Modular Design Method by Triple Design Structure Matrixes of Customer Needs, Physical Functions and Entity Structure

Abstract

Modularization is an effective way to satisfy various individual customer requirements while saving engineering efforts. However, since current modular design methods have focused their scope of product architecture design on the relationship among entity structure and physical functions rather than customer needs, customers sometimes have difficulties in customizing optimize products that satisfy their needs closely. In order to provide each customer products appropriately, product architecture must be designed with consideration of not only relationships between physical functions and entity structure but also relationships among customer needs and them. This paper proposes a new modular design method which integrates customer needs, physical functions and entity structure with design structure matrixes and domain mapping matrixes. A simulated annealing based method is developed to explore optimal modular architectures. A case study of modularization of an industrial three-axis linear-type robot is demonstrated. The modularization solutions by the proposed approach are compared with the solutions that consider only entity structure or physical functions and entity structure.