Information Integration in Computer Aided Design

Abstract: Information management during product development and over the lifecycle of products has become central to enable competitiveness in the engineering industry. Reuse and integration of information is essential to avoid duplicating efforts. This need for methods and tools which effectively enable capture, retrieval, representation, and reuse of information. The research presented in this thesis is based on investigations of information management at two companies in the engineering industry in Sweden. One case at each company was identified. The cases focused on the methods and tools with which product-related information is captured, retrieved represented, and reused. The challenge lies in ensuring that pertinent product information can be efficiently captured and, once stored, can be understood, used, and reused by both systems and individuals. To address the challenge, an approach for integrating information in Product Development was developed, implemented, and evaluated. One of the bases of the approach is the information architecture used to provide easy access to product information in an integrated and customizable way. Information is stored in a main source, a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system tightly integrated with other sources. These tightly integrated information sources together form a PLM solution. The data model of the PLM system becomes the unified data model for the product information. The approach allows for redundancy-free storage that ensures that the information provided is up-to-date and valid. Ease of access to the information is provided by utilizing a service-oriented architecture to provide Web applications and integrations. Close collaboration between researchers and users has been essential throughout the entire process of investigation, implementation, and evaluation. Feedback from the evaluation showed that the prescribed approach was preferred to the old approach and that the participants from both companies agree that it will likely provide value to both authors and consumers of the information.