Study on Modelling of the Product Design Knowledge Based on Functional Feature Partition

A product design methodology based on functional feature partition is proposed to remedy the existing deficiency in modelling of the design knowledge for complex products. In this approach, a partitioning is firstly performed by mapping the functions to structures layer by layer. Based on this partition, a united product decomposing structure for standard products, optimal products and series products is developed to package the basic design knowledge of the corresponding functional structure. Then, the integrated knowledge model based on object-oriented method and hybrid inference method is constructed, in this model, knowledge can be organized at hierarchical classification and expressed with different forms. Finally, a case study on an automobile movement system is given to illustrate the effectiveness of this method.