Functional information integration in product development by using assembly features

Abstract

Product development is a collaboration-intensive process resulting in a novel or enhanced product that satisfies the customers' needs. To meet those needs, functional requirements are defined, which ultimately determine the product's physical characteristics and manufacturing. However, the functional and other non-geometrical information becomes less noticeable as the process advances, since the primary representation of the product design in the latter stages of the product development is often a purely geometrical model, causing information fragmentation. This fragmentation hinders the collaboration between different stakeholders while neglecting valuable product information that could facilitate its manufacturing. Research to date has not yet provided a suitable way to link the geometrical model of a product with its non-geometrical information. Focused on the assembly domain, this work proposes a way to integrate functional information into the product's geometrical model by using assembly features, which could be employed in the latter stages to extract process constraints and additional product details relevant to assembly process planning, as shown in the developed case study. This paper provides new insights into the value of the assembly feature as a functional information carrier and a tool for improving the collaboration between different stakeholders during the product development process.