Product models in design

Abstract

When designing complex products such as robots or jet engines, companies face the problem that designers lack the necessary tools to predict the behaviour of the product in the case of component change, and to assess the risks associated with decisions. Product models allow companies and individual designers to reason about product properties. The information in the model can be used to analyse the properties of a product before decisions are taken about potential modifications. To meet time and budget constraints it is vital to have the ability to predict the risks of knock-on effects before a change is implemented and select alternative changes accordingly. This paper introduces a comparison of two product models used in the Change Prediction Method (CPM) and the Contact & Channel Model (C&CM). It analyses ways where both approaches can benefit and complement each other in analysing and predicting product change.