A blackboard-based multi-agent distributed QFD system

• Published in: 2004 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37583) Vol. 6; pp. 5125 - 5129 vol.6
• Main Authors: Zhao Yu, Li Xiu, Lei Lin, Liu Wenhuang, Ren Shouju
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Piscataway NJ IEEE 2004
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer integrated manufacturing; Computer science; control theory; systems; Concurrent engineering; Control theory. Systems; Environmental economics; Exact sciences and technology; Marketing and sales; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Process planning; Product design; Production planning; Production systems; Quality function deployment; Teleconferencing; Process planning; Conflict resolution; Production design; Markets; Distributed system; Engineering design; Design process; Multiagent system; Sales; Cooperation; Integrated design; Quality function deployment; Product development; Concurrent engineering; Artificial intelligence; Computer aided design; Production process
• ISBN: 0780385667; 9780780385665
• ISSN: 1062-922X; 2577-1655
• DOI: 10.1109/ICSMC.2004.1401007

A type of quality function development (QFD) is an important methodology for concurrent engineering. QFD contacts the customer requirements and production process. In distributed environment, customer requirements, multiple team members and process are geographically, culturally, and functionally diverse. It requires cooperation and conflict resolution among design, production and sales process. In this paper, we introduce a blackboard-based multi-agent distributed QFD framework. In this framework, QFD core module, manufacture module, distributed TM module and market module are presented. Agents are used to emulate the entities i.e. various module and their internal departments. The framework facilitates the development of the product design and the production process.