The Creation of Assembly Geometry From Functional Definitions

Modern CAD systems are able to represent the geometry of engineering components proficiently. This aids the later stages of the design process but does not help during conceptual design. This paper outlines a suite of programs known as the Conceptual Assembly Design Tool which allows designers to create outline assembly geometry from function structures, thus providing a potential bridge between conceptual and embodiment design. The paper includes a case study showing how the system may be used during the resign of a moderately complex product