Analysis of the impact and evaluation of modular product structure concepts

Initial situation

In the development of new aircraft cabin monuments, not only the design of product structures and interface concepts, but also the cost assessment for the design play an increasingly important role, since nowadays manual production processes are still associated with very high costs. Especially the consideration and subsequent optimization of complexity costs in this context can significantly influence the development.

Objective

The overall objective of the sub-project of the Institute PKT of the TUHH is primarily to support the development and application of a procedure for the evaluation of different product structure concepts. In addition, the results of the evaluation are to be integrated as modifications in the further development of modular product structures. A modular product architecture enables the decoupling of fuselage and cabin. To achieve this goal, an impact model of modular product structures and the method unit "Methodological support for cost-based selection of modular product structures" will be applied for the first time in aviation and adapted to specific industries. As a result, the developed modular concepts are quantitatively evaluated in terms of production and complexity costs.

Procedure

The existing modular product structure concepts are first subjected to a qualitative evaluation in order to obtain an initial cost-based estimate. This is followed by the development of cost-efficient modular product structure concepts. A model-based approach by means of model-based systems engineering (MBSE) can support a consistent data management between process, cost and product structure. Subsequently, the influence of the properties and characteristics of the modular product structure concepts on the target variables is calculated. The methodical procedure for complexity cost calculation enables a detailed cost-based evaluation of the concepts. The connection options of the modular concepts to the structure and the design options of the interfaces also represent evaluation criteria for the selection of a concept. In addition, a decision support for a final concept is to be derived.