Simultaneous configuration of platform products and manufacturing supply chains

The product platform concept represents a powerful approach for manufacturers to compete cost-effectively in a global market that requires diverse product range, quick time to market, and rapid responses to supply sources. A key challenge is how to strike a balance between platform commonality and modularity. When a manufacturer outsources its raw materials or module options, the supplier capabilities and production costs should be considered. This paper discusses optimizing decision variables for simultaneously configuring not only platform-based product variants but also their supply chain. We develop a mixed-integer programming model that integrates both platform product design and material purchase decisions based on cost drivers sensitive to commonality and modularity. Theoretical analysis of the model yields two properties, allowing us to further simplify the model and thus help in developing an effective solution algorithm. A numerical example is presented to illustrate how manufacturers strive to dynamically adjust their product design strategies in response to changes in the market demands and/or supply base.     

Modularity analysis and commonality design: a framework for the top-down platform and product family design

With a highly fragmented market and increased competition, platform-based product family design is recognised as an effective method for constructing a product line that satisfies diverse customer demand while keeping design and production cost- and time-effective. Recognising the need for modularity and commonality in platform development, this paper presents a systematic framework to assist in implementing top-down platform and product family design, which aims to achieve system-level modularity for variety generation, and rationalise the commonality configuration for module instantiation. In the first phase of platform development, a robust and flexible product family architecture is constructed to accommodate variations by analysing the external varieties of the generic product architecture, and provide a modularity design space, wherein the design tasks are further decomposed into module instantiation. The second phase of detailed platform development aims to enhance commonality in terms of engineering efficiency by coordinating with the back-end product realisation stage. A tractable optimisation method is used to capture and resolve the trade-off between commonality configuration and individual product performance. A family of power tool designs is used to demonstrate the potential and feasibility of the proposed framework at the system level and detailed design stages.     

Sustainable design-oriented product modularity combined with 6R concept: a case study of rotor laboratory bench

Modular design is considered as one of the crucial techniques for product design process on account of enabling product to meet consumers’ needs quickly, currently which focuses on enhancing 3R abilities (reuse, recycle, and reduce) promoted through green manufacturing. However, with the rising consciousness of sustainable development, a much broader focus of product modularity is needed for practical sustainable design and manufacturing, which are presented by 6R concept increasing recover, redesign, and remanufacture to the conventional 3R. This paper proposes an effective methodology of sustainable design oriented product modularity to integrate sustainable factors such as environment, economy, and society into product design process through the product representation with respect to module clustering criteria. Especially, the 6R concept is regarded as the basic principle of sustainable design and manufacturing, and hence, this article integrates 6R concept into module clustering criteria such as function, manufacturability, and end-of-life options to achieve objective of sustainable design. In addition, the relationship matrix between components is established utilizing design structure matrix which has great advantages on representing similarity and dependency relationship of component-to-component to determine module structure. Finally, a rotor laboratory bench is utilized as a case study to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.     

Route planning for two wafer fabs with capacity-sharing mechanisms

This paper formulates and solves a route planning problem for semiconductor manufacturing. In order to quickly respond to rising demand, a semiconductor company usually adopts a dual-fab strategy to expand capacity. That is, two fab sites are built as neighbours and can easily share capacity. Through the capacity-sharing design, a product may be produced by a cross-fab route. That is, some operations of a product are carried out in one fab and the other operations in the other fab. This leads to a routing planning problem, which involves two decisions–determining the cut-off point of the cross-fab route and the route ratio for each product–in order to maximise the throughput subject to a cycle time constraint. An LP-GA method is proposed to solve the route planning problem. We first use the LP module to make the cut-off point decisions, and proceed to use the GA module for making the decision on the route ratio. Experimental results show that the LP-GA method significantly outperforms other methods.     

大规模定制产品族模块定制属性分析模型

在大规模定制产品族的开发过程中,选择合适的模块作为定制模块是一个重要问题.为了解决这个问题,基于大规模定制生产模式下产品族开发的模块化和通用化原则以及公理设计理论,建立了一个在产品族开发过程中对模块的定制属性进行分析的模型:通过对模块的功能定制效果、模块间相互影响关系以及模块成本3个方面的分析,设立了一个定制指数,运用该定制指数对模块的定制属性进行判断,达到选择合适的模块作为定制模块的目的.通过一个算例对该模型的应用进行说明.     

