Empirical study of good, bad and ugly modular engineering solutions in machinery manufacturing industry
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design |
| Subtitle of host publication | The 22nd International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED19, Delft, The Netherlands, 5-8 August 2019 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Pages | 2981-2990 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 26 Jul 2019 |
| Publication type | A4 Article in a conference publication |
| Event | International Conference on Engineering Design - Duration: 1 Jan 1900 → … |
Publication series
| Name | Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design |
|---|---|
| ISSN (Electronic) | 2220-4342 |
Conference
| Conference | International Conference on Engineering Design |
|---|---|
| Period | 1/01/00 → … |
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between the product structuring principles chosen in modular product families and the business results of companies. In the three case studies of the article, it can be seen that products that meet the modularity definitions discussed in the literature have been able to utilise the benefits of modularity in a very varied way. In one business case, the effect of modularity on business has been negative. In two other cases, the effect has been positive - in one of these even the profitability of the business has significantly improved. The aim of this article is to identify whether product designing consistently has been following some product structuring principles previously mentioned in modularisation literature or whether case studies bring new principles to consciousness. In all case studies, the product structuring principles used are also discussed in the previous modularisation studies at a varying extent. In the discussion section, we raise the question of whether the recording and use of product structuring principles in design briefs could lead to making the product design decisions that affect the business positively.