Title: Research on product combinatorial design based on functional similarity

Authors: Fang Liu, Bojun Yang, Zhonghang Bai, Runhua Tan

Addresses: School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Dingzigu No. 1 Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin 300130, PR China. ' School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Dingzigu No. 1 Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin 300130, PR China. ' School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Dingzigu No. 1 Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin 300130, PR China. ' School of Mechanical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Dingzigu No. 1 Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin 300130, PR China

Abstract: In an increasingly competitive and segmented global marketplace, the requirements of product variety and rapid product development are greater than ever before. The ability to quickly deliver a high variety of customised products is important for corporations to succeed in this increasingly competitive environment. The functional similarity-based combinatorial design presented in this paper provides a way to produce a variety of products that satisfy various customer requirements in time. It is characterised by the design of standard modules, substitutable modules, unique modules and flexible interfaces. A design method for functional similarity-based combinatorial design is developed and an example is included to illustrate the method.

Keywords: combinatorial design; functional similarity; product variety; customisation; modular design; flexible interfaces; product design; modularity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDE.2008.023768

International Journal of Design Engineering, 2008 Vol.1 No.3, pp.333 - 356

Published online: 10 Mar 2009 *

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