Retrospective PAD2024 in Hamburg

Our 6th International Summer School „Product Architecture Design - PAD2024” was successfully carried out at the Graduate Academy of the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) from 17-21 June 2024. Once again, the strong research collaboration between Prof. Kevin Otto (Australia), Prof. Seung Ki Moon (Singapore), Prof. Ola Isaksson (Sweden) and Prof. Dieter Krause (Germany) from TUHH brought young reseachers from all over the world together for a week full of learning, joint workshops and exchange.

The participants from various countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Finland and Singapore, learned about product architecture design and modularisation approaches. The state of the art from four different perspectives and the presentation of current trends in this field of research formed a solid basis for the ensuing research workshops.

Focusing on the topics of sustainability and circularity, functional architecture modelling, innovation induced by field effects and the fuzzy front end of product development, the young researchers learned about new product development methods and were able to apply these directly to our workshop example - a product family of vacuum cleaner robots.

The participants had the opportunity to discuss the possibilities and limitations of the various approaches and to link them to their own research. On this basis, the participants joined forces to look for new research areas and work on them in small groups.

We believe that this was the start of a fruitful network and thank everyone for their support and participation in PAD2024. We would like to thank Körber Technologies for the co-operation and the opportunity to give us an insight into a world of very sophisticated and well elaborated mechanical engineering, their processes and systems. We would also like to thank the TUHH, the TUHH Graduate Academy and the Design Society for their support in making the PAD International Summer School on Product Architecture Design possible once again.

 

Impressions of PAD2024

Retrospective PAD2022 in Gothenburg

For the first time in 2022 the 5th International Summer School „Product Architecture Design - PAD2022” was conducted at CampX - Startup Accelerator by Volvo Group in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology in Gotheburg, Sweden. It took place from 20th to 23rd June and was hosted and organized by Professor Ola Isaksson with the help of Professor Dieter Krause (PKT), Prof. Otto from University of Melbourne and Professor Seung Ki Moon from Nanyang Technical University, Singapore.

The event was successfully carried out with 20 participants from different nationalities from German, Danish, Swedish and Singaporean universities and from industry.

Participants learned about product architecture design and modularization approaches and used the input in the exercises. The mix of state-of-the-art and highlighting current trends in sustainability, manufacturability, digitalization and servicitation could be used in the guided workshops on functional design, lifecycle modularity analysis, field effects, innovation and product-service systems.

Participants had the opportunity to discuss the possibilities and limitations of the different approaches and link them to their own research. Based on the workshops and discussions, participants also had the opportunity to look for new research areas and work on them in small groups.

We hope that this has resulted in a fruitful network and thank everyone for their support and participation in PAD2022. We also thank the sponsors, as the 5th International Summer School on Product Architecture Design PAD2022 was sponsored by The Design Society and Produktion2030.

 

Impressions of PAD2022

Retrospective PAD 2018

For the first time in 2018 the International Summer School „Product Architecture Design - PAD 2018” was conducted at the Design Factory at Aalto University in Finland. It took place from 4th to 7th June and was hosted and organized by Professor Kevin Otto with the help of Professor Dieter Krause (PKT) and Professor Seung Ki Moon from Nanyang Technical University, Singapore.

The event was successfully carried out with 17 participants from 6 nationalities: Danish, Finnish, Swedish, German, Singaporean and Swiss. It is designed as a platform for creating new networks and for working on joint research activities.


  

During the summer school hands-on learning experiences with modularity research methods, including lifecycle modularity analysis, cost and value impact analysis, sustainability assessment, and different design structure matrix approaches were provided and discussed. Instead of giving tutorials in modularity methods, participants got the opportunity to discuss capabilities and limitations of the diverse approaches. On basis of these workshops and discussions participants further got the oppurtunity to look for new research areas and to elaborate on them in small groups on the last summer school day.

The International Summer School „Product Architecture Design - PAD 2018” was supported by the Design Society and Aalto University.

Impressions of PAD 2018

Comparing different modular structures resulting from design structure matrices

Discussing possible modular drivers 

Listening to group workshop results

 Dinner Cruise on Tuesday evening

Discussing workshop results in plenum

Applying PAD approaches on a case of vacuum cleaner robots

Barbeque at Design Factory on Wednesday evening

Food for thought on modularity provided by Prof. Otto

Discussing different modular structures

Looking for new research areas

Retrospective - PAD 2016 at TUHH

The International Summer School „Product Architecture Design - PAD 2016” took place from July 18th to 22nd 2016 at Hamburg University of Technology and was organized by the PKT under direction of Professor Dieter Krause. The workshops were carried out with the help of Professor Lindemann from Technical University of Munich and also Adjunct Professor Kevin Otto from Aalto University, Finland.

The event was successfully carried out with 23 participants from German and international universities. The summer school is designed to provide a platform for creating networks for joint research activities.

Fundamental knowledge, new research findings and applicable methodical skills for the development of product architectures were taught and discussed. Main part of the summer school were the four group workshops: the first workshop "platform design flows of alternative methods" was held by Professor Otto, the second one "different views on change propagation in product architectures" by Technical Universtity of Munich, the last two "impact of modular product structures on cost and other economic criteria", and "individualized product architecture and the impacts" were organized by PKT.

Furthermore, two keynotes, by Dr. Thomas Kipp from Knorr Bremse AG and Professor Hermann Lödding from the Production Management and Technology Institute (TUHH), taught the participants the industrial and production view on proudct architecture. 

The International Summer School „Product Architecture Design - PAD 2016” was sponsored by the TUHH (Graduate Academy for Technology and Innovation). With its offerings, the Academy supports young scientists of the TUHH to develop and strengthen their scientific and work-related key competencies.

Retrospective - PAD 2014 at TUHH

The International Summer School „Product Architecture Design - PAD 2014” was organized and held from September 16th to 19th 2014 by the PKT under direction of Professor Dieter Krause. It was the first time that the PAD took place at the TUHH.

The event was successfully carried out with 24 participants from German and international universities.

Fundamental knowledge, new research findings and applicable methodical skills for the development of product architectures were taught and discussed. Presentations and discussions took place in parallel group workshops, on the basis of a common product case. In a key note presentation Prof. Blecker from the institute Business Logistics and General Management at TUHH presented “Mass Customization from a management perspective”. Furthermore, challenges from practice were presented in two industry presentations by MAN Truck & Bus and LUTZ Elevators. The summer school provided a platform for creating networks for joint research activities.

The International Summer School „Product Architecture Design - PAD 2014” was sponsored by the TUHH (Graduate Academy for Technology and Innovation). With its offerings, the Academy supports young scientists of the TUHH to develop and strengthen their scientific and work-related key competencies.

Retrospective - Research Colloquium on PAD 2012 at TUM

Predecessor of the International Summer School “Product Architecture Design – PAD” was the 2012 Research Colloquium on Product Architecture Design at Technische Universität München (TUM). During the three-day event, several workshops were held on the topics of variant management, architecture evaluation and decision making. The event was organized by the Department PE from Munich with support of the PKT.

Contact

For further information  concerning application, registration or general information please contact

Jan Küchenhof, M.Sc.

OR

Katharina Zumach, M.Sc.