Approach for the Visualization of Geometric Uncertainty of Assemblies in CAD-Systems

The foundation for the development of successful products is based on knowledge about the characteristics of the product throughout the entire product life cycle. However, uncertainties can arise over the life cycle. These characteristics simultaneously influence each other and therefore the characteristics of the product in the product development and usage phases need to be identified. This uncertainty can have negative economic consequences, such as functional failures or oversizing. In this paper a concept for the visualization of geometric uncertainty of assemblies in CAD-Systems based on ontologies will be presented. This is an approach for visualizing various types of uncertainty of different product life cycle phases to control uncertainty in load-carrying systems during virtual product development. The concept is a part of the research activities of the CRC 805 (Collaborative Research Center 805).