A design reuse system

Successful past design is the largest accumulation of expertise in the enti re manufacturing sector and effective exploitation needs to structure this store of information. This paper shows that the design model under which th is information is going to be used greatly influences the structuring proce ss. Within design function deployment past designs should be structured as (a) a product concept, (b) a solution concept, (c) an embodiment design and (d) a detailed design, for efficient reuse. Illustrative examples are prov ided to explain their reuse. The methods for representing the structured in formation are also described.