Bridging the Gap between Product Design and Product Manufacturing by Means of Graph-based Design Languages

By now there still exists a major gap in the seamless information integration between product design and manufacturing processes. The reasons for this gap are manifold, however the incompatibility between the modeling philosophy used in the product design and for product manufacturing as well as the inconsistency in the data models and formats used in both areas are among the most obvious. Bridging this gap can be achieved by the use of graph-based design languages. The approach is illustrated using an aircraft panel structure model which is incrementally mapped by a sequence of model-transformations into a model from which the digital factory which produces the designed panel structure can be generated automatically. This proves that topological and parametrical design changes in the design phases can be propagated automatically into a digital factory environment, where the effects of the design changes can be evaluated using appropriate time or cost metrics. According to the authors best knowledge this is the first time that the gap between product design and product manufacturing is digitally closed and that design changes and resulting manufacturing process updates are successfully automated for parametrical and topological changes in design and production.