Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The globalisation is increasing the complexity of product development in terms of product
variants and the range of technologies implemented. It emphasises the requirement for
developing various design information support systems for the world market. However,
small and medium enterprises that employ a wide range of design procedures may not be
able to afford customised information support systems, with the result that there is a need
for flexible, i.e. easily adaptable, design support tools.
Four case studies were carried out to investigate the requirements for an information
support system aimed at the design process and design documents. They indicated that a
design information support system aimed at supporting design teams in the pre-detail
mechanical design phases should be able to adapt various design methods and handle
design information in a flexible way. Flexible here means being applicable over a wide
range of contexts and extendable without affecting data already captured.
Ontology based approaches are widely applied where diverse information has to be
handled. The development of the Internet today also makes a distributed design approach
more and more popular for mechanical design. An internet-based design support system
called DiDeas II (Distributed Design assistant) was developed here with an ontologybased
approach implemented to provide distributed and flexible assistance during concept
generation in small companies. The DiDeas II has separate server side and client side
programs, which communicate through a TCP/IP connection.
DiDeas II allows design teams to manage their design information according to various
design methods, to decrease time-delays and to improve communication between team
members. These benefits were confirmed in two case studies carried out to evaluate
DiDeas II.
Keywords:
Distributed design; ontology; concept design, web-based system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Globalisering verhoog die kompleksiteit van produkontwikkeling, in terme van produk
variante en die bereik van tegnologieë wat geïmplementeer word. Dit beklemtoon die
behoefte om verskeie ontwerp-inligting-ondersteuningstelsels vir die wêreldmark te
ontwikkel. Klein en medium ondernemings wat 'n wye spektrum ontwerpsprosedures
gebruik, kan egter nie doelgemaakte inligting-ondersteuningstelsels bekostig nie, met die
gevolg dat daar 'n behoefte vir maklik-aanpasbare ontwerp ondersteuningstelsels is.
Vier gevallestudies is uitgevoer om die vereistes vir 'n inligting-ondersteuningstelsel
gemik op die ontwerpproses en ontwerp dokumente, te ondersoek. Dit het aangetoon dat
'n ontwerp-inligting-ondersteuningstelsel, wat ontwerpspanne in die voor-detail
meganiese ontwerp fases moet ondersteun, by verskeie ontwerpmetodes moet kan aanpas
en ontwerpsinligting op 'n aanpasbare manier kan hanteer. Aanpasbaarheid in hierdie
konteks beteken toepaslik oor 'n wye spektrum kontekste en uitbreibaar sonder om data
wat alreeds ingevoer is, te beïnvloed.
Ontologie-gebaseerde benaderings word wyd toegepas waar diverse inligting hanteer
moet word. Die ontwikkeling van die Internet maak 'n verspreide-ontwerpbenadering
meer en meer gewild vir meganiese ontwerp. 'n Internet-gebaseerde ontwerpondersteuningstelstel
genaamd DiDeas II (Distributed Design assistant) is hier ontwikkel
met 'n ontologie-gebaseerde benadering wat daarop gemik is om verspreide, aanpasbare
hulp te verleen aan klein maatskappye gedurende konsep- ontwikkeling. Die DiDeas II
stelsel het afsonderlike bediener en kliënt programme wat deur 'n TCP/IP verbinding
kommunikeer.
DiDeas II laat ontwerpspanne toe om hulle ontwerp inligting volgens verskeie
ontwerpmetodes te bestuur, tydvertragings te verminder en om kommunikasie tussen
spanlede te verbeter. Hierdie voordele is bevestig in twee gevallestudies wat uitgevoer is
om DiDeas II te evalueer.
Sleutelwoorde: Verspreide ontwerp; ontologie; konsepontwerp; web-gebaseerde stelsel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/21438 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Liu, Yang |
| Contributors | Basson, A. H., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xi, 385 leaves : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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