Similarity Measurement of Part Specifications based on Ontology and ELECTRE IS

When existing parts are re-used for the development of a new product or business-to-business transactions, a method for searching parts from a part database that meets user's requirements is necessary. To this end, it is important to develop a part search method which is able to measure similarity between parts and user's input data with generality as well as robustness. In this paper, the authors suggest a method for measuring part similarity using ontology and multi-criteria decision making method and address its technical details. The proposed method ensures the interoperability with existing engineering information management systems, represents part specifications systematically, and has generality in the procedure for comparing part specifications. The case study for ejector pins having been conducted to demonstrate the proposed method is also discussed.