This state-of-the-art book explores the concept of knowledge-intensive CAD systems. The topics covered range from ontology to knowledge representation, making it essential reading for researchers, engineers, and technical managers involved in the development of advanced applications for knowledge management, engineering design, and manufacturing.

IFIP Working Group 5.2 has organized a series of workshops extending the concept of intelligent CAD to the concept of "knowledge intensive engineering". The concept advocates that intensive life-cycle knowledge regarding products and design processes must be incorporated in the center of the CAD architecture. It focuses on the systematization and sharing of knowledge across the life-cycle stages and organizational boundaries. From Knowledge Intensive CAD to Knowledge Intensive Engineering comprises the Proceedings of the Fourth Workshop on Knowledge Intensive CAD, which was sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) and held in Parma, Italy in May 2000. This workshop looked at the evolution of knowledge intensive design for the product life cycle moving towards knowledge intensive engineering. The 18 selected papers present an overview of the state-of-the-art in knowledge intensive engineering, discussing theoretical aspects and also practical systems and experiences gained in this area. An invited speaker paper is also included, discussing the role of knowledge in product and process innovation and technology for processing semantic knowledge. Main issues discussed in the book are: Architectures for knowledge intensive CAD; Tools for knowledge intensive CAD; Methodologies for knowledge intensive CAD; Implementation of knowledge intensive CAD; Applications of knowledge intensive CAD; Evolution of knowledge intensive design for the life-cycle; Formal methods. The volume is essential reading for researchers, graduate and postgraduate students, systems developers of advanced computer-aided design and manufacturing systems, and engineers involved in industrial applications.

The automotive industry faces constant pressure to reduce development costs and time while still increasing vehicle quality. To meet this challenge, engineers and researchers in both science and industry are developing effective strategies and flexible tools by enhancing and further integrating powerful, computer-aided design technology. This book provides a valuable overview of the development tools and methods of today and tomorrow. It is targeted not only towards professional project and design engineers, but also to students and to anyone who is interested in state-of-the-art computer-aided development. The book begins with an overview of automotive development processes and the principles of virtual product development. Focusing on computer-aided design, a comprehensive outline of the fundamentals of geometry representation provides a deeper insight into the mathematical techniques used to describe and model geometrical elements. The book then explores the link between the demands of integrated design processes and efficient data management. Within automotive development, the management of knowledge and engineering data plays a crucial role. Some selected representative applications provide insight into the complex interactions between computer-aided design, knowledge-based engineering and data management and highlight some of the important methods currently emerging in the field.

Knowledge-Intensive CAD clarifies and elaborates the concepts of knowledge-intensive design and CAD. In today's advanced manufacturing environment, CAD systems should not only assist designers and engineers during product design, but also in design information for use in later stages of the process such as production, distribution and operation. This book focuses on the sharing of knowledge across life-cycle stages and organizational boundaries.

Knowledge Intensive Design Technology is a collection of papers presented at the Fifth Workshop on Knowledge Intensive CAD, which was sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 5.2 and hosted by the Department of Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Malta in July 2002. The book chapters progressively take the reader through the following sequential sections; -Part One - KIC Development Approaches, -Part Two - Knowledge Systematization, -Part Three - Prototype KIC Systems. Knowledge Intensive Design Technology makes essential reading for practicing engineers/scientists involved in R&D as well as for relevant Masters and Ph.D. students. The book is also pertinent to those in industry concerned with capturing and structuring company-specific knowledge for proactive reuse to increase product development efficiency, and also to those involved in the development of CAD systems.

Computer-Aided Design has progressed from being concerned initially with analysis and evaluation through graphic representation and geometric modelling, to a concern with the design tasks themselves. The role of Expert Systems in performing complex design tasks is examined in this book. Here, expert systems have been defined rather broadly: any system which embodies expert knowledge explicitly and utilises reasoning processes as its computational process. The topics covered include system architectures, representation tools, applications, and specific design concerns. The papers demonstrate the wide variety of knowledge engineering tools needed in computer-aided design.