There is frequently a need for algorithms capable of automatic modification of geometric models in response to manufacturing process constraints. Designers typically initiate product models using ideal, exact geometry; however, several non-traditional manufacturing processes frequently require slight modifications to the ideal model to accommodate various manufacturing process constraints. These modifications can be difficult, complex, and tedious to compute. For instance, metal-ceramic brazing requires adjustments to the part geometry primarily to accommodate thermal expansion and to allow for the insertion of a narrow braze-filler gap. These adjustments depend on the particular geometry, material properties, and processing parameters. Any modification to these product model parameters necessitates extensive recomputation to reestablish a manufacturable part geometry.

This thesis demonstrates in part the integration of geometry into the overall product model by having the non-geometric parts of the product model provide feedback to the geometry by means of automatically modifying its shape. The methodology is demonstrated in a prototype model which introduces the concept of auxiliary geometric structures. In particular, the auxiliary geometric structures provide a mapping between the designer's intent and the part geometry described in the solid model. The designer's intent is represented in a rule base for metal-ceramic brazing that is controlled by fuzzy logic. This rule base aids the user in quantifying and generating from the auxiliary geometric structures the geometric modifications needed to conform with a complex set of rules derived from both analytic and empirical work in metal-ceramic brazing