Development of a visual parts list system - Concurrent engineering by applying 3D-CAD data

As a means of sharing information between the design/development department and a manufacturing/material procurement departments, a Visual Parts List System was developed which allows 3D data to be accessed via a WWW browser in addition to conventional parts information in text format. In comparison with the conventional information-sharing method based on parts lists and drawings, the new method makes it possible to evaluate the ease of assembling and disassembling parts in advance, to check for the possibility of shared parts use, and to confirm the effects that parts may have on speeding up and optimizing procurement operations.