Comparative study of representation structures for modeling function and behavior of mechanical devices

Engineering design is focussed on the development of artifacts and systems to satisfy specified functions. Current CAD systems provide little support integrating the modeling of the function, behavior, and form of designed artifacts throughout the design process. The focus of this paper is to investigate four representations for use in function representation for conceptual design, embodiment design, and design for manufacturing. These four representations include: Graph Grammars, Exemplars, Bond Graphs, and Function Converters. It is shown that different representations are more suited for different phases of design depending upon required design tasks and for representing different types of function knowledge. Finally, an approach for integration of these representations is proposed, synthesizing a hybrid representation based upon the strengths of the four identified strategies.