Product design and process collaborative application system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of complex product design, and particularly discloses a product design and process collaboration application system which comprises a design process collaboration task definition module, a design process collaboration task execution module, a design process collaboration task monitoring module and a product data management module. The design process collaboration task definition module is used for defining a product design and process collaboration task process and task content according to a product research and development task; the design process collaborative task execution module is used for providing a collaborative work area and executing task content in the collaborative work area according to a task process; the design process collaborative task monitoring module is used for monitoring a task process and task content to obtain a task execution state; and the product data management module is used for performing unified management on data and task execution states in the parallel implementation process of the product design and the process activity. The product design and process collaborative application system provided by the invention can improve the product design efficiency and reduce the cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of complex product design, and in particular to an application system for product design and process collaboration. Background Art

[0002] Complex products refer to products with complex user needs, complex technology, complex structure, complex manufacturing and complex project management. Process and design collaboration is an important task in the product design process and an important measure to improve the feasibility and manufacturability of product design processes. Traditional product design and process design have a strict separation interface. The general department will generally conduct an overall plan demonstration to determine the basic technical requirements of the product, and the product design department will start the specific product design. After completing the detailed design of the product, the drawings will be sent to the manufacturing process department, and the manufacturing process department will conduct process design and manufacturing task decomposition. The entire product development process is run in series. Due to different majors, product designers pay more attention to the needs of product functions and performance when designing products, and will ignore the consideration of product manufacturing processes, resulting in difficult processing, long production cycle and high manufacturing cost of the designed products. In addition, even if the collaborative design method of design and process is adopted in the development process of some products, it is more based on the centralized work form of designers and process personnel on site, lacking the interconnection and interoperability of business data and the work platform for remote collaboration, which requires more manpower and material resources for collaborative work.

[0003] Therefore, how to provide a solution that can consider the process feasibility of the product design solution and the manufacturability of the product in advance has become a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved by technical personnel in this field. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides an application system for product design and process collaboration, which solves the problems of low efficiency and high labor cost caused by serial execution of product design and process in related technologies.

[0005] As one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an application system for product design and process collaboration, which includes: a design process collaboration task definition module, a design process collaboration task execution module, a design process collaboration task monitoring module and a product data management module, wherein the design process collaboration task definition module is communicatively connected with the design process collaboration task execution module, the design process collaboration task definition module and the design process collaboration task execution module are both communicatively connected with the design process collaboration task monitoring module, and the design process collaboration task execution module is communicatively connected with the product data management module; The design process collaboration task definition module is used to define the task flow and task content of product design and process collaboration according to the product development task, and the task content at least includes the specific content of product design and process activities and the upstream and downstream logical relationship; The design process collaborative task execution module is used to provide a collaborative work area, and execute the task content in the collaborative work area according to the task flow and based on the data content in a unified input and output format and a data neutral file driven activity mode, so as to realize the parallel execution of product design and process activities through data interaction between product design and process activities; The design process collaborative task monitoring module is used to monitor the task flow and task content to obtain the task execution status; The product data management module is used to uniformly manage the data and task execution status during the parallel implementation of the product design and process activities.

[0006] Furthermore, the design process collaborative task definition module includes: a software tool integration unit, a design and process activity definition unit and a collaborative task process definition unit, and the design and process activity definition unit and the collaborative task process definition unit are both communicatively connected with the software tool integration unit; The software tool integration unit is used to define and integrate tool components used in product design and process activities, and the tool components at least include design simulation tools, process simulation tools and self-developed programs; The design and process activity definition unit is used to define the work content required to be performed in the collaborative task flow of the design and process activities through the tool component, wherein the work content at least includes: key parameter calculation, product model design, process simulation, manufacturability review and process evaluation verification; The collaborative task process definition unit is used to combine the work contents required to be performed by multiple design and process activities according to preset rules to form a task flow for product design and process collaboration.

[0007] Further, the software tool integration unit includes: a data integration subunit, a function integration subunit and an interface integration subunit, the data integration subunit is communicatively connected with the function integration subunit, the function integration subunit is communicatively connected with the interface integration subunit, and the data integration subunit is communicatively connected with the interface integration subunit; The data integration subunit is used to analyze the data involved in the software tool to be integrated to determine the input data that needs to be passed into the software and the output data that needs to be parsed and obtained; The function integration subunit is used to define the functions required by the software tool; The interface integration subunit is used to design a human-computer interaction interface to implement interface control of the software tool to be integrated.

[0008] Further, the design process collaborative task execution module includes: a data exchange service unit, a collaborative R&D process execution unit, a parallel design unit and a collaborative work area, the data exchange service unit, the collaborative R&D process execution unit and the parallel design unit are all communicatively connected to the collaborative work area, the data exchange service unit is communicatively connected to the collaborative R&D process execution unit, and the collaborative R&D process execution unit is communicatively connected to the parallel design unit; The data exchange service unit is used to provide an integrated exchange interface of multiple data formats and map the output files of the product design tool and the input files of the process simulation tool to realize data exchange; The collaborative R&D process execution unit is used to execute the collaborative R&D process of product design and process based on data content in a unified input and output format; The parallel design unit is used to realize data interaction between product design and process activities based on the data content based on the unified input and output format; The collaborative work area is used to provide a collaborative work environment for product design and process activities.

[0009] Furthermore, the mapping of the output file of the product design tool and the input file of the process simulation tool to achieve data exchange includes: Build application protocols based on product design tools and process simulation tools; Mapping the output file of the product design tool to a neutral file, wherein the neutral file is constructed according to the application protocol; The neutral file is loaded into the input file of the process simulation tool to realize data exchange.

[0010] Furthermore, the integrated exchange interface provided by the data exchange service unit includes at least: a secondary development interface, a dynamic link library calling interface, and a data and program integration interface.

