Representing Relationships in Hierarchical Assemblies

Abstract

Abstract Computer aided design tools are gaining popularity in industry due to their ability to model the geometric aspects of products. This has shown substantial benefit for reducing the need and expense of building physical prototypes and allowing parts and tooling to be manufactured directly from these models. However, the current capabilities in existing CAD tools for modeling assemblies are quite limited. In this paper we introduce a representation for describing interfaces between parts within hierarchical assemblies for capturing functional and physical mating relations. This representation is designed to support automated reasoning and automated generation and modification of assemblies. It is also designed for use with very large assemblies, compactly representing the interfaces of parts and assemblies that are reused within larger assemblies. We describe how this representation is used in our prototype design system, Genesis, for designing aircraft systems.