The efficient search for existing solutions in mechanical engineering is a key-factor for successful product development. Ontology-based knowledge systems can support the semi-automated annotation of documents about existing solutions and enable the retrieval of those documents. However, the use of different wordings for similar products and a generally heterogeneous domain-specific language hinder the efficient annotation process. In this paper, two approaches to improve the semi-automatic annotation of documents by adding terms to the ontology are described. We evaluate the two approaches by analysing the industry sector-specific and company-specific languages used in documents in the field of mechanical engineering.     «

The efficient search for existing solutions in mechanical engineering is a key-factor for successful product development. Ontology-based knowledge systems can support the semi-automated annotation of documents about existing solutions and enable the retrieval of those documents. However, the use of different wordings for similar products and a generally heterogeneous domain-specific language hinder the efficient annotation process. In this paper, two approaches to improve the semi-automatic anno...     »