[0011] Furthermore, the collaborative R&D process execution unit is used to execute the collaborative R&D process of product design and process based on the data content in a unified input and output format, including: Automatically call the data content of the unified input and output format and execute the associated software tool flow; When receiving the integrated design instruction, it automatically selects the data content of the unified input and output format bound and activates the operation; The data transfer relationship between upstream and downstream activities is automatically filled in according to the associated data flow binding relationship to realize the automatic flow of data in the collaborative R&D process of product design and process.

[0012] Further, the design process collaborative task monitoring module includes: a process monitoring unit, an activity monitoring unit, a data monitoring unit and a collaborative workspace monitoring unit; The process monitoring unit is used to monitor the task process and display the execution status of the task process to the user; The activity monitoring unit is used to monitor product design and process activities and display the start and end time of activity execution and the component flow execution status; The data monitoring unit is used to monitor the activity data generated by the product design and process activities, and display the monitoring results of the activity data; The collaborative workspace monitoring unit is used to monitor the collaborative workspace and display status information of the collaborative workspace.

[0013] Furthermore, the product data management module includes: a product data collection unit, a technical status control unit, a data publishing and subscription unit, and a data version identification unit; The product data collection unit is used to collect data generated by product design and process activities; The technical status control unit is used to provide technical status control tools to control the entire life cycle of product design and process activities; The data publishing and subscription unit is used to publish the data of the product design and process activities and receive user subscriptions; The data version identification unit is used to perform version identification on the data of the product design and process activities.

[0014] Furthermore, the product design and process collaboration application system further includes: a design process collaboration task management module, the design process collaboration task management module is respectively connected to the design process collaboration task definition module and the design process collaboration task execution module for communication; The design process collaborative task management module is used to receive product development tasks, and configure a product development team, task basis documents, task submissions, and a product top-level structure according to the product development tasks.

[0015] The application system for product design and process collaboration provided by the present invention can define the task flow and task content of product design and process collaboration through a design process collaboration task definition module, and execute the task content according to the task flow in a collaborative workspace through a design process collaboration task execution module, so as to realize the parallel execution of product design and process activities. In addition, the data of the parallel implementation process of product design and process activities and the task execution status are uniformly managed through a product data management module, thereby achieving the purpose of considering the process feasibility of the product design scheme and the manufacturability of the product in advance, thereby reducing costs and improving product production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings are used to provide further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of the specification. Together with the following specific embodiments, they are used to explain the present invention, but do not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural block diagram of the product design and process collaboration application system provided by the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a structural block diagram of a specific implementation scheme of the product design and process collaboration application system provided by the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3 A technical roadmap for bus-based data sharing provided by the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the implementation of the neutral file-based middleware provided by the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the design process collaborative task definition provided by the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the execution of the design process collaborative task provided by the present invention.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the design process collaborative workspace provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the rich text mode feedback area provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments may be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0026] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiment is only a part of the embodiment of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so as to describe the embodiments of the present invention described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0028] In this embodiment, a product design and process collaboration application system is provided. Figure 1 is a structural block diagram of an application system 10 for product design and process collaboration provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, including: A design process collaborative task definition module 100, a design process collaborative task execution module 200, a design process collaborative task monitoring module 300 and a product data management module 400, wherein the design process collaborative task definition module 100 is communicatively connected with the design process collaborative task execution module 200, the design process collaborative task definition module 100 and the design process collaborative task execution module 200 are both communicatively connected with the design process collaborative task monitoring module 300, and the design process collaborative task execution module 200 is communicatively connected with the product data management module 400.

[0029] In an embodiment of the present invention, the design process collaboration task definition module 100 is used to define the task flow and task content of product design and process collaboration according to the product development task. The task content at least includes the specific content of product design and process activities and the upstream and downstream logical relationships.

[0030] Specifically, the design process collaborative task definition module 100 is used to define the process and activities of product collaborative tasks, to define the tool components used in product design or process activities, and to define the specific content and upstream and downstream logical relationships of product design and process activities.

[0031] The design process collaborative task execution module 200 is used to provide a collaborative workspace, and execute the task content in the collaborative workspace according to the task flow and based on the data content in a unified input and output format and a data-neutral file-driven activity, so as to achieve parallel execution of product design and process activities through data interaction between product design and process activities.

[0032] Specifically, the design process collaborative task execution module 200 is used to implement the execution of collaborative R&D processes, using flexible process drive technology and providing a process execution engine driven by data flow. Product design, process and other activities in the process can automatically call and execute related tool sets, including design modeling tools, process simulation tools, process evaluation tools, etc., and realize the automatic flow of data during task operation according to the binding relationship of related data flows. At the same time, a collaborative workspace is established to enable designers and process personnel to work together in a unified environment.

[0033] The design process collaborative task monitoring module 300 is used to monitor the task flow and task content to obtain the task execution status.

[0034] Specifically, the design process collaborative task monitoring module is used to monitor the actual execution start and end time of each activity during the execution of the product design process collaborative task, the tool flow execution status and data flow status, and can control the execution status of the process through the process monitoring interface.

[0035] The product data management module 400 is used to uniformly manage the data and task execution status during the parallel implementation of the product design and process activities.

[0036] Specifically, the product data management module 400 is used to uniformly manage all operation data during the execution of product design process collaborative tasks, and collect data in the form of development tasks and product BOM.

[0037] In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to address the problems of low efficiency and waste of manpower and material resources caused by the current serial implementation of product design and process, the task flow and task content of product design and process collaboration can be defined through the design process collaboration task definition module, and the task content can be executed according to the task flow in the collaborative workspace through the design process collaboration task execution module to achieve the parallel execution of product design and process activities. In addition, the data of the parallel implementation process of product design and process activities and the task execution status are uniformly managed through the product data management module, thereby achieving the purpose of considering the process feasibility of the product design scheme and the manufacturability of the product in advance.

