Template framework for automated process routing

A method for determining an optimum manufacturing process routing, the method comprising:

• electronically constructing a plurality of manufacturing process routings for a component to be manufactured, the electronically constructing for each manufacturing process routing of the plurality of manufacturing process routings comprising defining a recursive process routing tree for each manufacturing process routing, the recursive process routing tree comprising a plurality of nodes, each node of the plurality of nodes corresponding to a manufacturing process and comprising a branch node when the manufacturing process for a given node may be decomposed into a plurality of sub-processes for the given node, the electronically constructing being performed using at least one computer processor programmed to electronically construct the plurality of manufacturing process routings;
• and
• electronically determining an optimum process routing of the plurality of manufacturing process routings by evaluating each recursive process routing tree for the plurality of manufacturing process routings with reference to a cost for manufacturing at least one geometric cost driver with reference to a geometric model of the component and determining the optimum process routing that minimizes the cost for manufacturing the component, the electronically determining being performed using the at least one computer processor, the at least one computer processor being further programmed to electronically determine the optimum process routing;
• the evaluating each recursive process routing tree comprising expanding a component template into a plurality of process routing alternatives, and expanding and evaluating a geometric cost driver template for each geometric cost driver of the component;
• and
• the determining the optimum process routing comprising applying a cost model and being based on component inputs including the geometric model and non-geometric manufacturing inputs that affect the cost of manufacturing the component.