What is design knowledge from the viewpoint of CPM/PDD?

Abstract

Knowledge is a very common term in engineering design and also extensively discussed. There are many theories describing what knowledge is and how it should be managed in engineering design. But no shown/presented concept or definition is generally accepted. One reason for this are differing theories and views about the underlying development/design process. Therefore, it is necessary to find an adequate model for knowledge, which considers the product development process. This paper is based on the Characteristics-Properties Modelling / Property-Driven Development (CPM/PDD) approach [Weber 2005]. The product model (i.e. CPM) and the model of the product development process (i.e. PDD) are based on the clear distinction between characteristics and properties and, thus, enable a structured and integrated consideration of design knowledge. On this account, this paper provides a closer look on design knowledge in the context of CPM/PDD. Among other considerations, a method out of the theoretical computer science is applied to this context.