[0038] Therefore, the application system for product design and process collaboration provided by the present invention integrates the mainstream design, process simulation tools and self-developed programs in the product development process, defines specific design and process activities in the product development process, and forms a design process collaboration task flow for product development. The design process collaboration task flow is combined with the data flow-driven parallel design mode, so that there is no strict timeline sequence between the design and process activities of the product, and there is no time flow. Instead, work is carried out simultaneously and concurrently. Designers and process personnel achieve collaboration by repeatedly exchanging design and process data in the collaborative work area. In this collaborative mode, the output data (results) of each activity may be the input data of any other activity, realizing the synchronous and parallel development of complex product design processes. The application system constructed by the above-mentioned collaborative method provides an environment for design and process collaboration, ensuring that process personnel can intervene in the entire product development process from the product solution design, and improve the process feasibility of the product design solution and the manufacturability of the product.

[0039] As a specific implementation method, Figure 2 As shown, the design process collaborative task definition module 100 includes: a software tool integration unit 110, a design and process activity definition unit 120 and a collaborative task process definition unit 130, and the design and process activity definition unit 120 and the collaborative task process definition unit 130 are both communicatively connected with the software tool integration unit 110; The software tool integration unit 110 is used to define and integrate tool components used in product design and process activities, and the tool components at least include design simulation tools, process simulation tools and self-developed programs; The design and process activity definition unit 120 is used to define the work content required to be performed in the collaborative task flow of the design and process activities through the tool component, wherein the work content at least includes: key parameter calculation, product model design, process simulation, manufacturability review and process evaluation verification; The collaborative task process definition unit 130 is used to combine the work contents required to be performed by multiple design and process activities according to preset rules to form a task flow of product design and process collaboration.

[0040] It should be noted that, in an embodiment of the present invention, the design process collaborative task definition module 100 is used to integrate mainstream design and process simulation tools such as Creo, UG, ANSYS, ProCast, Deform, Abaqus, MAGMA, Simufact.Forming, and self-developed programs used in design and process activities through secondary development, scripts, and other methods. The design process collaborative task definition module 100 is also used to define specific design and process activities that need to be performed in the product collaborative task process, such as key parameter calculation, product model design, process simulation, manufacturability review, process evaluation and verification, etc., and configure the upstream and downstream logical relationships and data transfer relationships of the activities, thereby forming a collaborative task process.

[0041] The general steps of collaborative task process definition are: software tool integration → design, process activity definition → collaborative task process definition. When defining collaborative tasks, previously defined tool components and collaborative activities are used. The process designed when defining collaborative tasks is called a "collaborative task process" and cannot exist independently of collaborative tasks.

[0042] Users can define new collaborative tasks based on existing resources. The general steps are: create collaborative tasks → define collaborative task processes → use existing activities / define new activities (optional) → use existing components / integrate new components (optional).

[0043] In the collaborative task process definition interface, the collaborative R&D process of product design and technology is defined. The R&D process consists of process attributes and a series of processes and activities. It supports defining the R&D process in a graphical way, where the processes and activities can be either serial or parallel. Specifically, Figure 5 As shown, this is a schematic diagram of the design process collaborative task definition.

[0044] Further specifically, the software tool integration unit 110 includes: a data integration subunit, a function integration subunit and an interface integration subunit, the data integration subunit is communicatively connected with the function integration subunit, the function integration subunit is communicatively connected with the interface integration subunit, and the data integration subunit is communicatively connected with the interface integration subunit; The data integration subunit is used to analyze the data involved in the software tool to be integrated to determine the input data that needs to be passed into the software and the output data that needs to be parsed and obtained; The function integration subunit is used to define the functions required by the software tool; The interface integration subunit is used to design a human-computer interaction interface to implement interface control of the software tool to be integrated.

[0045] For the software tool integration unit, in an embodiment of the present invention, a tool component can be formed by integrating mainstream design and process simulation tools and self-developed programs used in design and process activities. When the tool component is executed, the software tool integrated by the component will be automatically activated, the input data required by the software tool will be passed in, and the output data generated by the software tool will be parsed and obtained. Generally speaking, the operator does not interfere with the execution process of the tool component, and only participates in the necessary human-computer interaction during its execution.

[0046] Therefore, in the software tool integration unit, mainstream design and process simulation tools such as Creo, UG, ANSYS, ProCast, Deform, Abaqus, MAGMA, Simufact.Forming and self-developed programs used in design and process activities are integrated through secondary development, scripts and other methods. The process generally includes three steps: data integration, function integration and interface integration. The specific implementation plan is as follows: 1) Data Integration Data integration is to analyze the data involved in the software tools to be integrated, including the input data that needs to be passed into the software and the output data that needs to be parsed and obtained, in order to maintain the overall consistency of the data and enable data to be transferred among the integrated software tools. In addition, the system provides a mapping relationship between the input / output data of the component and the input / output data of the integrated software tools, which can be configured during integration.

[0047] 2) Functional integration Functional integration is to define the specific functions to be used by the software tool and clarify its specific execution rules. The main method of functional integration is to use different integration technologies according to the openness of the software tool, including secondary development integration technology, script integration technology and file integration technology, and call the required software functions in sequence according to the execution rules to form special functions with specific usage scenarios.

[0048] 3) Interface Integration Interface integration is the design of the human-computer interaction interface to achieve interface control of each integrated software tool. The main method of interface integration is to use various interface controls to realize data query, modification, display, and software function scheduling, control and monitoring. Specialized interface controls can also be customized through interface control dynamic expansion technology to meet the professional needs of specific usage scenarios.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present invention, there are two execution modes of the tool component: "remote" and "local". The "remote" mode refers to uploading the tool component to the server side, running the tool component on the server side, and the processed data objects are mainly stored in the data server. A small amount of data used to control the component operation logic comes from the front-end settings. Generally, non-interactive tool components are suitable for this execution mode. The "local" mode means that the tool component is located on the user's own terminal, and the system only establishes a link with the tool component. In this mode, before executing the tool component, the system first needs to download the data to be processed to the user terminal through the network, and then execute the tool component. The output results are automatically uploaded to the specified location of the system according to the user's configuration requirements.

[0050] In the embodiment of the present invention, the design and process activity definition unit 120 is essentially an external expression of a tool flow formed by a series of integrated tool components combined according to certain rules. The design and process activities define a series of specific tasks that need to be performed in the collaborative task flow, such as key parameter calculation, product model design, process simulation, manufacturability review, process evaluation and verification, etc.

