Enhancing Engineering Design and Analysis Interoperability Part 1: Constrained Objects

TLDR: Results show that the COB representation gives the MRA a more capable foundation, thus enhancing physical behavior modeling and the design sizing and design verification using the same COBbased analysis model.

Abstract: The wide variety of design and analysis contexts in engineering practice makes the generalized integration of computer-aided design and engineering (CAD/CAE) a challenging proposition. Transforming a detailed product design into an idealized analysis model can be a time-consuming and complicated process, which typically does not explicitly capture idealization and simplification knowledge. Recent research has introduced the multi-representation architecture (MRA) and analyzable product models (APMs) to bridge the CAD-CAE gap with stepping stone representations that support design-analysis diversity. This paper introduces constrained objects (COBs) as a generalization of the underlying representations. The COB representation is based on object and constraint graph concepts to gain their modularity and multi-directional capabilities. Object techniques provide a semantically rich way to organize and reuse the complex relations and properties that naturally underlie engineering models. Representing relations as constraints makes COBs flexible because constraints can generally accept any combination of I/O information flows. This multi-directionality enables design sizing and design verification using the same COBbased analysis model. Engineers perform such activities through out the design process, with the former being characteristic of early design stages and vice versa. This paper presents basic examples to illustrate the main COB concepts. To validate the COB representation, other work describes electronic packaging and aerospace test cases implemented in a toolkit called XaiTools ™ . In all, the test cases utilize some 260 different types of COBs with some 370 relations, including automated solving using commercial math and finite element analysis tools. Results show that the COB representation gives the MRA a more capable foundation, thus enhancing physical behavior modeling and