Process Oriented Engineering Using Highly Integrated Adaptive Computer Descriptions

Great change of engineering is powered by more and more integrated software concentrating and extending early computer aided system functionality. One of the problems in this large area of computer applications comes from the above statement. Tracking of changes and their consequences would be a valued assistance at decisions of engineers. However, the system is very large considering engineering objects, extended companies, and geographical position of participant engineers. Integration of the decision process is demanded on a higher level than the state-of-the-art in recent CAD/CAM systems. The authors proposed integrated model objects (IMOs) to enhance engineering decision processes in case of high number of interrelated activities and engineering objects. Because IMO is devoted as a contribution to recent advanced CAD/CAM systems, it is implemented as application development component of industrial engineering software systems. Some IMO related issues are discussed in this paper. The proposed modeling is introduced as a logical continuation of development of industrially applied modeling during the last decade. Stages of this development are characterized by advancements in modeling methods, integrated modeling, and work group and a concept for product engineering is shown. Following this, concept and purposes of IMO are discussed by content, functions, structure, and analysis processes. Finally, decision on initialized changes, and management of change chains are detailed as essential processes