| Abstract: | In implementing mass customization, how to respond rapidly to customers' require ments is a key problem. Configuration design is considered effective in early st age of product design. This paper studies a configuration method based on constr aints and fuzzy decision for product family. The configuration method is evolved from constraintbased product configuration. It employs fuzzy optimum selectio n in the reasoning process, which can select similar components when customers' r equirements can not be met precisely. In the configurator, product family is rep resented with GBOM(Generic BillOfMaterial) and ACL(Article Characteristic Li st ). Every node of GBOM has an ACL to list all instances of a component family. Co nstraints are attached to every node, which involves variable definition and con straints definition. In the reasoning process, constraint satisfaction and fuzzy optimum selection interact to search optimum solution. A prototype is developt ed to demonstrate how to run the configurator. The paper ends with a discussion of advantages, future work of the configuration method. |
