Hybrid BOM Window for Engineering Design and As-Built Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current product lifecycle management (PLM) systems face challenges in accurately modeling and visualizing the differences between engineering designs and physical products, particularly in managing multiple part revisions, variants, and deviations from the original design, which complicates the representation and comparison of 3D geometric data across various product stages.
Innovation Solution
The system constructs a hybrid Bill of Materials (BOM) window that dynamically combines engineering design structures with as-built physical structures, allowing for positional and shape overrides, and supports comparisons between engineering and physical product representations, enabling accurate visualization and navigation of physical assets without requiring complex data replication or storage mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex data replication and storage mechanisms are used to manage multiple part revisions and variants, then the system can accurately represent engineering designs and physical products, but the device complexity and data management burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the engineering design structure that mirrors the physical as-built structure. This virtual copy allows the system to represent and compare design intentions with actual physical implementations without requiring complex data replication mechanisms. The virtual structure can be dynamically generated from design data and compared with physical asset data to identify deviations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual design structure as an intermediary between the engineering design data and physical asset data. This intermediary layer enables accurate comparison and representation of differences between design and physical products without directly managing complex relationships between all possible part revisions and variants stored in multiple databases.
2Reliability
If detailed tracking of part revisions and variants is implemented, then the system can accurately manage product lifecycle changes, but the ease of operation and navigation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the product representation into distinct virtual design structures and physical asset structures. Each structure can be independently managed and navigated, with clear relationships defined between them. This segmentation allows users to navigate design intentions and physical implementations separately while maintaining accurate connections, improving ease of operation while preserving tracking reliability.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive comparison capabilities between engineering and physical structures are added, then the system can accurately track deviations and changes, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the engineering design structure that can be systematically compared with the physical as-built structure. This virtual copy contains all design intentions, part revisions, and variants in a structured format that enables automated comparison with physical asset data, tracking deviations without requiring overly complex processing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables comparison by changing the representation parameters of physical assets to match the engineering design structure format. Physical asset data is transformed into a virtual representation that uses the same data models, classification schemes, and structural organization as the engineering design, allowing for straightforward parameter-by-parameter comparison to identify deviations.
Data Source
AI summary
A PLM system, method, and computer readable medium. A method includes constructing an engineering design structure of a product that corresponds to physical parts of the product as designed. The method includes constructing an as-built design structure of the product that corresponds to physical parts of the product as built. The method includes displaying a bill of materials (BOM) window view that includes representations of both the engineering design structure and the as-built design structure.