[0051] The content of the definition of design and process activities includes: 1) Activity name: Users need to give each activity a name; 2) Activity default duration: the unit is "day", the default value is 1; 3) Activity start time and end time: set when defining the collaborative task process; 4) The execution role of the activity: such as design engineer, process engineer, etc.; 5) Activity Executor: Set the user who will execute the activity. When defining an activity, the executor can be left blank, but when running a process, at least one executor must be specified. 6) Tool flow definition: Users can select tool components related to this activity from the "Tool Component Library", drag and drop them into the activity definition interface, and arbitrarily combine these components by connecting them to form a tool flow. The tool flow contains both the logical relationship between tool components and the data transfer relationship. If the activity does not define a tool flow, when executing the activity, it is necessary to wait for the user to set the output data before flowing to the next activity; 7) Input data object types and display names of design and process activities, including parameters, files, models, BOM trees, URLs, etc. There can be any number of input data objects; 8) Output data object types and display names of design and process activities, including parameters, files, models, BOM trees, URLs, etc. There can be any number of output data objects; 9) Design the R&D task plan associated with the process activities. Here you can select the product R&D task plan and associate it with it; In an embodiment of the present invention, the system supports the rapid combination of multiple tool components in a manner similar to drawing a flowchart, establishes logical relationships and data transfer relationships between tool components, and forms an automatically executable tool flow. The tool flow can be executed serially or in parallel, and the data between the tool components automatically circulates according to predefined rules.

[0052] For the collaborative task process definition unit 130, multiple design and process R&D activities are combined according to certain rules to form a collaborative R&D task flow, and a task flow-driven design and process collaborative R&D model is formed. The system supports defining the product R&D process in the collaborative task flow design interface, and sets the successor relationship between two activities and the data transfer relationship between upstream and downstream activities by connecting lines.

[0053] Users can select various pre-defined design, process activities and collaborative task processes from the pre-defined "R&D Activity Library" and "Collaborative Task Flow Library", place them in the collaborative task flow design interface, and establish the mapping relationship between the output data objects of upstream activities and the input data objects of downstream activities by dragging and dropping. The system can automatically determine the compatibility between upstream and downstream data objects, and will give prompt information if incompatible data object types are found.

[0054] Authorized users can reuse existing collaborative task processes and modify them to form new processes. The system supports direct modification of existing collaborative task processes. After completion, save and overwrite the original process, or save as a new process.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, the design process collaborative task execution module 200 includes: a data exchange service unit 210, a collaborative R&D process execution unit 220, a parallel design unit 230 and a collaborative work area 240, wherein the data exchange service unit 210, the collaborative R&D process execution unit 220 and the parallel design unit 230 are all connected in communication with the collaborative work area 240, the data exchange service unit 210 is connected in communication with the collaborative R&D process execution unit 220, and the collaborative R&D process execution unit 220 is connected in communication with the parallel design unit 230; The data exchange service unit 210 is used to provide an integrated exchange interface of multiple data formats and map the output files of the product design tool and the input files of the process simulation tool to achieve data exchange; The collaborative R&D process execution unit 220 is used to execute the collaborative R&D process of product design and process based on the data content in a unified input and output format; The parallel design unit 230 is used to realize data interaction between product design and process activities based on the data content based on the unified input and output format; The collaborative work area 240 is used to provide a collaborative work environment for product design and process activities.

[0056] In the embodiment of the present invention, the collaborative work area 240 is used to provide a collaborative work environment for product design and process activities, so that designers and process personnel can carry out collaborative work based on the same interface.

[0057] More specifically, mapping the output file of the product design tool and the input file of the process simulation tool to achieve data exchange includes: Build application protocols based on product design tools and process simulation tools; Mapping the output file of the product design tool to a neutral file, wherein the neutral file is constructed according to the application protocol; The neutral file is loaded into the input file of the process simulation tool to realize data exchange.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present invention, the integrated exchange interface provided by the data exchange service unit at least includes: a secondary development interface, a dynamic link library calling interface, and a data and program integration interface.

[0059] In an embodiment of the present invention, the data exchange service unit provides an integrated exchange interface of multiple data formats, and through the data and program integration interfaces defined in the secondary development interface, dynamic link library call interface, data integration interface and other standardized interfaces, the design, process simulation, evaluation and verification tools are standardized and packaged to unify the input and output formats. At the same time, the seamless data transfer between the model design, process simulation and process evaluation tools is ensured through the file formats such as STEP, IGES, STL, XML, JSON, DWG, DXF, etc. These interfaces and file formats can be used to freely exchange data between the design, process simulation, evaluation and verification tool software used. These interfaces and file formats are all implemented using component packaging technology.

[0060] Specifically, the system uses a RabbitMQ-based message bus as the data exchange center between task nodes to achieve collaborative work in design and process activities. All types of product models, design parameters, process parameter data, and data of each design and process task node released by the system interact through the bus. The RabbitMQ-based message bus is the main channel for all nodes to interact with each other and transmit data, providing support for transparent, convenient, and secure data transmission between nodes.

[0061] Technical route of RabbitMQ-based message bus Figure 3 As shown: 1) Product information released by the system collaborative workspace is published through the SDK provided by the bus; 2) SDK acts as a message queue manager, providing message routing and grouping functions while ensuring high availability of messages; 3) The RabbitMQ-based message bus uses RabbitMQ as the message engine, and its specific routing strategy is configured in the SDK; 4) The subscription and publishing relationship of messages is stored in the DB or configuration system; 5) AMQP (Advanced Message Queuing Protocol) is adopted, which is an open standard of application layer protocol and is designed for message-oriented middleware. The main features of AMQP are message-oriented, queue, routing (including point-to-point and publish / subscribe), reliability, and security; 6) The task node is not directly connected to RabbitMQ, but uses the Deliver service cluster to convert the AMQP protocol into HTTP or RPC protocol, and then passes the message to the corresponding simulation or design node. This method can support multiple architectures such as monolithic applications, SOA, microservices, etc.

