| The traditional separation of design and manufacturing has produced manufactured goods with higher than necessary production costs. The most prominent solution to this problem is Concurrent Engineering--a philosophy that prescribes simultaneous consideration of design and manufacturing issues. Several knowledge-based manufacturability evaluation methods have evolved for Concurrent Engineering activities. The Manufacturability Evaluation and Improvement System (MEIS), described in this thesis, offers an analytical alternative to the above methods.;The MEIS is a software package comprised of three modules: design, analysis, and an evaluation module. The design module allows for the detailed specification of rotational, symmetric parts. This is accomplished by means of features that can be assembled in any sequence to form a part. An extended database holds the geometric and functional attributes of the features. This database is accessed by the manufacturing analysis module, which determines the types and geometric characteristics of the operations needed to produce the part. It also detects and presents to the user manufacturing infeasibilities.;The manufacturability evaluation module uses the above information to estimate the machining time associated with each feature. This is accomplished by means of experimental models which give machining time as a function of feature attributes. The time information is then used in calculating the Feature Manufacturability Index, which is used for ranking the features of a part. Furthermore, the improvement potential of each operation within a feature is indicated by the Operation Feasibility Index. The Relative and Absolute Part Manufacturability Indices are designed to indicate design improvements and overall part quality, respectively. The Manufacturability Indicator stands out as a quantity that accounts for work material, manufacturing facilities, and part design.;In general, the MEIS is an integrated concurrent engineering package. It allows the user to design a part, evaluate its manufacturability, and make comparisons and design improvements. |
