Evaluation of Mechanical Product Architecture Using Interaction Graphs to Model Part Connectivity and Joint Strength

Abstract

Abstract Product performance, variety, manufacturability, logistics and life cycle ultimately depend upon product architecture. Product architecture includes both the foundations and building blocks upon which a mechanical system is conceived. It is a key element of Design for Manufacture (DFM). Until recently relatively little work has been done to fully understand these ramifications. A first step toward this goal is to better quantify the attributes of product architecture for mechanical assemblies. Using interaction graphs and the mathematics of graph theory, this paper proposes metrics for evaluating product architecture. These metrics can be developed from information derived from the geometric design domain based upon part connectivity and joint strengths.