REVIEW OF RESEARCH IN TOOLING TECHNOLOGY, PROCESS MODELING AND PROCESS PLANNING .2. PROCESS PLANNING

Generic process planning research in its present form has been saturated. There is a plethora of prototype systems, most for prismatic parts, and additional work along the same lines will inevitably be of little novelty and generic value. However, applied, consolidation research is still required to enhance the current state-of-the-art, particularly in feature-based techniques, and to promote the commercial exploitation of mature technologies. Machining is the most researched application area and additional work is needed in assembly and inspection planning. New process planning research should be placed in the integrated product development context, and be compatible with the concept of distributed design.