A Variation-Based Methodology for Product Family Design

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raviraj U. Nayak ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Small Deviations ◽  
Second Stage ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Input Design ◽  
Design Variables ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Common

Abstract In recent years, considerable research has been directed towards the development of methods for designing families of products. In this paper, we present a Variation-Based Platform Design Methodology (VBPDM), which aims to satisfy a range of performance requirements using the smallest variation of the product designs in the family. In the first stage of the VBPDM, the common product platform around which the product family is to be developed is identified. A ranged set of solutions is found, represented by the mean and standard deviation of the input design variables, to meet a range of the different performance requirements for the product family. During this first stage, a compromise Decision Support Problem (DSP) is used to optimize the commonality goal that seeks to minimize the deviation of the input design variables, while satisfying the range of performance requirements. Those design variables that show small deviations are held constant to form the product platform. In the second stage of the VBPDM, each individual product is designed around the common platform such that the functional requirements of the product are best satisfied. As an example, the proposed method is used to develop a family of universal electric motors designed to meet a range of torque requirements. The results are compared against previous work.

Modular Platform-Based Product Family Design

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier P. Gonzalez-Zugasti ◽  
Kevin N. Otto
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
Optimum Degree ◽  
Multiple Products ◽  
The Family ◽  
Subsystem Design ◽  
The Common ◽  
Modular Platform ◽  
The Individual

Abstract In this paper we present a method for designing families of products built onto modular platforms. A product platform is the set of components and subsystems shared across multiple products offered by a firm. A modular platform is one that allows for swapping of modules to configure multiple products in a family. The problem of designing a family of products based on such a platform is formulated as an optimization exercise, from which an implementation is derived. The method allows for the design of the modules that are shared across multiple members of the family, or the platform, as well as the portions of the products that are individually designed, or the variants. The result is a candidate design for the product family: both the combination of which modules should be shared and across which of the products, and the desired settings for the shared modules and the individual portions of each variant. The procedure is illustrated by an example of the telecommunications subsystem design for a set of spacecraft. The optimum degree of commonality for the set of products is found, as well as optimum settings for the common modules.

Introduction of a Product Family Penalty Function Using Physical Programming

2002 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achille Messac ◽  
Michael P. Martinez ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Penalty Function ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Families ◽  
Physical Programming ◽  
Product Platforms ◽  
Scaling Parameters ◽  
The Common ◽  
Selection Of

In an effort to increase customization for today’s highly competitive global markets, many companies are looking to product families to increase product variety and shorten product lead-times while reducing costs. The key to a successful product family is the common product platform around which the product family is derived. Building on our previous work in product family design, we introduce a product family penalty function (PFPF) in this paper to aid in the selection of common and scaling parameters for families of products derived from scalable product platforms. The implementation of the PFPF utilizes the powerful physical programming paradigm to formulate the problem in terms of physically meaningful parameters. To demonstrate the proposed approach, a family of electric motors is developed and compared against previous results. We find that the PFPF enables us to properly balance commonality and performance within the product family through the judicious selection of the common parameters that constitute the product platform and the scaling parameters used to instantiate the product family.

Adaptable Product Platform-Based Product Family Design of Crane

2013 ◽  
Vol 475-476 ◽  
pp. 1402-1405
Author(s):  
Xian Fu Cheng ◽  
Qi Hang Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Design Matrix ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Bridge Crane ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
Design Relation

A new design method for product family was presented based on adaptable product platform. Firstly, customer demands were analyzed for bridge crane. Secondly, axiomatic design was utilized as framework to zigzaging mapping between functional requirements and design parameters, and design matrix was established. Then the sensitivity analysis among design parameters and between design parameters and functional requirements was done. The design relation matrix was established and relation degree among design parameters was calculated. Based on above analysis, the platform parameters were identified.

