Definition of a methodology for mechanical conceptual design

The design process and the modelling possibility in the conceptual design stage are discussed. Two different approaches are proposed in mechanical design: axiomatic and AI. The axiomatic approach is used to seek basic principles (or laws) for decision making in each stage of the design, while the AI technique allows modelling of the intuitive knowledge and experiences which expert designers use in a well-defined domain. In order to truly help designers, the most effective strategy for elaborating powerful computer-aided design system is to combine these two types of approach