Information Visualization for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Data

Enabling users to explore the vast volumes of data from different groups is one of product lifecycle management (PLM)’s goals. PLM must solve such problems as isolated “Islands of Data” and “Island of Automation”; the massive data flow of distanced collaborative design, manufacturing, and management; and the incapability of interpreting and synthesizing data from different perspectives. This paper proposes a new approach from a different p rspective: information visualization and visual analytics. An interactive information visual iz tion approach was demonstrated in order to help designers gain insights into massive data and make appropriate decisions. Suggested are possible visualization methods for PLM datastruct ural visualization, temporal visualization, geospatial visualization, 3D model visualization, a d multidimensional visualization. This idea is then demonstrated by a case study of developing an Internet-based information visualization system to visualize the Remote Control Helicopter.