Research on Rapid Product Design Based on WAVE Technology

Abstract

Rapid design systems in existence mainly target at series development instead of product variant design. As an effort to solve this problem, this paper applies WAVE (What-if Alternative Value Engineer) to rapid product design. It elaborates on the basic theory and design method of WAVE and points out ways to integrate it with product rapid design system. Then using WAVE, it introduces knowledge expression, storage and deduction, the establishment of prototype library and the automatic updating of prototype model in rapid design system. Finally the system's validity is proved through a design case of modular machine tool. Keywords-WAVE, rapid design, knowledge based engineering, modular machine tool. I INTRODUCTION The rapid development of modern manufacturing industry imposes more stringent requirements on the structure and properties of products. To stand up to today's rapidly changing market, a company's ability of rapid product design is crucial for remaining successful. Product design work focuses on adaptive design and variant design in the actual production. How to use the advanced design methods, ideas and concepts, acquire and reuse design knowledge in order to develop new products to meet customer requirements as soon as possible has become a great challenge to modern companies. The common practice of most existing product rapid design systems is to build digital models of each part before digital assembly. When some parts turn to be undesirable in the assembly, they have to be redesigned and reassembled. This drawback arises from the fact that these systems do not support the whole process from concept design to detailed design. Different from parametric modeling at part level, WAVE is a product parameterization technology. It runs the changes of concept design and detailed design through the entire product design process. When engineering parameters of a product are changed, the system will automatically update the product to part level according to design criteria saved in the control structure, so as to ensure design idea and integrity. This paper applies WAVE technology to product rapid design system to realize rapid design of a series of products with variant structures. It elaborates on knowledge exploration and expression and key technologies to establish and implement inference engine and prototype database. Finally, this paper demonstrates the application of WAVE in rapid design system through a case design of a combined machine tool. II WAVE TECHNOLOGY