Title: Automation of change propagation analysis using functional analysis and a knowledge perspective

Authors: Haoqi Wang; Vince Thomson; Xiaoqi Zhang

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450002, China ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C3, Canada ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C3, Canada

Abstract: Managing the change process is a challenge as it impacts the time and cost to develop products. There are several, present methods that predict change propagation using a component view of a product. These methods have limitations when trying to automate them due to the large number of components and their relationships. This paper describes an automated method that determines change propagation by using a functional view of a product that deals with change propagation before product embodiment. The different types of knowledge that realise a function are used to specify the relationships among product functions. This greatly reduces the effort needed to perform change propagation analysis. Knowledge similarity between a changed function and other product functions is used to determine the functions that are possibly impacted by a change and to calculate the probability of change. The method is illustrated using a GE Hydro hydroelectric generator.

Keywords: automation of change propagation; product development; design methods; function analysis; knowledge perspective.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLM.2019.107004

International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management, 2019 Vol.12 No.2, pp.107 - 130

Received: 07 Sep 2019
Accepted: 15 Jan 2020
Published online: 30 Apr 2020 *

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