一种基于D-S证据理论的复杂产品模块划分评价方法

模块划分是复杂产品模块化设计的基础,划分的优劣直接关系到客户定制产品设计、制造和装配的效率。针对现有的研究在模块划分方案形成以后缺乏对模块优劣的合理评价,该文通过引入D-S证据理论,从装配复杂性、可制造性、模块性、稳定性、造型结果与体积紧凑性6个指标对模块创建方案的满意度进行不确定和不完全性的综合评判,提出了一种双层模块化创建方案评价方法。该方法符合人的思维判断过程,具有一定的灵活性、有效性和合理性。     

WISECODE: wise image segmentation based on community detection

Image segmentation is one of the fundamental problems in image processing and computer vision, since it is the first step in many image analysis systems. This paper presents a new perspective to image segmentation, namely, segmenting input images by applying efficient community detection algorithms common in social and complex networks. First, a common segmentation algorithm is used to fragment the image into small initial regions. A weighted network is then constructed. Each initial region is mapped to a vertex, and all these vertices are connected to each other. The similarity between two regions is calculated from colour information. This similarity is then used to assign weights to the edges. Afterwards, a community detection algorithm is applied, and communities are extracted such that the highest modularity measure is achieved. Finally, a post-processing algorithm merges very small regions with the greater ones, further enhancing the final result. One of the most striking features of the proposed method, is the ability to segment the input image without the need to specify a predefined number of segments manually. This remarkable feature results from the optimal modularity value, which is utilised by this method. It is also able to segment the input image into a user defined number of segments. Extensive experiments have been performed, and the results show that the proposed scheme can reliably segment the input colour image into good subjective criteria.     

Integrated planning for product module selection and assembly line design/reconfiguration

To take full advantage of product modularity, modular product design and assembly system design/sreconfiguration have to be simultaneously addressed. The emerging reconfigurable production and flexible assembly techniques have made such an integrated approach possible. As such, this paper proposes an integrated approach to product module selection and assembly line design/reconfiguration problems. It further suggests that quality loss functions be used in a generic sense to quantify non-comparable and possibly conflicting performance criteria involved in the integrated problem. The complexity of the problem precludes the use of commercial software for solving meaningful sized problems in polynomial time. A genetic algorithm is therefore developed to provide quick solutions. An example problem is solved to illustrate the application of the proposed approach. Based on 72 randomly generated test problems, ANOVA analysis is further carried out to investigate the effects of genetic algorithm parameters. The convergence behaviour of the search processes is also examined by solving large problems with different numbers of operations and product modules.     

Modularity in KIBS: The Case of Third-Party Logistics Service Providers

This paper investigates service modularity and inter-organizational coupling in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). While KIBS literature traditionally emphasizes tight client–provider interactions with service customization, modularity literature emphasizes inter-organizational decoupling with service standardization. We disentangle this tension by exploring how KIBS firms utilize service modularity and shape their client–provider relationships in terms of information and knowledge sharing. Conducting two in-depth case studies of third-party logistics (TPLs), we show that TPLs extensively rely on service modularity with standard procedures as their constitutive element. We also demonstrate that service modularity and inter-organizational decoupling are aligned for knowledge sharing but not for information sharing, which remains high regardless of the service architecture. Overall, we suggest that modularity in KIBS differs in many aspects from modularity in products and that these differences significantly impact the organizational design consequences of service modularity. Theoretical and managerial implications are drawn.     

机电产品模块划分与综合评价集成设计方法

目的 为了满足机电产品日益多样化、个性化的市场需求,提高产品模块划分的稳定性与模块化方案评价的可靠性,提出产品模块划分与评价集成方法。方法 对产品的功能结构进行分析,构建产品的量化信息模型,合理分配各量化指标的权重,构建描述组件间关系的综合矩阵。采用基于原子理论的聚类算法进行模块划分,通过改变模块粒度,稳定地得出产品模块划分的多个可行方案。通过考虑产品的模块化程度和基于信息熵的模块复杂度,构建模块化方案的综合评价模型,以确定最优的模块划分结果。结论 采用模块划分与综合评价集成设计方法对某小型雕刻机进行模块化设计,并通过对比原子聚类算法与其他模块划分方法所得的模块化结果,验证了所提出设计方法的可行性和高效性。     

