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Design re-use - Custom Equipment

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Anyone out there have any suggestions for a software tool that would help steer design engineers to legacy designs rather than reinventing the wheel?

We build custom equipment and have pockets of mechanical design engineers in various locations throughout North America with minimal knowledge of what each other has already done. There's probably a decade of design solutions at each facility that only a very few of the old timers might know about. Our designs are all different (more so than at most companies which typically have a set group of products that they periodically improve). Maybe this puts us in a niche which hasn't been addressed by the mainstream developers. A simple Access database with pictures would be helpful, but before investing the time to develop this, I thought I'd check to see if there isn't something better out there.

So, I think I'm looking for data mining software; something that might have the following features;

1. Searchable by keywords, or maybe a series of filters like Globalspec uses. It would be optimal if the search itself could learn from its queries (somehow). Perhaps the search filters could be ratings based or some adaptive method to allow the users readily improve the search experience.
2. The result of searches would provide lists of "hits" which show thumbnails of the subassemblies (maybe from a jpeg picture or the solidworks thumbnail)
3. Probably web based
4. Integration with solidworks and PDM Works
5. The software can't extend into purchasing or inventory systems; These systems (as crappy as they are) are pretty entrenched. Complimenting existing systems without disrupting the ongoing business is a strong plus.

What are other mechanical design engineers doing out there to best leverage previous designs?
 
I can't answer your quesions about software that could fulfill your wish list, but it's obvious enough that you need to get your designers structuring folder for (in the least) purchased parts in similar if not identical fashion. For example, I have folders for
1) Bearings
2) Belts
3) Cams
4) Casters
5) Cylinders (pneumatic and hydraulic, and associated hardware like clevis and rod end bearings)
6) Electric motors
...etc.

Every time I model something purchased I find an appropriate folder for it, and once in a while I do an inventory to make sure I'm still following a logical structure. If your scattered designers will do this then they should be able to share models. You could also set up a central depository. Now, if your designers are not following the same standards in doing such stuff as assigning and using Custom Properties, then you're still going to be dead in the water. You MUST develop and enforce consistent approaches for such things.

All that should be pretty obvious to an experienced user ... but unless it becomes very clear to the management you may have an unsolvable problem.

Mark 'Sporky' Stapleton
Charlotte, NC
www.h2omarkdesign.com
 

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