A constraint approach (flexible CSP) for alternative cost estimation of a mechanical product

Abstract

Most product cost estimation systems propose as output a single cost corresponding to a single process plan. In design activities, the lack of information about the cost structure (e.g. composition) and about the production processes (i.e. process plans) does not help the designer to make the targeted modifications for cost reduction. The need of having a representation that takes into account the multiplicity of the technical solutions, and a management of the alternative product realizations, led us to model the product cost estimation in the form of a flexible constraints satisfaction problem (flexible CSP). In this article, the principles used for the design of a decision support system based on the flexible CSP approach are presented and intended to manage the constraints related to the production cost estimation. For a given mechanical part or product, this model makes it possible to determine a set of process plan solutions with a cost for each one. The best solutions, ranked in decreasing order, are those which maximize a satisfaction degree. An application is presented using the Con’flex CSP environment.

Keywords:

• Cost estimation
• Constraints satisfaction problem
• Process planning
• Manufacturing features
• Mechanical engineering