An Approach for the Modularization of a Product Architecture of Redesign Processes of Complex Systems

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Albers ◽  
Korkiat Sedchaicharn ◽  
Christian Sauter ◽  
Wolfgang Burger
Keyword(s):  
Channel Model ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Modular Architecture ◽  
Level Of Abstraction ◽  
Modular Product ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Principle Solution ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Model C

Design Structure Matrix (DSM) is known as an efficient tool to modularize product architectures. It is only effective when all the matrix elements are described with a similar level of abstraction. This lies generally in the level of the real existing components. In order to implement a DSM, all assemblies, components and their relations have to be defined beforehand. In this step, the product architecture is often developed intuitively without any analysis. After the analysis using DSM, the developed product architecture normally requires rectification. Some components have to be designed and modified repeatedly. In this paper, the model for describing the relationship between function and embodiment, the Contact and Channel Model (C&CM) as well as an approach and its implementation will be presented to avoid this repetition. After a principle solution has been selected, the system is modeled with C&CM elements in a new intermediate level of abstraction. An integration analysis by DSM can be performed in parallel with the use of a search algorithm to find the modular product architecture. The analysis result is a guideline for a modular architecture which helps designers to reduce the number of required iterations. This approach is implemented in the development of a robot forearm for the humanoid robot ARMAR III.

A Genetic Algorithm for Developing Modular Product Architectures

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tian-Li Yu ◽  
Ali A. Yassine ◽  
David E. Goldberg
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Minimum Description Length ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Modular Product ◽  
Modular Products ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Development Literature ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbine ◽  
Optimal Set

The architecture of a product is determined by both the elements that compose the product and the way in which they interact with each other. In this paper, we use the design structure matrix (DSM) as a tool to capture this architecture. Designing modular products can result in many benefits to both consumers and manufacturers. The development of modular products requires the identification of highly interactive groups of elements and arranging (i.e. clustering) them into modules. However, no rigorous DSM clustering technique can be found in product development literature. This paper presets a review of the basic DSM building blocks used in the identification of product modules. The DSM representation and building blocks are used to develop a new DSM clustering tool based on a genetic algorithm (GA) and the minimum description length (MDL) principle. The new tool is capable of partitioning the product architecture into an “optimal” set of modules or sub-systems. We demonstrate this new clustering method using an example of a complex product architecture for an industrial gas turbine.

The impact of global operations on product architecture: an exploratory study

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 1304-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Pashaei ◽  
Jan Olhager
Keyword(s):  
Product Architecture ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Modular Architecture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modular Product ◽  
Internal Network ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Global Operations ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how global operations of manufacturing companies influence the choice of product architecture decisions, ranging from integral to modular product designs. Design/methodology/approach The authors perform a multiple-case study of three global manufacturing companies with integral and modular product architectures. Findings The authors find that the internal network capabilities, the number of capable plants, the focus of component plants, the focus of assembly plants, the distances from key suppliers to internal plants, and the number of market segments significantly influence the choice of integral vs modular architecture. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to three large manufacturing companies with global operations. However, the authors investigate both integral and modular products. The authors develop propositions that can be tested in further survey research. Practical implications The findings show that the type of global operations network influences the decision on product architecture, such that certain global operations characteristics support integral product designs, while other characteristics support modular designs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge this paper is the first study on the explicit impact of global operations on product architecture, rather than the other way around.

scholarly journals An Efficient Optimization Algorithm for Modular Product Design

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-207
Author(s):  
Hayam G. Wahdan ◽  
Hisham M. Abdelslam ◽  
Sally S. Kassem
Keyword(s):  
Optimization Algorithm ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Gravitational Search Algorithm ◽  
Cuckoo Search ◽  
Optimal Number ◽  
Complex Products ◽  
Modular Product ◽  
Design Structure ◽  
Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithms

Modularity concepts play an important role in the process of developing new complex products. Modularization involves dividing a product into a set of modules - each of which consisting of a set of components - that are interdependent in the same cluster and independent between clusters. During this process, a product can be represented using a Design Structure Matrix (DSM). A DSM acts as a tool for system analysis to provide clear visualization of product elements. In addition, DSM, shows the interactions between these product elements. This paper aims to propose an efficient optimization algorithm that dynamically divides a DSM into an optimal number and size of clusters in a way that minimizes total coordination cost; the interactions inside clusters (modules) and interactions between clusters. Given problem complexity, five metaheuristic optimization algorithms are proposed and tested to solve it; these algorithms are used to determine: (1) the optimal clusters’ number within a DSM, and (2) the optimal components assignment clusters to minimize the total coordination cost. The five used metaheuristics are: Cuckoo Search, Modified Cuckoo Search, Particle Swarm Optimization, Simulated Annealing, and Gravitational Search Algorithm. Eighty problems with different properties are generated and used to examine the proposed algorithms for effectiveness and efficiency. Extensive comparisons are conducted and analyzed. Cuckoo Search is outperforming the other four algorithms.

