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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter will provide the general information about the Final Year Project Projek Sarjana Muda subject. It also contains an overview of the
research project titled Development of Modular Product: Conceptual Design of Foldable Chair. It will include the problem statement, the project objectives, the
scope of study and the study approach. The objectives of this project are to understand the principles and concepts of modular product concepts, to study the
effectiveness of modular concept design in the product industry manufacturing performance, and to investigate the modular product using Quality Function
Deployment QFD methodology. The student also will train to work independently to design, analysis, fabricate and test any form of system or
experimental rig using available facilities including library, laboratory equipment, sensors and software. From selecting the title, the student will know about the
modular product and the development. From this title also will know that the modular concept is to given more easy and simple assembly with reduce part and
is the solution to the integrated architecture. The students not only know how the concept and principles of that are working but also know how to apply the Quality
Function Deployment QFD. Besides, the students also can know about the advantages of the modular product in our future.
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1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
A product can be thought of in functional and physical terms. The functional elements of a product are the individual operations and transformations
that contribute to the overall performance of the product. The physical elements of a product are the parts, components, and subassemblies that ultimately
implement the product functions. The physical elements of a product are organized into several major physical building blocks. Each block is a collection
of components that implement some functions of the product. A block may be a collection of interchangeable components that implement similar functions, in
which case, the block is called a module. The architecture of a product is the scheme based on which the functional elements of the product are arranged into
physical blocks and the blocks interact. An important characteristic of product architecture is its modularity.
Figure 1.0: Two Designs of a Piece of Domestic Furniture
Consider two different designs of a piece of domestic furniture shown in Figure 1. In the design shown in Figure 1a, two types of functions, the drawer
and the open space, are allocated to separate modules, which in fact are mounted together and make up a piece of domestic furniture. The modular architecture is
3 the one where each functional element of the product is implemented by exactly
one module, and in which there are a few well-defined interactions between the modules. Such a modular architecture allows a change to be made to one module
without generally affecting other modules so that the product can function correctly. Each module may also be designed quite independently of other
systems. A traditional architecture is integrated much differently from the modular architecture discussed in this paper. The design shown in Figure. 1b is
integrated, in this case motivated by ergonomic concerns. A product embodying an integrated architecture is often designed so as to maximize a certain
performance measure; however, modifications to one component or feature may require extensive redesign of the product. Implementation of functional elements
may be distributed across multiple blocks. Boundaries between the blocks may be difficult to identify or may not even exist.
For nowadays, all the manufactures want to choose the modular product design. It is because from modular product design, they can reduce many things
such as time, money and the labor. The production for the company is more gather because the customer now more to choose the modular product design.
From the less component, the modular product also can reduce the material that is wanted to use to produce the product. For the integrated design, the part is more
and difficult to do. So, the modular is the right way to use. From the modular product, the modularization process can be use, which transforms the current
architecture into a modular one. The module can be reducing. The modularity process also needs which can make the module – module connection with each
other. From this connection, the product more useful. Therefore, this is what customer needs nowadays. One product but more useful. From this situation, the
modular product is the solution. modular product design is an important form of strategic flexibility i.e., flexible product designs that allow a company to respond
to changing markets and technologies by rapidly and inexpensively creating product variants derived from different combinations of existing or new modular
components.
4 To the extent that product performance depends on the size, shape or mass
of a product, it generally can be enhanced by an integrated architecture but not necessarily a modular one. The characteristics of modular and integrated
architectures are compared in Table 1 [1].
Table 1.0: The Comparison of Modular and Integrated Architectures
Integrated Architectures Modular Architectures
A collection of components that implement some functions of a product is called a
block. A collection of components that implement
some functions of a product is called a module.
The functional elements of a product are implemented using more than one block.
Same as an integrated architecture.
A single block implements many functional elements.
A module implements one or a few functional elements in their entirety.
The interactions between blocks are ill - defined and may be incidental to the
primary functions of the products. The interactions between modules are well
defined and are generally fundamental to the primary function of the product.
Product performance can be enhanced through an integrated architecture,
Product performance may not be enhanced by a modular architecture.
Changing a block in an integrated product may influence many functional elements
and require changes to several related blocks.
Changing a few isolated functional elements of a product may not affect the
design of other modules.
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1.3 OBJECTIVES
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