A Framework for Integrated Product Architecture Design

Product architecture design is a key challenge within conceptual design, effecting a wide range of development goals like adaptability, compactness, upgradability, as well as product cost and strategic aims of the company. However, existing methods for product architecture design are often facing a limited number of these effects. Thus, only specific goals are addressed, whereas others are not taken into account. A comprehensive understanding of the effects of the product architecture is not given. In this paper, an approach is presented allowing the comparison methods regarding specific effects of the product architecture as well as the product models considered. Five different levels of product architecture design are defined: functions, principle solutions, function carriers, components and modules. The application of methods describes the transitions of product models between these levels and, therefore, the product architecture. It is highlighted that existing methods only represent a limited view on product architecture design and often do not exploit the full range of design possibilities. Thus, framework is proposed to widen this view on product architecture design.