A methodology for a function-to-shape translation tool in foundry

Functional design aims at assisting the designer during the whole design process, from specifications to manufacturing, even beyond that. One of the key stages of this process is the function-to-shape translation. We first present two methods developed by our team. An expert systems method used to design moulds of foundry. A theoretical method produces a too huge solutions space of shapes so that it cannot be industrially applied. Finally, we introduce a mixed method with the aim to be used by engineers. It consists in applying the theoretical method by integrating some expert knowledge in order to obtain a reasonably wide solutions space automatically.