基于模块度和均衡度的复杂产品架构评价方法

产品的制造和装配效率与产品模块划分方案有关。为了进一步提高复杂产品的制造和装配效率,提出了一种新的产品模块划分和架构评价方法。首先,利用复杂产品已有的模块划分方案,建立产品各模块中零件间的相关度矩阵,将各相关度矩阵（子矩阵）组合到一起并添加模块间的相关度值,得到整个产品零件间的相关度矩阵;其次,基于信息熵理论,提出成本均衡度和复杂度均衡度的概念,并结合模块度、最小描述长度,通过熵权法算得各评价指标的权重,得到综合评价指标并对不同的模块划分方案进行评价;最后,以盾构螺旋输送机模块划分为例来验证所提出方法的合理性和可行性。通过盾构螺旋输送机已有的模块划分方案建立其零件间的相关度矩阵,利用层次聚类得到其不同的模块划分方案,并对其综合评价指标进行比较,从中选择一种最优的模块划分方案来表达盾构螺旋输送机的产品架构组成。基于模块度和均衡度的产品架构评价方法可以对复杂产品的架构进行有效、合理的评价,为提高复杂产品的制造和装配效率提供理论依据。     

客户导向与竞争导向影响运营绩效作用机理研究：基于模块化视角

为了揭示生产实践在市场导向影响运营绩效中的作用,基于模块化视角研究客户导向与竞争导向影响运营绩效作用机理。204份有效样本的实证研究结果表明,客户导向与竞争导向均显著正向影响产品模块化（β=0-21/0-20）,但是对流程模块化均无显著影响;产品模块化显著正向影响流程模块化（β=046）;产品模块化对运营绩效并无显著影响,但是流程模块化显著正向影响运营绩效（β=0-29）;控制变量企业规模和运营年限对运营绩效均未表现出显著作用。结果表明,模块化可以作为企业实施市场导向战略时的一种有效生产实践用于提高运营绩效,但是产品模块化和流程模块化的影响机制存在着差异。     

Intercomparison of a correlated-photon-based method to measure detector quantum efficiency

We report on the absolute calibration of photodetector quantum efficiency by using correlated photon sources, performed independently at two laboratories, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Istituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale (IEN). The goal is to use an interlaboratory comparison to demonstrate the inherent absoluteness of the photon correlation technique by showing its independence from the particular experimental setup. We find that detector nonuniformity limited this comparison rather than uncertainty inherent in the method itself. The ultimate goal of these investigations is development of a robust measurement protocol that allows the uncertainties of individual measurements to be determined experimentally and verified operationally. Furthermore, to demonstrate the generality of the procedure, the IEN measurement setup was also used to calibrate a fiber-coupled avalanche photodiode module. Uncertainties are evaluated for the detector both with and without fiber coupling and differences are discussed. The current IEN setup using a thinner and higher transmittance nonlinear crystal for the generation of correlated photons shows a significant improvement in overall accuracy with respect to previously reported results from IEN [Metrologia 32, 501-503 (1996)].     

复杂产品研制项目的流程模块化分析方法

基于复杂产品研制项目模块划分不均匀、管理分工不协调的现状,首先从复杂产品研制项目流程的功能相关性和信息相关性两个方面,提出了项目流程的模块分解、分层及合并方法。其次,依据模块化程度函数和敏感度函数,分析项目流程的模块化程度和敏感度与特质模块间的变化规律,发现：模块化程度函数存在凹凸性拐点,模块化敏感度函数为凹函数。再次,以某航空复杂产品研制项目为例,通过对其模块化程度和敏感度曲线模拟,提出基于模块化程度及敏感度视角下,企业面对不同模块化程度和敏感度情况下的相应管理策略：当模块化程度较高且敏感度较低时,企业应考虑适当拓展新型研制业务;当模块化程度较低且敏感度较高时,应考虑增强企业管理柔性,适当减少新型业务开展力度。     

The effects of product modularity on launch speed

Extant literature suggests that product modularity positively and directly impacts the timeliness and frequency of new products as well as manufacturing performance, particularly flexibility. Little is known about the nature of these relationships, however, since few empirical studies have been done. Important questions remain unanswered including whether the effect of modularity on launch speed is direct or indirect, and what role other constructs might play. This study explores these issues by examining the effects of product modularity on launch speed within a holistic framework that considers the roles of product platforms and manufacturing flexibility. Drawing upon dynamic capabilities theory in the resource-based view, the model depicts product modularity as antecedent to product platforms, product platforms as antecedent to manufacturing flexibility and manufacturing flexibility as antecedent to launch speed. The model is strongly supported by an analysis of 93 manufacturers. Results reveal a positive effect of product modularity on launch speed, but it is delivered through the mediating effects of product platforms and manufacturing flexibility. In contrast to earlier work, the findings show modularity alone is an insufficient condition for the timely and frequent introduction of new products. Rather, launch speed is engendered by a ‘gestalt’ of dynamic capabilities.     