Customer Need Driven Function-Behavior Platform Formation

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rupesh Kumar ◽  
Venkat Allada
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Planning Horizon ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Product Platforms ◽  
Computer Mouse ◽  
Mapping Process ◽  
Customer Need

Product platform formation has long been considered as an effective method to meet challenges set forth by mass customization. To cater to the changes in customer need driven functional requirements and technological advancements, product platforms have to be robust for a given planning horizon from the manufacturer’s point of view. To date, most of the product platform research is directed towards developing approaches that maximize the usage of common physical structures (such as sub-assemblies and components), amongst product variants. We argue that there is a need to start thinking about platforms at a higher level of abstraction than just at the physical structure level because after all, the physical structures are the end result of the mapping process that starts with the customer needs, cascades to the functional requirements and the behaviors (aka working principle/behavior) that will be used to realize the functions. The Function-Behavior-Structure approach discussed by Gero and Kannengiesser (2003) deals with such an approach. In this paper, we present a methodology called the Function-Behavior Ant Colony Optimization (FB-ACO), to determine a higher abstract level platform at the FB level. The proposed approach can be used to provide critical decisions related to the planning of the advent and egress of a product or the use of a behavior, configuration of the function-behavior platform and the number of such platforms to be considered at a particular time. The FB platform can then be used to develop the detailed design for the family of products under consideration. We demonstrate our proposed approach using the example of a computer mouse product family.

Assessing and Improving Commonality and Diversity Within a Product Family

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabrice Alizon ◽  
Steven B. Shooter ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Product Differentiation ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Differentiated Products ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
The Family ◽  
Single Use

At a time when product differentiation is a major indicator of success in the global market, each company is looking to offer competitive and highly differentiated products. This differentiation issue is restricted by the design of platform-based products that share modules and/or components. It is not easy to differentiate products in a market that is often overwhelmed by numerous options. A platform-based approach can be risky because competition in the global market can become an internal competition among similar products within the family if there is not enough differentiation in the family. Thus, the goal for the product platform is to share elements for common functions and to differentiate each product in the family by satisfying different targeted needs. To assess commonality in the family, numerous indices have been proposed in the literature. Nevertheless, existing indices focus on commonality and reflect an increase in value when commonality increases but do not positively reflect an increase in the value as a result of diversity; hence, the Commonality versus Diversity Index (CDI) is introduced in this paper to assess the commonality and diversity within a family of products or across families. The CDI has variable levels of depth analysis to help designers design or improve the product family. Two case studies using single-use cameras and power tool families highlight the usefulness of this new index.

Shape Commonalization to Develop Common Platform for Product Family

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagar Chowdhury ◽  
Zahed Siddique
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Cad Models ◽  
Platform Development ◽  
The Common ◽  
Index Value ◽  
Challenging Situation ◽  
Commonality Index ◽  
Common Platform

Current market place is highly competitive and frequently changing, to survive companies need to quickly respond to the customers’ requirements. This challenging situation demands a robust platform design and development process to produce variety of products in the shortest possible time. The common components for a set of similar products under a family can be grouped into a common platform. Development of product platform requires measuring the similarity among a set of products. This paper presents an approach to measure the similarity among a set of CAD models of products to develop a common product platform. The measured similarity of geometries can allow designers to identify components that have the potential to be included in the common platform. The degree of similarity is determined by extracting the information and developing a suitable commonality index for a set of CAD models. The commonality index values are then used to determine the common platform for a set of assembly products by developing and calculating the Average Assembly Platform index value. The overall approach is followed by two case studies: Cell Phone casing models and Vacuum Cleaner models.

