Manufacturing Knowledge Management: Requirements for Preliminary Design

This research considers the use of manufacturing knowledge in the earlier, preliminary stage of design where the geometry is not so developed and where development of manufacturing technology may be required. An exploratory case study was carried Out with a manufacturer of gas turbine engines For the civil aviation market. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to investigate the manufacturing knowledge required and its format. Using a data-driven analysis, a thematic code was developed and three themes emerged: manufacturing impact, expressions of impact and knowledge type. The resulting requirements for a knowledge management system to support the use of manufacturing knowledge in preliminary design are discussed.