Ontology engineering in product development

Purpose - The paper discusses the motivation for the ontology in order to increase efficiency in product design and PLM integration. It shows the ontology concepts related to the manufacture of products in conjunction with PLM, and also concerning the design ontology for the material resources upon which one acts. Methodology/Approach - The research method used was case-study with direct observation. Observation due to involvement in the process was the foundation for knowledge creation. The authors have participated in practical applications during product design activity and this constitutes the basis of this paper. Findings - Ontology engineering in product development approaches some specific issues of the technological product design, technology design and material resources design which are necessary for the manufacturing. Ontology building models for the three categories are specific to products and technological equipment and create prerequisites for the design standards. Research limitations/Implications - The implications of the current study are linked to the development of ontologies as a management method in the activity of constructive and technological design and the design of the required resources for the manufacturing of technological products and equipments. Practical implications - The approach is a prerequisite for the substantiation of a specific discipline from the technical education system and for those working in research and development teams for technological products based on CAD and PLM systems. Originality/Value - The usage of ontologies in any domain is a critical task, including avoidance of crisis management that can occur in a product development activity.