Object-oriented representation of electro-mechanical assemblies using UML

The important issue of representing mechanical assemblies has been a subject of intense research over the past several years. Most electromechanical products are assemblies of several components. This paper presents an object-oriented definition of an assembly model called Open Assembly Model (OAM). The assembly model has function, form, and behavior. It defines both a system level conceptual model and the associated hierarchical relationships. The model provides a way for representing tolerance representation and propagation, kinematics representation, and engineering analysis at the system level. The assembly model is open so as to enable plug-and-play with various analysis and applications modules. A case study example is discussed to explain the Usecase analysis of the assembly model.