Object-oriented framework for managing modular product configuration

Companies applying mass customization paradigm regard the design process as a configuration task where the solution is achieved through the extraction of a new instance from a modular product structure. In this context product configuration management tools are evermore important. Circumscribing the application to the design phase their main objective is to automate the activities such as: components arrangement and dimensioning, 3D geometry modelling, 2D drawings execution, multi-view BOM compiling, costs estimation. Our research aims to develop an approach to simplify the implementation of product configuration systems. This paper, after a review of current available configuration systems in terms of design knowledge representation methods and product structure formalisation techniques, presents an object-oriented approach that is adopted as base for rationalising the design knowledge capture and structuring the product platform. The result is a framework able to manage the product configuration task. The approach will be exemplified through a real application example and benefits as well as limitations of the proposed approach will be discussed, in particular in terms of usability.