Patent ID: 7356781

Claim:
A method for altering design data for producing a component, the method comprising: prescribing design data which stipulate a geometrical design which is to be altered for the component; producing and storing an altered design from the design data, the altered design stipulating a geometrical alteration which is altered locally in a region in comparison with the geometrical design of the stored design data; ascertaining an assessment criterion for the altered design from the altered design data, the assessment criterion ascertained for an area for the altered design or the region including at least one of: a critical area for short circuits and a critical area for interruptions, the critical areas ascertained assuming defects in a prescribed size distribution, the size distribution chosen such that defects which arise during production of the component are simulated; comparing the assessment criterion for the altered design with an assessment criterion for the geometrical design; retaining the design data or replacing the design data with the altered design data depending on a result of the comparison; and automatically performing a plurality of cycles of alterations, comparisons and decisions about replacement, wherein at least one of: the geometrical alteration comprises relocation of a design part in the region by a prescribed distance or by a prescribed number of points of a grid dimension and in a prescribed direction, the geometrical alteration comprises mirror imaging of the design part in the region on a prescribed mirror axis, the geometrical alteration comprises rotation of the design part in the region about a prescribed center of rotation and through a prescribed angle of rotation, the geometrical alteration comprises uniform or nonuniform expansion or contraction of the design part in the region in at least one prescribed direction and by at least one prescribed scaling factor, the geometrical alteration relates to smoothing of lines of the design part in the region, the geometrical alteration comprises replacement of the design part in the region with a design part from another region of the design or with a prescribed design part or with a corresponding design part of a design from an earlier cycle, the corresponding region situated at the same location in the design as the region or having a similar geometry to the region, the corresponding region is a region from the best design ascertained in the method to date, and the geometrical alteration brings about a change to the total area of the changed design in comparison with a total area of the design which is to be changed.