Distributed design features in VFDB multi-agent environment using cloud technologies

Abstract

The typical feature of the modern furniture market is the focus on the individual requirements of end customers. Custom-made production is designed to satisfy these requests. It imposes strict requirements to the timing and quality of design and technological preparation of the furniture production. By now only few domestic furniture enterprises have the necessary financial and human resources for fast and high-quality design development. The article describes the features of the approach to solving the design and engineering preproduction problems based on the virtual furniture design bureau (VFDB) concept. This concept means developing of the unified control environment which can provide fast and high-quality carrying out the furniture design orders from different distributed enterprises. For modeling the controlled design environment, it is suggested to use a multi-agent approach, which provides for interaction between different types of agents working on the same or different projects. As an example, four types of agents are identified in the article and their main functions are described in relation to the object structural and attribute model (OSAM) usage, which provides a multidimensional model representation of the cabinet furniture product design. To solve the main tasks of the design and engineering preproduction, agents should be equipped with appropriate design and management tools. The necessary tools should be included in modern CAD systems. It is suggested to implement the access of design participants to the necessary CAD software using cloud technologies based on time-based remote licensing of software modules. An example of such software is the BAZIS-Cloud service, which is provided by the Bazis-Center company. This service provides a solution to a number of the cabinet furniture design and engineering preproduction tasks in on-line mode using time-based remote licensing.