A Concurrent Engineering solution for Industrial Assembly. Results of the ESPRIT Project SCOPES

Concurrent Engineering has recently been promoted in the automation, computer, electronic and aerospace industries to respond to competitive pressure. The Concurrent Engineering approach attempts to increase the overlap between the activities of product design with the planning and development of the production process. The role of simulation, as the validating and integrating factor to bridge the knowledge gap between the planning and production departments, is crucial in any Concurrent Engineering scenario. The paper describes developments carried out in the ESPRIT Project SCOPES to develop a Concurrent Engineering system for the design of products, eqipment and contol systems. The necessary architecture and the functionality and methodology of the integrated simulation module are described.