Identification of Platform Variables in Product Family Design Using Sensitivity Analysis

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad Hume ◽  
David W. Rosen
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Product Performance ◽  
Constructal Theory ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Selection Of

Product family design strategies based on a common core platform have emerged as an efficient and effective means of providing product variety. The main goal in product platform design is to maximize internal commonality within the family while managing the inherent loss in product performance. Therefore, identification and selection of platform variables is a key aspect when designing a family of products. Based on previous research, the Product Platform Constructal Theory Method (PPCTM) provides a systematic approach for developing customizable products, while allowing for multiple levels of commonality, multiple product specifications, and balancing the tradeoffs between commonality and performance. However, selection of platform variables and the modes for managing product variety are not guided by a systematic process in this method. When developing a platform with more than a few variables, a quantitative method is needed for selecting the optimal platform variable hierarchy. In this paper we present an augmented PPCTM which includes sensitivity analysis of platform variables, such that hierarchical rank is conducted based on the impact of the variables on the product performance. This method is applied to the design of a line of customizable finger pumps.

A Product Variety Tradeoff Evaluation Method for a Family of Cordless Drill Transmissions

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn G. Conner ◽  
Joseph P. De Kroon ◽  
Farrokh Mistree
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Product Performance ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Platforms ◽  
Individual Product ◽  
Alternative Product ◽  
Per Se

Abstract In this paper we present the Product Variety Tradeoff Evaluation Method for assessment of alternative product platforms in product family design. The Product Variety Tradeoff Evaluation Method is an attention-directing tool for evaluating tradeoffs between commonality and individual product performance for product platform alternatives with differing levels of commonality. We apply the Product Variety Tradeoff Evaluation Method to a case study in transmission redesign for a family of cordless drills. The emphasis in this paper is placed on the method rather than on the results, per se.

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.

Design of Hierarchic Platforms for Customizable Products

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Hernandez ◽  
Janet K. Allen ◽  
Farrokh Mistree
Keyword(s):  
Product Family ◽  
Product Performance ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Electric Motors ◽  
Product Platforms ◽  
Individual Product ◽  
Geometric Space ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels

The objective in product platform design is to synthesize a set of components that will be shared by a number of product variants considering potential sacrifices in individual product performance that result from parts sharing. A good platform strategy should allow us to specify different levels of commonality for the various features and components of the product family in order to reduce the impact of commonality on performance. In this paper, we formulate the design of platforms for customizable products as a problem of optimization of access in a geometric space. This approach allows us to develop systematically hierarchic product platforms with multiple levels of commonality. We illustrate the proposed approach with a case example: the design of a product platform for a line of customizable electric motors.

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.

Assembly Hierarchy Generation for Assembly System Design for a Product Family

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengqian Jiang ◽  
Hui Wang
Keyword(s):  
Modular Design ◽  
Recursive Algorithm ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Graph Model ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Assembly System ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
Flexible Assembly ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hierarchy Generation

Increased demand on product variety entails a flexible assembly system for product families which can be quickly configured and reconfigured in a responsive manner to deal with various product designs. Development of such a responsive assembly system requires an in-depth understanding of the impact of product family design on assembly system performance. In this paper, the linkage between the product family design and assembly systems is characterized by an assembly hierarchy model, which reflects a hierarchical relationship among all possible sub-assemblies and components, assembly tasks, and material flow among the tasks. Our prior research developed a recursive algorithm to generate all assembly hierarchy candidates for one single product based on its liaison graph without redundancy. These generated assembly hierarchies provide a structure to help efficiently explore optimal assembly system designs with reduced computational load. In this paper, the application of the assembly hierarchy generation algorithm will be extended to a product family by developing joint liaison graph model. Taking the advantage of the modular design of the product family, we proposed a concept of multi-level joint liaison graphs to overcome the computational challenge brought by assembly hierarchy generation for joint liaisons. Two case studies were conducted to demonstrate the algorithm.