[0062] In addition, the specific process of mapping the data files of product design tools and the data files of process activity tools can be achieved with the help of neutral files. Specifically, the product design process involves a variety of CAD, CAE, and process design software and data. These software are deeply integrated into the product design process. The first problem to be solved is to achieve the organic integration between heterogeneous CAD / CAE software. The conversion of models and data is crucial. In order to achieve the goal of "single data source" for the entire system, it is necessary to carry out research on multi-source heterogeneous data access middleware technology. On the one hand, it is necessary to realize data exchange between different components, different systems, and different platforms to avoid data structure conflicts; on the other hand, a universal and self-explanatory data structure is designed to support efficient and transparent access between heterogeneous data.

[0063] The task of data access middleware is to support the collection, extraction, conversion, transmission and access of product design and process data resources, physically or logically integrate various heterogeneous data sources of different sources, formats and properties, and establish a normalized data access service that meets QoS requirements. To this end, the middleware needs to coordinate with various database systems downward and provide a unified data model and a general interface for data access for the software that integrates the data upward.

[0064] In the specific implementation, Figure 4As shown, an exchange integration platform is built to realize the transmission and sharing of data and models of various application systems, ensure the interconnection between heterogeneous systems, and help the deep integration with the product design process. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, middleware development based on the neutral file mechanism can realize data integration and exchange of heterogeneous platforms.

[0065] Specifically, the Application Activity Model (AAM), Application Reference Model (ARM) and Application Interpretation Model (AIM) are established respectively, and mapped into physical files through Wels syntax to realize the transmission and sharing of system data and models, ensure the interconnection between distributed heterogeneous systems, and finally achieve technical verification through consistency testing.

[0066] According to the specific application, the required resource structure is selected from the integrated resources of the logical layer to establish the application protocol, including the application activity model (AAM), application reference model (ARM), application interpretation model (AIM) and consistency detection requirements. When the neutral file is implemented, the application interpretation model described by EXPRESS must be mapped into different modes, including: (1) mapping AIM into the grammatical rules of the neutral file to ensure the correctness of the neutral file syntax; (2) mapping AIM into the structure of the neutral file to ensure the consistency of the read and write neutral files; (3) mapping AIM into related data structures for the compilation of the front and back processor interface programs of the neutral file to complete the development of the middleware.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present invention, the data exchange service unit adopts a publish-subscribe mechanism, that is, the collaborative product development team configures the data elements that can be shared in the system according to the prior agreement, and sets the data elements that individuals need to obtain. After each user forms the work data, the data is published to the system through the data exchange service. The system notifies the users who need the data to obtain the latest version of the data on the system according to the configured subscription list. The subscribers of the data can decide which version of the data to use, and the version data used will be synchronized to the user's local software tool.

[0068] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the collaborative R&D process execution unit is used to execute the collaborative R&D process of product design and process based on the data content in a unified input and output format, including: (1) Automatically call data content in a unified input and output format and execute the associated software tool flow; Specifically, the software tools in the collaborative R&D process execution unit automatically call the data content in a unified input and output format and execute the associated software tool flow.

[0069] (2) When receiving an integrated design instruction, it automatically selects the data content in the unified input and output format bound to it and activates the operation; Specifically, when receiving an integrated design instruction, the software tool flow automatically selects the data content of the bound unified input and output format and activates the operation.

[0070] (3) Automatically fill in the data transfer relationship between upstream and downstream activities based on the associated data flow binding relationship to achieve the automatic flow of data in the collaborative R&D process of product design and process.

[0071] Specifically, Figure 6 As shown, this is a schematic diagram of the execution of design process collaborative tasks.

[0072] In an embodiment of the present invention, for the collaborative R&D process execution unit, the system adopts flexible process drive technology, provides a process execution engine based on data flow drive, and realizes a complete design and process collaborative R&D process execution function. Through collaborative process design visualization, collaborative process template, collaborative process operation visualization, etc., comprehensive collaborative R&D process management is provided to users. At the same time, in order to meet the scenario of repeated iterations of the collaborative R&D process, the built-in data flow engine can support the mutual promotion and iteration of data flow drive and control flow drive, thereby improving the design efficiency of the overall collaborative R&D process. The process execution engine can automatically activate the associated workflow and prompt that the activities of the related workflow nodes need to be executed.

[0073] When the internal activities of the collaborative R&D process are executed, the system can automatically call and execute the associated tool flows, including key parameter calculation, product model design, process simulation, manufacturability review, process evaluation and verification, etc. In the activity execution interface, click "Integrated Design", the system will display a prompt interface, and can automatically select the bound tool flow and activate the operation. The user can also manually select other tool flows in the interface. During the execution of the collaborative R&D process, the system can automatically fill in the data transfer relationship between upstream and downstream activities based on the binding relationship of the associated data flow, and realize the automatic flow of data during the task execution.

[0074] For parallel design units, data flow drives the data exchange service, which is the core of the "data flow driven parallel design mode". With this service, the design results that need to be shared can be freely transferred between the members of the collaborative team, and the latest design data of all members of the team can be obtained in time, so as to update and adjust their own designs in time. The data will be transferred in a structured way, and the team members do not need to manually interpret the data content. This mechanism can greatly improve the efficiency and quality of information exchange between team members.

[0075] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, the system realizes the collaborative work of designers and process personnel in a unified environment by establishing a collaborative work area. Figure 7 The application scenarios of the collaborative workspace are described in detail in combination with the embodiments: 1) After receiving the model design task, the designer starts to execute the activity. During the execution, the integrated tools can be called to assist in the design work. After completion, the designer selects the content that needs to be collaboratively reviewed from the design results and initiates the collaborative work. In the collaborative work initiation interface, you need to fill in the name of the collaborative work and the start and end dates. In the process personnel list, you can set the process personnel who need to conduct collaborative review. They can be members of the development team or experts outside the team. After completion, click the "Initiate Collaborative Work" button to initiate the collaborative task.

