Skip to main content
Log in

A data management strategy to control design and manufacturing information

  • Published:
Engineering with Computers Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents an information-based approach to integrate the parallel and serial functions that occur in a typical design and manufacturing environment. EMTRIS (Engineering and Manufacturing Technical Relational Information System), a relational data base application designed using ORACLE [1], was developed to cater to the engineering data needs of practicing designers and engineers working in a large industrial setting. The design and manufacturing activities within a large computer manufacturing plant provided a realistic case study environment for implementing some of the strategies discussed here. A description of the methodology that was employed in designing and implementing EMTRIS and the numerous issues that arise while undertaking such endeavors is presented. Strategies to coordinate the data transfer between different groups of individuals as well as mechanisms to ensure data consistency in such environments are discussed in this context. Various techniques used in documenting the data flows and the interrelationships between different forms of data are also reviewed. The end result in a plantwide database system that integrates the information requirements of multiple groups and disciplines.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. ORACLE DBMS Reference Manual. (1987) ORACLE Corporation CA

  2. Ebert, R.J.; Slusher, E.A.; Ragsdell, K.M. (1987) Modeling the engineering design process. ICED 1987 (August) Boston, MA

  3. Daft, R.L.; Lengel, R.H. (1984) Information richness: A new approach to managerial behavior and organization design. In: Research in Organizational Behavior (Eds. B.M. Staw; L.L. Cummings), vol. 6, pp. 191–233

  4. Integrated computer aided manufacturing (ICAM) architecture, part II, vol. IV. (1981) Functional Modeling Manual (IDEF 0). Softech, Inc., Waltham, MA

  5. Cross, N. (1989) Engineering Design Methods. New York: John Wiley

    Google Scholar 

  6. Pahl, G.; Beitz, W. (1984) Engineering Design. London: Design Council

    Google Scholar 

  7. Asimow, M. (1962) Introduction to Design. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Wallace, K.M. (1987) Studying the engineering design process in practice. 1987 International Congress on Planning and Design Theory, Boston, MA

  9. Perlman, G. (1988) Descriptive models of cognitive aspects of the design process. Design Theory '88. In: Proceedings of the 1988 NSF Grantee Workshop on Design Theory and Methodology

  10. Ericsson, K.A.; Simon, H.A. (1984) Protocol Analysis: Verbal Reports as Data. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ullman, D.G.: Dietterich, T.G., Stauffer, L. (1988) A model of the mechanical design process based on empirical data: A summary. AIEng88 Conference, Palo Alto, CA. August, pp. 193–215

    Google Scholar 

  12. DeMarco, T. (1978) Structured Analysis and System Specification. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Cammarata, S. (1986). An object-oriented data model for managing computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing data bases. Ph. D. dissertation, UCLA, CA

    Google Scholar 

  14. Chen, P.P. (1976) The entity-relationship model—Toward a unified view of data. ACM Trans. Database Syst. 1(1), 9–36

    Google Scholar 

  15. Teorey, T.J.; Yang, D.; Fry, J.P. (1986) A logical methodology for relational databases using the extended entity-relationship model. Comput. Surv. 18(2), 197–222 (June)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Smith, J.M.; Smith, D.C.P. (1977) Database abstraction: aggregation and generalization. ACM Trans. Database Syst. 2(2), 105–133 (August)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Rinderle, J.R. et al. (1988) Form-function characteristics of electro-mechanical designs. Design Theory '88. In: Proceedings of the 1988 NSF Grantee Workshop on Design Theory and Methodology

  18. Smith, H.C. (1985) Database design: Composing fully normalized tables from a rigorous dependency diagram. Commun. ACM 28(8), 826–838 (August)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Integrated information support system (IISS). (1985) In: Information Modeling Manual, Extended (IDEF IX). Manhattan Beach, CA: D. Appleton Company

    Google Scholar 

  20. Special edition on computer aided software engineering, CASE. IEEE Softw, Barch

  21. Gadre, S.H. (1987) Building an enterprise and information model. Database Program. Des. (December)

  22. Rangan, R.M.; Fulton, R.E.; Whelan, P.T. (1988) Engineering information modeling in a CAD/CAM environment. OCA E25-M38, Georgia Institute of Technology

  23. Starkey, J.M.; Florin, G.J. (1986) Design for manufacturability. ASME Paper, 86-DET-121, New York

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rangan, R.M., Fulton, R.E. A data management strategy to control design and manufacturing information. Engineering with Computers 7, 63–78 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01195561

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01195561

Keywords

Navigation