Product structure formal modeling in product development

Based on the analysis of product structure properties and their relationships throughout product developing process, a formal product structure model was proposed to satisfy application requirements of dynamic structure configuration, dynamic tasks collaboration, dynamic objectives solution and dynamic state tracking. Considering the performance and characteristics of product developing activities in time domain, time domain definition of product structure was presented on the basis of which the product structure model extended in time domain was established. By analyzing the mapping relationship between product state and time domain performance of product developing activities, product state tracing scheme and related arithmetic based on time section were provided, which would play an important part during the process of putting the product structure model into practice. Finally, practicability and validity of the formal product structure model and its related theoretics were demonstrated by simulating a product state tracing instance.