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Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A (Applied Physics & Engineering)  2015, Vol. 16 Issue (9): 706-723    DOI: 10.1631/jzus.A1500140
Special Feature from the 5th Advanced Design Concepts and Practice Workshop (ADCP 2015) (Guest Editor: Yu-sheng LIU)     
Informal and formal modelling of engineering processes for design automation using knowledge based engineering
Vibhor Trehan, Craig Chapman, Pathmeswaran Raju
Knowledge Based Engineering (KBE) Lab, Birmingham City University, Birmingham B4 7XG, UK
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Abstract  Knowledge based engineering (KBE) as a design method helps formulate a comprehensive knowledge base as a virtual prototype which includes design intent, requirements, rationale, and logic along with geometric information, which can then be utilised for representing the product design process, and to achieve complex design automation. One of the identified shortcomings in the field of design process automation using KBE as a holistic approach is a suitable neutral representation technique of a process model with well-defined syntax, axioms, and semantics for it to be shared across multiple platforms and to enable interoperability. To achieve design process automation, two steps are very important. First, a modelling method should be able to informally capture all critical aspects of a process to enable design automation. Second, the informal model should be able to be mapped onto a formal representation technique in a system, which will then enable automation by running a query through this representation. This paper discusses all the critical aspects in the form of design decomposition features and narrows down informal modelling approaches based on the criteria formulated for design automation from the literature. Formal representation techniques are discussed with the help of an example to ensure correct mapping of the informal model to a formal representation. The next steps of this research would be recommendation of the formal representation techniques of the informal model based on the discussion in this paper and for future work that will enable process automation.

Key wordsKnowledge based engineering (KBE)      Design automation      Process model      Formal representation      Process automation     
Received: 29 May 2015      Published: 03 September 2015
CLC:  TP302  
Cite this article:

Vibhor Trehan, Craig Chapman, Pathmeswaran Raju. Informal and formal modelling of engineering processes for design automation using knowledge based engineering. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A (Applied Physics & Engineering), 2015, 16(9): 706-723.

URL:

http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-a/10.1631/jzus.A1500140     OR     http://www.zjujournals.com/xueshu/zjus-a/Y2015/V16/I9/706

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