In this paper, a comprehensive framework for the computer-aided planning and optimisation of process

chains for functional graded components is presented. The framework is divided into three modules - the

component description, the expert system, and the modelling and process chain optimisation. The

component description module enhances a standard CAD model by a voxel-based representation of the

graded properties. It allows the target properties to be defined. The expert system proposes process

chains capable of producing components according to the requirements of the enhanced CAD model.

They usually consist of a sequence of heating, forming, and cooling processes. The dependencies between

the applied manufacturing processes need to be considered. Therefore, the robustness of the

property distributions achieved in a process step with respect to variations in the input properties is

analysed in the third module, in which the process chains are optimised. A method to accomplish this

task by performing a model-based sensitivity analysis and subsequent Monte-Carlo simulalions of the

important parameters is proposed in this paper. The applicability of the method is shown for a 

thennomechanically coupled compression moulding process.