Abstract
Since Chrysler Motor Co. had experienced the digital development system in the beginning of 1990's, most of leading automobile companies are trying to apply a digital information system for their own business process reengineering based upon concurrent engineering system from product planning phase. This is called as virtual DMU(Digital Mock-Up) system instead of the traditional PMU(Physical Mock-Up) system. By using the virtual prototype, all of the design requirements and system specifications can be checked, changed and optimized more quickly and more efficiently. This paper consists of five chapters for the DMU information system. In the 1$^{st}$ chapter, the principle of digital design system is suggested by using four basic modules such as product design module, process design module, manufacturing system design module and central control module. The basic scheme of DMU is introduced with the benefits of application in the chapter 2. In the chapter 3, a digital design process of new car development is explained with the detailed DMU design and design review processes. In the chapter 4, the practical DMU manufacturing techniques and applications are introduced as CAD/CAM analyses, DPA(Digital Pre-Assembly)reviews for development, production, operation and maintenance phases, digital tolerance analyses and digital factory analyses for assembling line simulation, automated robot welding processes, production jig ＆ fixtures and painting process simulation. Finally, the activities of digital design support; CAS-styling, CAE-engineering and CAT-testing are summarized for design optimization in the chapter 5. As today's automobile manufactures and related business organizations are struggling to compete in the global marketplace, they are concentrating on efficient use of DMU information system to reduce the new car development cost, to have shorten the delivery schedule and to improve product design quality. To meet the demand of those automobile industries on digital information systems, the CALS(Computer aided Acquisition and Logistics Support) and EC(Electronic Commerce)initiative has been focused as a dominant philosophy in defense ＆ commercial industries, specially automobile industries.s.