Production Cost Modeling to Support Product Family Design Optimization

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaeil Park ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Production Cost ◽  
Cost Model ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Optimization Methods ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
The Family ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Decision Based Design

Product family design involves carefully balancing the commonality of the product platform with the distinctiveness of the individual products in the family. While a variety of optimization methods have been developed to help designers determine the best design variable settings for the product platform and individual products within the family, production costs are thought to be an important criterion to choose the best platform among candidate platform designs. Thus, it is prerequisite to have an appropriate production cost model to be able to estimate the production costs incurred by having common and variant components within a product family. In this paper, we propose a production cost model based on a production cost framework associated with the manufacturing activities. The production cost model can be easily integrated within optimization frameworks to support a Decision-Based Design approach for product family design. As an example, the production cost model is utilized to estimate the production costs of a family of cordless power screwdrivers.

Self-configuring components approach to product variant development

2004 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHELE GERMANI ◽  
FERRUCCIO MANDORLI
Keyword(s):  
Mass Customization ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Theoretical Aspect ◽  
New Product ◽  
Consumer Electronics ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Definition Of

The use of modularity in the design of a new product or the adoption of a product platform, as the base to define new solutions within a product family, offers the company a chance to meet diverse customer needs at low cost because of economies of scale in all phases of the product's life cycle. At present, the concept of modularity in product design is becoming widely used in many industries such as automobiles and consumer electronics. However, if modularity and mass customization have attracted the interest of industries and researchers, the greatest efforts have been focused on the theoretical aspect whereas the related design support technologies have been only partially implemented. In this context, our intent is to develop highly reusable models, which are able to reconfigure themselves on the basis of new functional requirements. The proposed approach is based on the definition of what we callself-configuring componentsandmultiple-level functions. To describe the approach, a practical example related to the design of modules for woodworking machines is reported.

Comprehensive Product Platform Planning (CP3) Framework

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Souma Chowdhury ◽  
Achille Messac ◽  
Ritesh A Khire
Keyword(s):  
Planning Process ◽  
Continuous Optimization ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Mapping Function ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Production Volume ◽  
Product Families ◽  
Product Platforms ◽  
Design Variables

Development of a family of products that satisfies different market niches introduces significant challenges to today’s manufacturing industries—from development time to aftermarket services. A product family with a common platform paradigm offers a powerful solution to these daunting challenges. This paper presents a new approach, the Comprehensive Product Platform Planning (CP3) framework, to design optimal product platforms. The CP3 framework formulates a generalized mathematical model for the complex platform planning process. This model (i) is independent of the solution strategy, (ii) allows the formation of sub-families of products, (iii) allows the simultaneous identification of platform design variables and the determination of the corresponding variable values, and (iv) seeks to avoid traditional distinctions between modular and scalable product families from the optimization standpoint. The CP3 model yields a mixed integer nonlinear programming problem, which is carefully reformulated to allow for the application of continuous optimization using a novel Platform Segregating Mapping Function (PSMF). The PSMF can be employed using any standard global optimization methodology (hence not restrictive); particle swarm optimization has been used in this paper. A preliminary cost function is developed to represent the cost of a product family as a function of the number of products manufactured and the commonality among these products. The proposed CP3 framework is successfully implemented on a family of universal electric motors. Key observations are made regarding the sensitivity of the optimized product platform to the intended production volume.

Product Platform Design: A Graph Grammar Approach

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahed Siddique ◽  
David W. Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Mass Customization ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Graph Grammar ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Portfolio ◽  
Graph Grammars ◽  
The Core ◽  
Platform Development ◽  
The Common ◽  
Common Platform

Abstract The current marketplace can be characterized by the need for variety, faster time to market, and decrease in cost. To survive companies are shifting from a mass production mode to mass customization to provide the necessary variety. One of the key elements of mass customization is the product platform. In this paper we will investigate the use of graph grammars to develop common platforms for a set of similar products and to specify the product portfolio supported by the platform. To facilitate development of common platforms a formal product family architecture representation is presented which separates the core and the options to facilitate the identification of the common platform. Graphs are used to represent the core for function and structure viewpoints, and grammars to specify the relationships among the core and the options. Arguments on suitability of graph grammars in common platform development, are also presented in the paper.

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