Knowledge-based part similarity measurement utilizing ontology and multi-criteria decision making technique

When existing parts are re-used for the development of a new product or business-to-business transactions, a method for searching parts from a database that best meet user's requirements is essential. The core of a part search method is to measure the similarity between parts' specifications and the user's input data in an efficient manner. In this paper, the authors suggest a new method for part similarity measurement using ontology and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) technique and discuss its technical details. This method ensures interoperability with existing engineering information management systems, represents part specifications in a formal manner, and has generality in search procedure. A case study with ejector pins has also been conducted for the demonstration of the proposed method. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.