A Classification Method to Compare Modular Product Concepts

In recent years the design of modular products has become the focus of significant research in the area of design theory and methodology. This focus is the result of the increased awareness of the power of modularity to achieve certain product objectives. To add to this surge in modular product research, this paper focuses on developing design tools for use in industrial settings where modular products are being designed. In developing these tools the many definitions and methods for classifying modular products are consolidated and refined. Drawing from this consolidated research a new scheme for classifying modularity types, the Modularity Type Space (MTS), is developed. This classification scheme not only succinctly defines the types of modularity, but shows the relationships between them. Metrics and tools are also presented that are to be used for the purposes of classifying modular products on the MTS.