COMPUTER-AIDED TOOL FOR FUNCTIONAL MODELING OF MECHANICAL DESIGN

Abstract

The conceptual design stage in the product development process significantly determines its scope, durability, maintainability, and associated costs. This stage is characterized by a high level of subjectivity and creativity. Within the sub-stages of conceptual design, functional modeling is essential to visualize the future functional structures of the product. The development of tools that allow the functions and interrelationships to be graphically displayed in the primary stages of the design process will effectively facilitate decision-making. This article shows the development of a computer system oriented to the functional modeling of product design, characterized by the availability of data and a friendly interface, which favors decision-making in this process. The main function of this tool is to assist the designer in establishing the functions for the creation of functional diagrams or schematics. The Java programming language was used and for the report designs, the iReport computer system, together with the JasperReport library, as well as SQLite for Database Management. The system is multiplatform and the results obtained were satisfactory.