Leasing, Modularity, and the Circular Economy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Agrawal ◽  
Atalay Atasu ◽  
Sezer Ülkü
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Durable Goods ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Model Choice ◽  
Modular Architecture ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Modular Product

We investigate the economic and environmental implications of jointly implementing leasing and modularity, two prominent circular economy strategies, and their interaction. We develop a durable goods model to obtain insights for firms considering the use of these strategies. We first analyze the effect of adopting leasing on a firm’s product architecture choice. We find that a modular product architecture is more attractive under leasing only if off-lease products depreciate to a greater extent. We next analyze the effect of adopting a modular product architecture on the firm’s business model choice. We find that adopting a modular architecture can cause a leasing firm to switch to selling but will not lead a selling firm to switch to leasing. Building on these results, we show that leasing a modular product is preferred by the firm only under limited conditions (i.e., when production costs are low, off-lease products are in relatively better condition, and when there is a large difference between depreciation levels of different modules). Finally, we show that jointly implementing leasing and modularity can also lead to higher environmental impact than only adopting leasing or modularity in isolation. This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.

scholarly journals METHOD FOR UPGRADING A COMPONENT WITHIN REFURBISHMENT

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 2057-2066
Author(s):  
Nicola Viktoria Ganter ◽  
Behrend Bode ◽  
Paul Christoph Gembarski ◽  
Roland Lachmayer
Keyword(s):  
Closed System ◽  
Individual Component ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
The State ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Additive Processes ◽  
Modular Product ◽  
General Method

AbstractOne of the arguments against an increased use of repair is that, due to the constantly growing progress, an often already outdated component would be restored. However, refurbishment also allows a component to be modified in order to upgrade it to the state of the art or to adapt it to changed requirements. Many existing approaches regarding Design for Upgradeability are based on a modular product architecture. In these approaches, however, only the upgradeability of a product is considered through the exchange of components. Nevertheless, the exchange and improvement of individual component regions within a refurbishment has already been successfully carried out using additive processes. In this paper, a general method is presented to support the reengineering process, which is necessary to refurbish and upgrade a damaged component. In order to identify which areas can be replaced in the closed system of a component, the systematics of the modular product architecture are used. This allows dependencies between functions and component regions to be identified. Thus, it possible to determine which functions can be integrated into the intended component.

The Influence of Digital Design and IT on Modular Product Architecture

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tucker J. Marion ◽  
Marc H. Meyer ◽  
Gloria Barczak
Keyword(s):  
Digital Design ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Modular Product

The Effect of the Fit Between Product Architecture and Competitive Action on Business Performance: An Empirical Study of the Taiwan IT Industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (04) ◽  
pp. 1650018
Author(s):  
Ing-Shane Yung ◽  
Chin-Fa Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Analytic Framework ◽  
Modular Architecture ◽  
It Industry ◽  
Competitive Action ◽  
Competitive Model ◽  
Situational Management ◽  
Interactive Relationship

This study combines product architecture and competitive action by using a survey of the Taiwan IT industry. The analytic framework is applied to the theory of situational management to observe whether there is a good fit between product architecture (modular or integral), and inter-firm competitive action (homogeneous or heterogeneous), which corresponds to the level of business performance. This study thus seeks an in-depth understanding of the relationship between product architecture and competitive action, as well as confirmation for the development direction and competitive model of Taiwan’s IT industry, where some important characteristics have been found. First, to establish the competitive advantages, the product architecture needs to match the competitive action. Second, a firm usually adopts homogeneous action when its product architecture tends to be modular products; inversely, it usually adopts heterogeneous action when its product architecture tends to be integral products. Third, homogeneous competitive action has a mediating effect on modular architecture and business performance. Overall, this study provides a theoretical analytic framework to better understand the interactive relationship between product architecture and competitive action.

scholarly journals Practical Implementation of an Indoor Robot Localization and Identification System using an Array of Anchor Nodes

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Israa AL-Forati ◽  
Abdulmuttalib Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Search Algorithm ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Binary Search ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Identification System ◽  
Robot Localization ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Anchor Nodes ◽  
Binary Search Algorithm

This paper proposes a low-cost Light Emitting Diodes (LED) system with a novel arrangement that allows an indoor multi-robot localization. The proposed system uses only a matrix of low-cost LED installed uniformly on the ground of an environment and low-cost Light Dependent Resistor (LDR), each equipped on bottom of the robot for detection. The matrix of LEDs which are driven by a modified binary search algorithm are used as active beacons. The robot localizes itself based on the signals it receives from a group of neighbor LEDs. The minimum bounded circle algorithm is used to draw a virtual circle from the information collected from the neighbor LEDs and the center of this circle represents the robot’s location. The propose system is practically implemented on an environment with (16*16) matrix of LEDs. The experimental results show good performance in the localization process.

HOME: House Of Modular Enhancement—a Tool for Modular Product Redesign

2002 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Sand ◽  
P. Gu ◽  
G. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Lead Time ◽  
Modular Design ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Product Architecture ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Overall Design ◽  
System A ◽  
Modular Product ◽  
Design And Manufacturing

Product modularization aims to improve the overall design, manufacturing, operational, and post-retirement characteristics of products by designing or redesigning the product architectures. A successful modular product can assist the reconfiguration of products, while reducing the lead-time of design and manufacturing and improving the ability for upgrading, maintenance, customization and recycling. This paper presents a new modular design method called the House Of Modular Enhancement (HOME) for product redesign. Information from various aspects of the product design, including functional requirements, product architecture and life cycle requirements, is incorporated in the method to help ensure that a modularized product would achieve the objectives. The HOME method has been implemented in a software system. A case study will be presented to illustrate the HOME method and the software.

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