[0076] 2) After the collaborative work is initiated, the process setting personnel in the list will receive a collaborative work notification. After clicking, they will enter the collaborative work area to carry out collaborative review work.

[0077] 3) After entering the collaborative workspace, the process personnel can view the specific content of the workspace. The process personnel can download relevant data in the collaborative workspace and view the historical version of the data to carry out collaborative review work. The system supports process personnel to assist in process simulation or process evaluation by calling integrated tools, and automatically feed back the results to the system. During the review process, process personnel can add reviewers as appropriate.

[0078] 4) The collaborative workspace provides a rich text feedback area, such as Figure 8 As shown, you can fill in the review opinions for the current version review content and give a review conclusion of "passed" or "failed". At the same time, the right side of the workspace will display all the process personnel involved in the collaborative task and the review conclusions currently given by the process personnel. The current review content is considered passed only when all process personnel unanimously pass it.

[0079] 5) After the review conclusion is submitted, the initiator of the collaborative work, i.e. the designer, will receive a notification. If the review fails, the designer needs to enter the collaborative work area, view or comment on the feedback in the feedback list, and process the feedback content online to achieve rapid iterative updates.

[0080] 6) When the process staff gives the review opinion of "failed", the initiator of the collaborative work, the designer, can adopt or reject the review opinion and give reasons. If the review opinion is adopted, the designer needs to modify the review content and re-upload it to start a new round of collaborative review. If the review opinion is not adopted and the relevant reasons are filled in, this information will be pushed to the process staff. The process staff will check the reasons for not adopting the review opinion. If they think it is reasonable, they will click "Confirm". If they think it is unreasonable, they will click "Reject" and give relevant reasons. After rejection, the designer must modify the review content and re-upload it to start a new round of collaborative review.

[0081] 7) The system synchronizes the updated review content in real time and notifies the process personnel to review it until the review is passed.

[0082] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, the design process collaborative task monitoring module 300 includes: a process monitoring unit 310, an activity monitoring unit 320, a data monitoring unit 330 and a collaborative workspace monitoring unit 340; The process monitoring unit 310 is used to monitor the task process and display the execution status of the task process to the user; The activity monitoring unit 320 is used to monitor product design and process activities and display the start and end time of activity execution and the component flow execution status; The data monitoring unit 330 is used to monitor the activity data generated by the product design and process activities, and display the monitoring results of the activity data; The collaborative workspace monitoring unit 340 is used to monitor the collaborative workspace and display status information of the collaborative workspace.

[0083] Specifically, the defined collaborative task process can be run repeatedly. Before each run, the system will first generate a run instance. During the running process of the collaborative task process, the activities that have not been executed can be modified and deleted at any time, and new activities can be added. When running to a certain activity, the system will notify the person in charge of the activity. The person in charge of the activity can enter the process monitoring interface, double-click to open the activity he is responsible for, and the system will display the activity execution monitoring interface. The person in charge of the activity can also directly enter the activity execution monitoring interface through the platform's notification message.

[0084] The activity execution monitoring interface will display the actual execution start and end time of the activity, component flow execution status and other information. If the component in the component flow defined by the activity is an integrated component of the software tool, the system can directly start the integrated software tool and automatically parse and obtain the data output by the software tool according to the component integration rules and save it to the system.

[0085] Authorized users can view or control the execution status of collaborative task processes in the process monitoring interface. During or after the process execution, they can obtain the input / output data objects, tool usage, parameter changes, and various information in the collaborative workspace of any activity in the process at any time.

[0086] The execution status of the collaborative task process includes: 1) Not started: This means that the process has been instantiated but has not yet started running; 2) Running: This means that the process has been instantiated and is running; 3) Terminated: This indicates that the instantiated process was forcibly terminated during operation; 4) Suspended: This means that the instantiated process is suspended for some reason during its running process; 5) Completed: Indicates that the instantiation process was completed normally.

[0087] The status of each activity node in the collaborative task process includes: 1) Not started: This means that the activity has not yet started. 2) Running: Indicates that the activity is running; 3) Suspended: This means that the activity has been suspended for some reason during its operation; 4) Skipped: This indicates that the activity has been skipped by an authorized user; 5) Completed: Indicates that the activity was completed normally.

[0088] The system provides a variety of process / activity node control functions, including: 1) Start / Resume: When the process is not started, executing this operation will start the process instance and execute the activities. When the process is running normally, each activity node will automatically start after the upstream activity is completed. When the process / node is in the "suspended" state, executing this operation will make the process / node continue to run.

[0089] 2) Suspend: Executing this operation on a running process will suspend all activity nodes in the entire process; executing this operation on a running activity will suspend the activity, while other activities will not be affected.

[0090] 3) Skip: When the process runs to a certain activity, if the activity cannot continue for some reason, the authorized user can "skip" the activity and execute the next activity of the process.

[0091] 4) Terminate: The terminate operation is applied to the entire process. After executing this operation, all unexecuted activities in the entire process are forcibly stopped. The process and all its activities are in the "terminated" state and cannot be resumed.

[0092] For activities that have initiated collaborative work, authorized users can view various information in the collaborative work area, including start and end dates, participants, review content details, feedback details, etc.

[0093] When all activities in a collaborative task process are completed, the process automatically enters the "Completed" state.

[0094] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2As shown, the product data management module 400 includes: a product data collection unit 410 , a technical status control unit 420 , a data publishing and subscription unit 430 and a data version identification unit 440 .

[0095] The product data collection unit 410 is used to collect data generated by product design and process activities; The technical status control unit 420 is used to provide a technical status control tool to control the entire life cycle of product design and process activities; The data publishing and subscription unit 430 is used to publish the data of the product design and process activities and receive user subscriptions; The data version identification unit 440 is used to perform version identification on the data of the product design and process activities.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present invention, the product data management module 400 involves four basic data types (business object definitions) in the process of collaborative development of design and process, which correspond to Item, Folder, Form and Dataset in actual business scenarios. Through the organic combination of these four basic data types, the product data management module realizes the comprehensive organization, storage and control of complex data objects, and effectively supports various task requirements in the process of collaborative development of design and process.

