The modular design of products leads to a large number of different product
s by creating distinct combinations of modules and components. This can giv
e each product distinctive functionality, features, and performance levels.
The design of modular products is of considerable importance in enabling c
ompanies to respond rapidly to changes in the market environment. This pape
r is concerned with the area of design with modules (DwM), which involves s
electing the module combination to best satisfy the given set of requiremen
ts. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach for DwM, to meet custom
er requirements, using modules that come from suppliers that may be geograp
hically separated and on differing computer platforms. An object-oriented a
pproach for DwM, termed object-oriented design with modules (OODwM), is pro
posed where modules are represented as objects. The proposed OODwM approach
is described and the approach is illustrated with an example involving the
design of personal computers using the Internet as an implementation envir
onment. The exchangeability inherent in OODwM is shown by exchanging the or
iginal selection object in the example implementation with a selection obje
ct that includes new constrained evolutionary algorithms.
The use of an object-oriented approach for DwM offers several important pot
ential advantages in that the model developed is readily computable, in the
reusability of objects, and in the exchangeability of objects with similar
interfaces.
The main contributions of this paper are fourfold. First, an object-oriente
d approach to DwM is described. Second, a formalism for DwM using this obje
ct-oriented approach is presented. Third, the use of this formalism is illu
strated with an Internet-based implementation showing how the formalism can
be used for a specific problem, and how objects can be readily exchanged.
Fourth, new constrained evolutionary algorithms are presented, together wit
h some initial testing. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.