Systematic module and interface definition using component design structure matrix
- 1 December 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Journal of Engineering Design
- Vol. 21 (6), 647-675
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09544820802563226
Abstract
Modular product architectures can offer many benefits, but require carefully chosen interfaces as early as possible in the development process to exploit their full potential. Late or erroneous definition of modules and interfaces results in excessive design iterations and consequently causes unanticipated delays and cost overruns in product development. In this article, an improved method for product architecting (i.e. the identification and definition of modules and their interfaces) using clustering of component-based Design Structure Matrices (DSMs) is presented and demonstrated. Various researchers contributed to the improvement of clustering techniques in the past. However, the approaches used are mostly unsatisfactory with respect to the definition of modules for products resulting in suboptimal or even wrong definitions. In lieu of investigating single steps of DSM clustering, a comprehensive approach is presented in this article, covering all relevant aspects, from data acquisition, and handling of multiple perspectives in DSM clustering, to a post-processing phase, where results are corrected with respect to technical feasibility. By discussing various topics neglected in previous literature, many deficiencies are also revealed and solutions to these problems are proposed, resulting in a systematic and practical procedure for product architecting based on DSM clustering.Keywords
This publication has 9 references indexed in Scilit:
- An information theoretic method for developing modular architectures using genetic algorithmsResearch in Engineering Design, 2007
- The Implications of Product Architecture on the FirmSystems Engineering, 2007
- Adaptive weighted-sum method for bi-objective optimization: Pareto front generationStructural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2004
- Information Measure for Modularity in Engineering DesignPublished by ASME International ,2004
- Characterizing complex product architecturesSystems Engineering, 2003
- Identifying Modular and Integrative Systems and Their Impact on Design Team InteractionsJournal of Mechanical Design, 2003
- A Genetic Algorithm for Developing Modular Product ArchitecturesPublished by ASME International ,2003
- FlugzeugtriebwerkePublished by Springer Science and Business Media LLC ,2001
- Integration Analysis of Product DecompositionsPublished by ASME International ,1994