DICE MO-a collaborative DFMA analysis tool

The ability to reason about product features and resource capabilities while developing manufacturing processes allows for finely tuned production processes. Conversely, providing a design team insight into the manufacturing process and the resources at hand will enable fine tuning of the design for manufacturing and assembly. The DICE-Manufacturing Optimization program investigated support for collaboration between product design teams and process development teams. The primary output of the investigation is a prototype software system that provides production cost and yield estimations determined from EXPRESS based product and enterprise information models. Support is provided for feedback of suggested product design changes from the process development team to the product design team