[0097] (1) Product data collection The data generated during the collaborative development of design and process is collected in two ways: 1) Collect data in the form of development tasks The process data is organized uniformly through the R&D task structure, which is convenient for various users to view according to their permissions. The product data management module includes overview data, view data, download data, etc. Product development team members generally use this method to view various data during the execution of design and process collaborative tasks.

[0098] 2) Collect data in the form of product BOM In order to enable designers and process personnel to conveniently view data from the perspective of product development objects, the system can collect data in the form of BOM. Users can build a personalized data storage structure based on the characteristics of the developed product. For part type data, the system can store and view its controlled version data and all historical process data.

[0099] (2) Technical status control The system provides technical status control tools to achieve comprehensive, efficient and accurate product technical status management throughout the entire life cycle of the product, ensuring the consistency, accuracy, completeness and traceability of product data, improving product R&D and production efficiency, and reducing quality risks.

[0100] 1) Product structure management The system supports custom construction of personalized product structure tree to fully display product data, including but not limited to xBOM, models, documents, data, drawings, etc. The product structure tree supports import function, which is convenient for the input of historical design data and can parse and generate the initial technical status of product structure tree and data objects.

[0101] 2) Technical status identification Each data object has a technical status indicator. Click to view data details. The technical status indicators of data objects include draft status, pending review status, and reviewed status (controlled).

[0102] (3) Data publishing and subscription After data is uploaded to the system, it can be published, and the published data can be subscribed by other users. After the design and process data are controlled, the "publish" operation can be performed on them. Users can select one or more data objects to publish, and the system will publish the data objects to the shared workspace. Product development team members have the right to view the published data objects, but cannot modify or change the data objects.

[0103] In the design and process collaborative work scenario, designers and process personnel will always pay attention to the technical status changes of relevant data that affect their work during the work process. The system allows users to monitor the data they care about through "subscription". Once the technical status of the subscribed data object changes, a notification message will be received, and users can directly view the latest status of the data through the message content. The system supports two forms of subscription, product dimension data subscription and task dimension data subscription.

[0104] 1) Data subscription at product level For data not generated by the current collaborative R&D task (generated by other collaborative R&D tasks), global subscription can be performed through the product dimension. When the technical status of the subscribed data object changes, the system will perform a global subscription relationship scan from product maintenance, notify relevant users and push the latest data, realizing a cross-domain, cross-task, and cross-process data subscription mechanism.

[0105] 2) Data subscription in task dimension The data subscription scope of the collaborative R&D task dimension is limited to the current task. It supports notifying relevant users through subscription relationships and pushing the latest data after the data technical status changes.

[0106] (4) Data version identification All data objects generated during the collaborative R&D process of design and process have version attributes. The version identifier consists of four digits, led by the letter "V", and the digits are separated by English half-width periods ".", for example (V1.0.0.1). Among them, the last digit increases by 1 each time the data changes, and the other numbers remain unchanged; each time the data is version aligned, the third digit increases by 1, and the other numbers remain unchanged; each time the design process completes a round of collaborative review work, the data is submitted, the second digit increases by 1, and the last digit is set to 0; each time the data is submitted after the completion of an activity, the first digit increases by 1, and the other digits become 0.

[0107] In the embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, the product design and process collaboration application system 10 further includes: a design process collaboration task management module 500, the design process collaboration task management module 500 is respectively connected to the design process collaboration task definition module 100 and the design process collaboration task execution module 200 for communication; The design process collaborative task management module 500 is used to receive product development tasks, and configure a product development team, task basis documents, task submissions, and a product top-level structure according to the product development tasks.

[0108] Specifically, the design process collaborative task management module is used to manage the design process collaborative task information during the product development process. Starting from the issuance of the product development plan, the product responsible person manages the basic information of the product design process collaborative task, including the product development team, collaborative task basis documents, collaborative task submission settings, etc. At the same time, the product responsible person will create the product structure, including creating structure information fields, product top-level BOM and other information.

[0109] The definition of design process collaborative tasks begins with the issuance of product development plans. After the system receives the design process collaborative task plan issued by the upstream, it will send a notification message to the responsible person specified in the plan. After the responsible person sees the message body, he can perform the "handle" action to enter the collaborative task information management interface.

[0110] The person in charge of the design process collaborative task can set the information of the collaborative task in the collaborative task management interface, including: 1) Product development team settings, which can add or delete product development team members. Team member information fields include name, role, department, etc.; 2) Collaborative task based files (input files) are set up, and collaborative task based files can be added or deleted. Collaborative task based files information fields include name, source, contact person, attachments, notes, etc.; 3) Collaborative task submission (results, deliverables) settings, which can add or delete collaborative task submissions. The collaborative task submission information fields include name, responsible department, responsible person, attachments, notes, etc.; 4) Creation of the top-level structure of the product. The system supports the creation of the top-level structure of the product, and can add, delete, and adjust nodes at each level. The top-level product structure information fields include level, type, drawing number, code, name, responsible department, responsible person, and associated process / activity. After the collaborative task is started, the system will automatically create the top-level structure of the product. Double-click "Associate Process / Activity" to associate the process / activity used in the "Collaborative Task Process Definition" interface with the product node.

[0111] In summary, in the application system of product design and process collaboration, the design process collaboration task management module is used to manage the design process collaboration task information in product research and development activities; the design process collaboration task definition module is used to define the process and activities of product collaboration tasks; the design process collaboration task execution module is used to realize the execution of collaborative research and development processes, and can automatically call and execute related tool sets for activities such as product design processes, and realize the collaborative execution of product design and processes based on the collaborative workspace; the design process collaboration task monitoring module is used to monitor the execution status during the execution of the product design process collaboration process; the product data management module is used to uniformly manage the operating data during the execution of the product design process collaboration task; the design process collaboration task process of product research and development is combined with the parallel design mode driven by data flow to realize the synchronous and parallel development of complex product design processes, and a design and process collaboration working environment is established through the collaborative workspace to ensure that process personnel can intervene in the entire product development process from the product solution design, and consider the process feasibility of the product design solution and the manufacturability of the product in advance, thereby avoiding repeated modifications in the later stage and improving overall efficiency.

