IMPACT OF MODULARISED PRODUCTION ON PRODUCT DESIGN IN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
Year: 2011
Editor: Culley, S.J.; Hicks, B.J.; McAloone, T.C.; Howard, T.J. & Malmqvist, J.
Author: Walla, Waldemar Paul; Baer, Thomas; Ovtcharova, Jivka
Series: ICED
Section: Design for X, Design to X
Page(s): 220-227
Abstract
During the last decades, the product life cycle in the automotive industry decreased from 10 to 6 years or even less. At the same time the demand for individualized and configurable cars has increased. This has led to new challenges in product development and production planning. One key factor in order to gain important time and cost potentials in the different project phases is a standardised production. This contribution deals with the influences of a standardised and modularised production on the product design and presents the most important requirements and restrictions which have to be taken into account already in an early phase of the development process. Furthermore, a new approach is introduced which supports the designer in consideration of this requirements and influences the product design from a production point of view. Afterwards the introduced methodology is demonstrated with the help of a body-in-white welding cell. Finally this contribution ends with a summary and a short outlook towards future activities.
Keywords: PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS; PRODUCTION ORIENTED PRODUCT VALIDATION; MODULARISED PRODUCTION