Functional Evolution Process Modeling and Management for Conceptual Product Design

Abstract

Function modeling and evolution is a key stage in conceptual product design. To enable the efficient functional evolution, the functional evolution process needs to be modeled and managed in a systematic way. Current PDM systems can effectively manage the ‘final’ product data and information, but can not deal with documentation about the function design and related evolution process. Therefore, a functional evolution process modeling management mechanism has been proposed and a related computer aided system has been developed. Firstly, in an attempt to achieve a shared understanding of the functional evolution activities, a set of consistent and coherent definitions of the functional evolution activities are deliberated and presented. Four basic pairs of function evolution directions have been presented to describe what each specific function evolution design activity entails, and the function structuring is circumscribed with defined causal function relations and structural function relations. Then, a function evolution process model is introduced, aiming to give a support for obtaining an appropriate representation of information about (1) function version which can reflect the phases of function evolution process, and (2) function evolution activities which compose the whole function evolution process. A framework for functional evolution process management has been established, which can not only capture evolution of function objects, but also record the designer’s functional design intent systematically.