Expert system application into a PLM framework in supporting DFX process

This thesis presents a framework, a model and a methodology to bring together Product Life-cycle Management (PLM), Product Data Management (PDM) System Expert System (ES) and Design for X (DFX). The framework presented here gives a general overview on how Product Lifecycle Management and Expert Systems technologies fit together. The goal is to improve DFX process, and the proposed way to do it is through information and knowledge management. The PLM model not only includes product management information across the product lifecycle, but also product processes, people involved in that processes and digital product engineering tools supporting each product lifecycle stage The methodology will define a way to improve DFX by means of the PDM and Expert System. It consists of three steps which are (1) getting customers’ needs, (2) getting product information, (3) product datainformation management through a PDM system and (4) DFX knowledge-expertise capturing into an Expert System. The case of study was taken from the PURDUE solar racing car project which involves the construction of the 7th generation of a solar racing car. This project started in September 2006 and will finish during spring 2009, and is being developed by both students and professors from the Mechanical, Technology, Electrical, Industrial, Management and Marketing areas. In this case, Teamcenter Community® is used as a PDM system. The focus is on how to share 2D/3D files, documents and data between all actors across the solar racing car lifecycle.