Content area
Although Knowledge Based Engineering tools have been available since 1988 the adoption of the technology has been hindered by two main factors; the inability to identify potentially successful applications and the large development resource required. The specific objectives of this research project were therefore to develop a method for identifying potentially successful applications and to develop a Knowledge Interchange Language to facilitate knowledge re-use.
The general approach that has been taken to achieve both objectives has been to establish current theory and practice, and then to consolidate, improve and tailor it to the objectives.
A survey of current theory and practice in assessing potential Knowledge Based Engineering applications is presented, largely derived from documented and first hand experience of Knowledge Based Systems. Elements of this experience have then been combined to form a coherent approach to the problem. This general framework was validated by undertaking an assessment of a potential application. This has then been tailored to Knowledge Based Engineering via a detailed understanding of other applications and characterisations of design and manufacture. A method for selecting and evaluating potential Knowledge Based Engineering applications has thereby been defined and its use illustrated with well known applications of the technology.
The development of a Knowledge Interchange Language to facilitate knowledge re-use has been founded in a comprehensive survey of current initiatives and practices and parallels in standard programming languages and data exchange standards. In order to provide a near term mechanism for knowledge re-use the data definition language of STEP: EXPRESS has been proposed as a basis for a Knowledge Based Engineering Knowledge Interchange Language. A demonstration of the feasibility of using EXPRESS for such a purpose is given by a detailed consideration of functionality demanded by typical Knowledge Based Engineering applications. To establish that a specialised implementation of EXPRESS could meet these requirements, modules of a Knowledge Based Engineering application represented in EXPRESS were successfully translated to a commercial Knowledge Based Engineering system.