A Heuristic Method to Identify Modules from a Functional Description of a Product
Abstract
Developing product architectures is a key phase in design and development processes. It encompasses the transformation of product function to alternative product layouts. In this paper, we describe a new approach for identifying modules for product architectures. We begin by reviewing the terminology and motivation for modular products. Following that discussion, three heuristic methods for identifying modules from a formal functional decomposition are presented. To aid in this process, a concept known as functional dependency is introduced to further arrange functional models with respect to time. Through this concept and the heuristic methods, modular design can be executed earlier in the product development process, as illustrated by the running example of a power-tool product. A database of 70 consumer products is used to verify and confirm the overall modular design approach.
Recommended Citation
R. B. Stone et al., "A Heuristic Method to Identify Modules from a Functional Description of a Product," Proceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference, vol. 3, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Jan 1998.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC98/DTM-5642
Department(s)
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
978-079188033-3
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2024 American Society of Mechanical Engineers, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 1998
Comments
National Science Foundation, Grant None