they must pr
ovide. Expected benefits from this representation are maintenance of c
onsistency during the design process; dependency-directed redesign or
retrofit; reuse of parts of the artifact or the design methodology; en
hanced documentation and explanation of the system's actions or advice
; representation of multiple points of veiw and their interactions; an
d eased verification, modification and maintenance of the design produ
ct.