Methodology for the Design of Interdisciplinary Modules for Mechatronic Modular Product Platforms

Procedia CIRP, vol. 119, pp. 675–680

Abstract

Advancing globalization and digitization are continuously changing the competitive conditions in the manufacturing industry. Globalization leads to an increasing number of competitors and results in the necessity for a stronger focus on individual customer needs. At the same time, digitization is leading to an expansion of mechanical products with components from the disciplines of electronics and software. This results in mechatronic products whose components generate a high degree of internal variety due to a large number of interdependencies, thus increasing the complexity of product development. By using modular product platforms, the variety of the products offered can be optimized. However, current approaches for developing modular product platforms are mainly designed for mechanical products, so that the consideration of interfaces between components from different disciplines is not taken into account comprehensively in module design. As a result, the consideration of further disciplines becomes necessary in module design in order to be able to optimize the internal and external variety of the products offered. Thus, this paper presents a concept for interdisciplinary module design in mechatronic modular product platforms. For this purpose, the individual components and their interfaces have to be identified and operationalized. Subsequently, the module design is optimized using a cluster algorithm.

Authors 4

1. Michael Riesener Aachen Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

2. Maximilian Kühn Aachen Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

3. Carsten BoBmann corresponding Aachen Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL)

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

4. Günther Schuh Aachen Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL)

   RWTH Aachen University · Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

   Affiliation as printed

   Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT, Steinbachstraβe 17, 52074, Aachen, Germany

   Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering (WZL) of RWTH Aachen University, Campus-Boulevard 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany