Product-family shared-component selection based on the consistency constraint function

Abstract

This article presents an engineering method based on the collaborative optimization consistency constraint function for selecting shared components in modular platforms; the method allows the operator to minimize the differences in design variables across various models simultaneously. A case study using the body-in-white information on three vehicles serves as an example. Static bending conditions and static torsion conditions are comprehensively considered with the mass and the maximum displacement as the optimization objectives in Isight and Hyperworks (both of which are commercially available software applications commonly used by automotive engineers.) The results suggest that this method can be easily and effectively utilized in the conceptual phase of car design.