[0112] It is to be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An application system for product design and process collaboration, characterized in that: include: A design process collaborative task definition module, a design process collaborative task execution module, a design process collaborative task monitoring module and a product data management module, wherein the design process collaborative task definition module is communicatively connected with the design process collaborative task execution module, the design process collaborative task definition module and the design process collaborative task execution module are both communicatively connected with the design process collaborative task monitoring module, and the design process collaborative task execution module is communicatively connected with the product data management module; The design process collaboration task definition module is used to define the task flow and task content of product design and process collaboration according to the product development task, and the task content at least includes the specific content of product design and process activities and the upstream and downstream logical relationship; The design process collaborative task execution module is used to provide a collaborative work area, and execute the task content in the collaborative work area according to the task flow and based on the data content in a unified input and output format and a data neutral file driven activity mode, so as to realize the parallel execution of product design and process activities through data interaction between product design and process activities; The design process collaborative task monitoring module is used to monitor the task flow and task content to obtain the task execution status; The product data management module is used to uniformly manage the data and task execution status during the parallel implementation of the product design and process activities.

2. The product design and process collaboration application system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The design process collaborative task definition module includes: a software tool integration unit, a design and process activity definition unit and a collaborative task process definition unit, and the design and process activity definition unit and the collaborative task process definition unit are both connected to the software tool integration unit in communication; The software tool integration unit is used to define and integrate tool components used in product design and process activities, and the tool components at least include design simulation tools, process simulation tools and self-developed programs; The design and process activity definition unit is used to define the work content required to be performed in the collaborative task flow of the design and process activities through the tool component, wherein the work content at least includes: key parameter calculation, product model design, process simulation, manufacturability review and process evaluation verification; The collaborative task process definition unit is used to combine the work contents required to be performed by multiple design and process activities according to preset rules to form a task flow for product design and process collaboration.

3. The product design and process collaboration application system according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The software tool integration unit comprises: a data integration subunit, a function integration subunit and an interface integration subunit, wherein the data integration subunit is connected in communication with the function integration subunit, the function integration subunit is connected in communication with the interface integration subunit, and the data integration subunit is connected in communication with the interface integration subunit; The data integration subunit is used to analyze the data involved in the software tool to be integrated to determine the input data that needs to be passed into the software and the output data that needs to be parsed and obtained; The function integration subunit is used to define the functions required by the software tool; The interface integration subunit is used to design a human-computer interaction interface to implement interface control of the software tool to be integrated.

4. The product design and process collaboration application system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The design process collaborative task execution module includes: a data exchange service unit, a collaborative R&D process execution unit, a parallel design unit and a collaborative work area, wherein the data exchange service unit, the collaborative R&D process execution unit and the parallel design unit are all connected to the collaborative work area in communication, the data exchange service unit is connected to the collaborative R&D process execution unit in communication, and the collaborative R&D process execution unit is connected to the parallel design unit in communication; The data exchange service unit is used to provide an integrated exchange interface of multiple data formats and map the output files of the product design tool and the input files of the process simulation tool to realize data exchange; The collaborative R&D process execution unit is used to execute the collaborative R&D process of product design and process based on data content in a unified input and output format; The parallel design unit is used to realize data interaction between product design and process activities based on the data content based on the unified input and output format; The collaborative work area is used to provide a collaborative work environment for product design and process activities.

5. The product design and process collaboration application system according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The mapping of the output file of the product design tool and the input file of the process simulation tool to realize data exchange includes: Build application protocols based on product design tools and process simulation tools; Mapping the output file of the product design tool to a neutral file, wherein the neutral file is constructed according to the application protocol; The neutral file is loaded into the input file of the process simulation tool to realize data exchange.

6. The product design and process collaboration application system according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The integrated exchange interface provided by the data exchange service unit at least includes: a secondary development interface, a dynamic link library calling interface, and a data and program integration interface.

7. The product design and process collaboration application system according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The collaborative R&D process execution unit is used to execute the collaborative R&D process of product design and process based on data content in a unified input and output format, including: Automatically call the data content of the unified input and output format and execute the associated software tool flow; When receiving the integrated design instruction, it automatically selects the data content of the unified input and output format and activates the operation; The data transfer relationship between upstream and downstream activities is automatically filled in according to the associated data flow binding relationship to realize the automatic flow of data in the collaborative R&D process of product design and process.

8. The product design and process collaboration application system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The design process collaborative task monitoring module includes: a process monitoring unit, an activity monitoring unit, a data monitoring unit and a collaborative workspace monitoring unit; The process monitoring unit is used to monitor the task process and display the execution status of the task process to the user; The activity monitoring unit is used to monitor product design and process activities and display the start and end time of activity execution and the component flow execution status; The data monitoring unit is used to monitor the activity data generated by the product design and process activities, and display the monitoring results of the activity data; The collaborative workspace monitoring unit is used to monitor the collaborative workspace and display status information of the collaborative workspace.

9. The product design and process collaboration application system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The product data management module includes: a product data collection unit, a technical status control unit, a data publishing and subscription unit, and a data version identification unit; The product data collection unit is used to collect data generated by product design and process activities; The technical status control unit is used to provide technical status control tools to control the entire life cycle of product design and process activities; The data publishing and subscription unit is used to publish the data of the product design and process activities and receive user subscriptions; The data version identification unit is used to perform version identification on the data of the product design and process activities.

10. The product design and process collaboration application system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The product design and process collaboration application system further includes: a design process collaboration task management module, the design process collaboration task management module is respectively connected to the design process collaboration task definition module and the design process collaboration task execution module for communication; The design process collaborative task management module is used to receive product development tasks, and configure a product development team, task basis documents, task submissions, and a product top-level structure according to the product development tasks.

Images