Engineering Change Propagation Analysis Based on Linkage Model in Complex Product Development

To handle change propagations during complex product development, an analysis framework based on linkage model was proposed. Firstly linkage was defined to encapsulate the relations among product characteristics, and methods of linkage identification from multi-dimensions and linkage model construction were given. Then how to identify change propagation paths step by step in open scene and how to identify change propagation paths with improved mouse maze algorithm in closed scene were discussed. In the following a quantitative evaluation method of change impact risk was advanced. Finally an example of carrier robot moving structure design change was provided to validate this method.