A Product Platform Concept Exploration Method for Product Family Design

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy W. Simpson ◽  
Jonathan R. A. Maier ◽  
Farrokh Mistree
Keyword(s):  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Customer Requirements ◽  
Global Marketplace ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Concept Exploration ◽  
Per Se

Abstract Today’s highly competitive, global marketplace is redefining the way companies do business. Many companies are being faced with the challenge of providing as much variety as possible for the market with as little variety as possible between products in order to maintain economies of scale while satisfying a wide range of customer requirements. Developing a family of products — a group of related products derived from a common product platform — provides an efficient and effective means to realize sufficient product variety to satisfy a range of customer demands. In this paper the Product Platform Concept Exploration Method (PPCEM) is presented, providing a Method that facilitates the synthesis and Exploration of a common Product Platform Concept that can be scaled into an appropriate family of products. As an example, the PPCEM is employed to design a family of universal electric motors that are also compared against a benchmark group of individually designed motors. The focus in this paper, however, is on the PPCEM and not on the results, per se.

Evaluation of Product Family Architectures From Multiple Perspectives

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahed Siddique ◽  
Rajeshwar Reddy Adupala
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Assembly Sequence ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Computer Mouse ◽  
Manufacturing Complexity ◽  
Family Evaluation

Specifying components in a product platform and family architecture to support product varieties can be a challenging task for companies. Especially when various viewpoints have to be considered, which include product variety, materials, manufacturing complexity, assembly complexity, average component count commonality, assembly sequence, and late point differentiation. In order to identify or select a product platform and family configuration, evaluation of alternative configurations need to be performed. In this paper several product family evaluation criteria are presented for configuration evaluation. The application of product family configuration evaluation and a design approach is demonstrated using a Computer Mouse family.

A Cost Model for Optimal Design of Hierarchic Product Platform under Coupled Architecture

2012 ◽  
Vol 452-453 ◽  
pp. 516-520
Author(s):  
Yan Ling Cai ◽  
Zhen Hua Cui
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Design ◽  
Cost Model ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
Flexible Design ◽  
Platform Design ◽  
Cost Drivers ◽  
Difficult Decision

Product platform design is essentially a difficult decision to make, thus a hierarchic platform has been proposed to solve the inherent tradeoff for optimization. However, architecture coupling adds on complexity of the platform design. This paper proposes an improved cost model for the optimal design of platform design in the hierarchic manner with the consideration of the architecture coupling. This cost model uniquely treats the architecture couplings and their decoupling interfaces as latent cost drivers to enable the flexible design of product platform and its family. As a support, the underlying tradeoff mechanism of platform-based product family design is also analyzed in this paper.

Global Product Family Design: A Mathematical Model for Simultaneous Decision of Module Commonalization and Supply Chain Configuration

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kikuo Fujita ◽  
Hirofumi Amaya ◽  
Ryota Akai
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Product Family Design ◽  
Design Production ◽  
Supply Chain Configuration ◽  
The Given ◽  
Chain Configuration

Today’s manufacturing has become global at all aspects of marketing, design, production, distribution, etc. While product family design has been an essential viewpoint for meeting with the demand for product variety, its meaning is becoming more broad and complicated with linking product design with issues on market systems, supply chain, etc. This paper calls such a design situation ‘global product family design,’ and firstly characterizes its components and complexity. Following them, this paper develops a mathematical model for the simultaneous decision problem of module commonalization strategies under the given product architecture and supply chain configuration through selection of manufacturing sites for module production, assembly and final distribution as an instance of the problems. This paper demonstrates some numerical case studies for ascertaining the validity and promise of the developed mathematical model with an optimization method configured with a genetic algorithm and a simplex method. Finally, it concludes with some discussion on future works.

Product Platform Design Through Sensitivity Analysis and Cluster Analysis

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhihuang Dai ◽  
Michael J. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Product Platform ◽  
Platform Design ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Efficiency Cost ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

Product platform design plays a vital role in determining two important aspects of a products family: efficiency (cost savings due to commonality) and effectiveness (capability to satisfy performance requirements). In this work, sensitivity analysis and cluster analysis are used to improve both efficiency and effectiveness of a product family design. A strategy of commonization is employed to form a platform. An illustrative example is used to demonstrate the merits of the proposed method, and the results are compared with existing results from the literature.

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