Proceedings of the 1st Nordic Conference on Product Lifecycle Management

Edited book, 2006

The leading technology firms’ of today aim to use “complete” virtual models for developing products, systems and buildings. Effective utilization of tools, methods and processes for product lifecycle management (PLM), i.e. for the creation, use and management of product definition information is fundamental for meeting this goal. The range of tools included in the PLM concept include tools for requirements definition, geometric modelling, computer aided engineering, modelling & simulation, manufacturing process planning, engineering knowledge management, product data management (PDM) systems and others. When developing a virtual product (or system or building) many aspects have to be considered in a new way. e.g. how to define and structure the product and its associated digital models, how to identify the activities which should be supported, how to document the product models in order to facilitate maintenance, which knowledge representation techniques to choose, and how to manage product information in databases. However, the area is not only about IT solutions and tools, the proper understanding of the business potential and organisational impact of PLM are fundamentally important for the acceptance and implementation of the tools. In addition, the area is also rich with challenges emanating from industry trends such as mass customization, development outsourcing and increased use of software and electronics in mechanical products. There is thus a great need for research and development in the area, aiming at improved understanding of the business, organizational and technical aspects of PLM, and implementation of the results. In order to support these activities, the Wingquist Laboratory at Chalmers University of Technology, IVF and SigPM hereby invites to NordPLM’06 - the 1st Nordic Conference on Product Lifecycle Management. The aim is to create a Nordic forum for presenting and exchanging new research results and experiences from industrial applications of PLM. The intention is that the conference will be the first in a bi-annual conference series. The conference papers comprise research within a wide range of industries, such as manufacturing, automotive, construction, and defence. Topics include: • Processes and working practices for creating and managing product lifecycle models. • Product lifecycle models, e.g., for requirements, variants, product structure, design, production or property modelling. • Methods and tools for visualization and geometry simulation of assembly structures, digital mock-ups and buildings. • Methods and tools for product platform development, e.g., modularization, configuration management and product platform design languages. • Methods, models and tools for knowledge management in engineering. • Organizational and business aspects of product lifecycle management.