A web-based collaborative design advisory system for micro product design assessment

A web-based collaborative design advisory system for designing micro products is being developed, which is based on use of both knowledge and rules. The system is aimed at helping designers to assess/optimise the design of micro products to be manufactured with micro-forming. The Microsoft C# programming language, ASP.Net technique and Microsoft Access database system have been used to develop this system. The system is composed of various assessment modules such as product geometry features, forming processes, materials, machines, tools and cost assessment modules. Clients can use/browse the user interface of the integrated system through the internet to import a CAD design model and define design parameters. The system is not only able to assess the client's design but also to generate preliminary process plans for the selected micro-forming processes. A micro-pin design is used as an example to test the capability of the 1st prototype system. With such a system, some advantages such as increasing the design efficiency in the web-based collaborative design environment have been identified.