The modular body

Abstract

Modularity has been a commonly used design approach for some time in automotive design and production. Modularity in design aims to separate a system into smaller parts that can be autonomously produced and then utilised in a range of differing products to allow various functionalities to be achieved. The requirement to produce vehicles of increasing variety to meet niche market requirements, together with a need to maximise capacity utilisation leads a drive for greater flexibility in production systems as well as for designs that allow late vehicle configuration. The ability to create a full range of body variants that comprises ostensibly common parts and that requires low tool investment provides an efficient solution. The modular body contributes through the presentation of the development of the ModCar. The body consists of four modules and different combinations of modules result in a variety of vehicles. There are many parts and beams even within these modules which have the same shape and hence can be manufactured on the same machine. This overall approach will not only reduce the manufacturing costs and complexity, but also the development time of new vehicles. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.