Substantiation of the method of integrated group unification of machine and appliance designs

The study object: group unification of designs of process machines and appliances. Unification is one of important means of improving efficiency of production and operation of assemblies (parts) which reduces cost of their manufacture and repair. Unification is also a standardization subsystem which significantly increases the interest in its study and implementation. One of the problems in development of group unification of designs consists in the lack of sufficient theoretical base and the studies towards unification are often reduced to simplification. This causes worsening of production efficiency because of slowdown of the process of creation and implementation of unified designs at a steady rate of growth of nomenclature of assemblies (parts), equipment and tools. An approach was proposed based on a hypothesis of possibility of finding criteria (formulas) that will allow designers to a priori assess conformity of the design structure to the established levels of unification, define laws and specify methods for optimizing the design structures by adapting to the technological equipment. This approach was implemented through the use of the axiomatic theory, laws of composition, theory of groups and symbolic logic. As a result of the study, definition of the primary element was obtained and a procedure of its construction was presented, formulas of unified parts were derived and the theorem of unification of assembly (part) design structure was formulated. Features of integrated unification of groups of parts and the equipment for their manufacture were considered. The study results will allow designers to improve the intellectual design process and promote widespread use of the systems of automatic design of process equipment. The study results are of interest for: ‒ designers of enterprises when creating closed databases of unified parts (assemblies) which will significantly reduce time of development and introduction in manufacture  of new products and increase their efficiency; ‒ software users in creation of accessible open databases of unified parts (assemblies) aimed at concealed advertising and promotion of sales of unified products