A function unit integrating approach for the conceptual design synthesis in the distributed resource environment

With the help of the well-developed Internet technologies, designers can obtain numerous resources distributed all over the world. These resources actually construct the distributed resource environment. If this environment can be fully considered and applied during the key and starting phase of the product design, the conceptual design synthesis, the design efficiency will be largely promoted and the design product will have better quality, innovation, and competition. Therefore, a function unit integrating approach was proposed for the conceptual design synthesis in the distributed resource environment. This approach is based on the integration of function units which represent the resources in the distributed resource environment. With the proposed computer algorithm, these function units can be firstly connected up into appropriate function unit chains and, then, improved into the final function unit set as the result of the conceptual design synthesis. Based on this approach, a computer program called function unit integrating system was established. And finally, the design process of a friction testing machine was completed by function unit integrating system as an illustrative case.