Title: Developing modular product family using GeMoCURE within an SME

Authors: Xiu-Tian Yan, Barry Stewart

Addresses: Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management, The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, UK. ' Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management, The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, UK

Abstract: Product variation is becoming an important factor in companies| ability to be competitive and responsive to market and this puts commercial pressures on companies to continue to diversify. This can be a particular problem within Small to Medium Enterprises (SME), which do not always have the level of resources to meet these requirements. As such, methods are required to enable companies to produce a wide range of products at the lowest cost and shortest time. This paper details such a new modular product design methodology and a case study of how it was used within an SME to define the company|s new family of product variants.

Keywords: modularity; modular products; methodology; product families; SMEs; small to medium-sized enterprises; product design; product variation; product variants.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2010.035813

International Journal of Manufacturing Research, 2010 Vol.5 No.4, pp.449 - 463

Published online: 05 Oct 2010 *

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