Agent-based cooperative NC conceptual design

Creativity is a core issue of product design and development, so as is the machine tool that is implemented to make them. This paper presents a NC conceptual configuration model based on agent. Modularization is the fundamental of NC conceptual layout design. It takes each module as an autonomous entity participating in design activities, and the product design process is described as the organized cooperative work of agents. The Cooperative Muti-agent NC Configuration (CMNC) system will greatly increase the designing efficacy as well as creativity by offering a large number of design options and a rudimentary evaluation mechanism. The prototype system, which is under further development, has showed great potential of creativity.