A systematic approach for product modelling and function integration to support adaptive redesign of product variants

When a product variant offers functionality that is high in demand, firms may decide to leverage that design to enhance other variants in their product line. This can be achieved by extracting functions and their realisations from one product variant and integrating them into another variant, resulting in a third product variant that has a new combination of functions and physical features. This article introduces a systematic approach called the Adaptive Redesign Method (ARM) to support this function integration process. The ARM is based on a new product model called the Detailed Design Model (DDM). In comparison to existing approaches, the DDM allows the architecture of an existing product to be modelled on a sufficiently detailed level to identify geometric features and parts that realise particular operating functions of a product. This detailed information provides a basis for systematic determination of the redesign activities needed to derive a new variant design, down to the detailed level of adding, removing and integrating specific parts and features. The main benefit is to assist with planning the redesign process while ensuring nothing is overlooked, which might be especially useful if the task is to be divided among several designers or if designers are not fully familiar with the designs at hand. A secondary benefit is to show how this type of redesign process can be decomposed into systematic steps, which could potentially reveal opportunities for computer support. The new approach has been developed and tested through reverse engineering studies of consumer products, confirming its applicability.