Characteristics analysis of cellular bucket brigades with different constraints

Reconfigurable machines are used in various manufacturing processes increasingly, so that the system could be adapted to successive market changes, changes in customer requirements, and competition among manufacturers. This makes necessary designing reconfigurable machines that can get into the market as soon as possible. Injection molding machines are an example of an equipment that requires reconfigurability, and the mold is one of the machine modules requiring further attention. This article provides a design methodology that helps designers to decide which mold configuration is appropriate to produce a molded part family. Proposed methodology brings together classical methodologies and design modern tools, and establishes a sequence of activities during the product architecture. This adjustment provides a useful tool in the conceptual definition of the mold architecture and facilitates the preliminary design of molds. Decisions are based on nature and predominant features of conventional products which are manufactured by injection molding. A characterization of common products obtained by molding is proposed as a support database for developing the methodology. In addition, in this work, a case study is developed in order to illustrate how the methodology can be performed. Benefits and advantages of the model are summarized as well.