Integrating through-life engineering service knowledge with product design and manufacture

Abstract

Even though knowledge management has been a subject of research for a long time, management of through-life engineering service knowledge (SK) has started getting more attention quite recently. With the help of literature review and analysis, this paper identifies possible drivers to extend the product life cycle, presents definitions of ‘knowledge’ and ‘engineering service knowledge’ and identifies research gaps and challenges in digital feedback of through-life engineering SK to product design and manufacture. The paper presents a causal loop model to represent causes and effects of through-life engineering SK on product design and manufacture. A digital framework is presented to address integration challenges in digital feedback of through-life engineering SK to product design and manufacture. The digital framework is developed with the intention of developing a SK backbone demonstrator application. Industrial experts have validated the initial framework. Detailed case studies shall be undertaken to enhance this framework in future.

Keywords:

• product design
• digital feedback
• design for service
• through-life engineering service knowledge
• manufacturing