Abstract

Product development companies are continually seeking methods to increase efficiency while maintaining quality. Distributed development is also more important than ever before as industries globalize. These forces have driven firms to adopt formal data management practices that allow groups and individuals to work from singular, centralized data source that are secure, reliable, and support collaboration. This thesis proposes a methodology to leverage globalized infrastructures for the efficient storage of product variations. The methodology is proved through a working prototype using the market leader in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems, Teamcenter Engineering. First, paradigms are set forth for the storage of various types of engineering documents in PLM systems in parametric formats. Then the use of these paradigms is exemplified by various programs retrieving and storing document variations in the form of PLM metadata. Finally, the results show that this methodology produces drastic increases in system performance as well as the enabling of PLM-compatible automation and optimization. The impacts of these findings have significant implications for industry and has generated interest from several global engineering firms and academic journals.

Degree

College and Department

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology; Mechanical Engineering

Rights

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