Commonality analysis: A linear cell clustering algorithm for group technology

Numerous researchers have suggested methods for clustering machines into manufacturing cells in a Group Technology environment. Many of these methods are numerically complex. This paper presents a new linear clustering algorithm that is fast, simple and quite flexible. The algorithm is based on the calculation of a commonality score which indicates the similarity in the way two machines are used in the shop to manufacture the products or parts.     

Functional characterisation of mechanical joints to facilitate its selection during the design of open architecture products

New trends in product design require the use of modularity as key feature aimed to improve functional performance and the generation of open architecture products. For mechanical systems, one of the challenges during early design stages of these products involves the proper selection of joining methods among their constructive components. A robust joint selection process must consider product requirements, life cycle analysis and eventual procedures for assembly and disassembly. However, the general approach towards a Design-for-Assembly (DFA)/Design-for-Disassembly (DFD) only considers design, manufacturing and in some cases final disposal stage. Additionally, most of the works found in the literature are merely focused on assembly operations, disregarding economic and environmental benefits from optimising disassembly complexity. Herein, a functional characterisation of mechanical joint methods for the assembly and disassembly activities that take place throughout the product life cycle is proposed, focusing on open architecture products. Additionally, a classification of joining methods, a joint complexity metric valuation and a selection process are proposed for the conceptual design stage. The approach integrates both DFA and DFD principles in a formal methodology. The proposed selection roadmap can be implemented to increase product sustainability positively regarding resources optimisation, operational time and costs in reuse, remanufacturing and recycling tasks.     

A framework for designing robust supply chains considering product development issues

The primary objective of the design for supply chain (DFSC) is the selection of an appropriate product family. Moreover, it deals with the selection of the optimal combination among the different conflicting criteria while making a trade-off between the supply chain cost, sales profit and the product design complexities. In this research, to address the DFSC issues a product platform approach has been proposed which amalgamates the component modularity as well as the function modularity in the product design. The optimisation model proposed in this paper for the product development and the supply chain design is based on a generic bill of materials (GBOM) representation. The complete framework includes vital decision-making needed for designing a robust supply chain such as locating plants to alleviate the likely dominance of production cost and market mediation cost on product variety and imparting process flexibility of the located plants. The optimisation model proposed in this paper, models the supply chain cost, sales profit and product design complexity as three criteria that altogether determine the robustness of the supply chain and the underlying product development approach. Certain parameters like process flexibility, flow types and drivers of the product variety dominance have been controlled in the design framework. To resolve the complexity of the proposed model a genetic algorithm (GA) technique has been proposed. The proposed GA adopts an arithmetic crossover, a dynamic mutation and a variable penalty strategy to produce optimal results in a very short computational time. To validate the proposed model, a simulated case study of the wiring harness supplier of an AGV manufacturer has been studied.     

Optimal order quantity and product modularity for a two-echelon returnable supply chain

This study considers a supply chain consisting of a manufacturer, a retailer, customers and a returnable and modular product with uncertain demand, in which customers return the unsatisfactory products to the retailer, and the retailer returns the unsold products to the manufacturer. We investigate the effects of the manufacturer’s refund for the retailer’s unsold products and the product modularity under the decentralised and the centralised strategies. We confirm that the order quantity and customer’s return probability both affect the optimal modularity level of the product, and that the optimal modularity level is related to the refund policy. Also, a strategic alliance between the supply chain members is more advantageous to product innovation based on modularity for a returnable chain. Finally, managerial insights and remarks are offered.     

Element substitution algorithm for general two-terminal network reliability analyses

The computation of the reliability of two-terminal networks is a classical reliability problem. For these types of problems, one is interested, from a general perspective, in obtaining the probability that two specific nodes can communicate. This paper presents a holistic algorithm for the analysis of general networks that follow a two-terminal rationale. The algorithm is based on a set replacement approach and an element inheritance strategy that effectively obtains the minimal cut sets associated with a given network. The vast majority of methods available for obtaining two-terminal reliability are generally based on assumptions about the performance of the network. Some methods assume network components can be in one of two states: (i) either completely failed; or (ii) perfectly functioning, others usually assume that nodes are perfectly reliable and thus, these methods have to be complemented or transformed to account for node failure, and the remaining methods assume minimal cut sets can be readily computed in order to analyze more complex network and component behavior. The algorithm presented in this paper significantly differs from previous approaches available in the literature in the sense that it is based on a predecessor matrix and an element substitution technique that allows for the exact computation of minimal cut sets and the immediate inclusion of node failure without any changes to the pseudo-code. Several case networks are used to validate and illustrate the algorithms.