A proposal for a classification of product-related dependencies in development of mechatronic products

When designing mechatronic products, ‘complex dependencies’ are often reported to be a major challenge. This paper focuses on managing dependencies between attributes of the product during the design process. The literature study shows that there is a gap in the literature with regard to the classification of product-related dependencies. Traditionally, these dependencies have been described as appearing between the following product attributes: function, properties and structure. By analysing three mechatronic projects from industry, we identified and classified 13 types of product-related dependencies. Each product-related dependency is described and illustrated using the practical examples from the industrial projects. The value of the classification is evaluated by applying it to an industrial development setting not used for the analysis. The evaluation shows that delays in the project schedule, loss of functionality and quality issues can be avoided if attention is directed toward the product-related dependencies in the development process.