Abstract:
The contribution to new knowledge from this research is a novel method for modelling
production costs throughout the design phase of a product's lifecycle, from conceptual
to detail design.
The provision of cost data throughout the design phase allows management to make
more accurate bid estimates and encourages designers to design to cost, leading to a
reduction in the amount of design rework and product's time to market. The cost
modelling strategy adopted incorporates the use of knowledge-based and case-based
approaches.
Cost estimation is automated by linking design knowledge, required for predicting
design features from incomplete design descriptions, to production knowledge. The
link between the different paradigms is achieved through the blackboard framework of
problem solving which incorporates both case-baseda nd rule-based reasoning.
The method described is aimed at innovative design activities in which original designs
are produced which are similar to some extent to past design solutions. The method is
validated through a prototyping approach. Tests conducted on the prototype confirm
that the designed method models costs sufficiently accurately within the range of its
own knowledge base. It can therefore be inferred that the designed cost modelling
methodology sets out a feasible approach to cost estimation throughout the design
phase.
