Individualized product design by evolutionary algorithms

Abstract

The steady trend towards product customization requires new strategies in product design. A promising approach aims at the creation of predesigned product structures optimized for later component adaptations. Thus, if customer demands turn up, change impacts are minimized and can be easier handled in order to diminish delivery time and costs. As available methods of structure planning show disadvantages in comprehensive considerations of interdependency networks, an evolutionary algorithm based process has been developed for mediating case specific structural characteristics to the designer. In this context a fitness function has been implemented to meet the selection demands. Further, the new approach permits automated structure optimization by modifying single product dependencies. The designer obtains propositions for useful product adaptation regarding product's aptitude for later customization. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.