A PROTOTYPE OF FEATURE-BASED DESIGN FOR ASSEMBLY

This paper describes a prototype software system that implements a for m of feature-based design for assembly. It is not an automated design system but instead a decision and design aid for designers interested in concurrent design. Feature-based design captures design intent (ass embly topology, product function, manufacturing, or field use) while c reating part and product geometry. Design for assembly as used here ex tends existing ideas about critiquing part shapes and part count to in clude assembly process planning, assembly sequence generation, assembl y fixturing assessments, and assembly process costs. This work was pri marily interested in identifying the information important to DFA task s, and how that information could be captured using feature-based desi gn. It was not intended to extend the state of the art in feature-base d geometry creation, but rather to explore the uses of the information that can be captured. The prototype system has been programmed in LIS P on Sun workstations. Its research contributions comprise integration of feature-based design with several existing and new assembly analys is and synthesis algorithms; construction of feature properties to mee t the needs of those algorithms, a carefully chosen division of labor between designer and computer; and illustration of feature-based model s of products as the information source for assembly analysis and proc ess design. Some of its functions have been implemented approximately or partially but they give the flavor of the benefits to be expected f rom a fully functional system.