Modularisation as a means of product and process integration

Investigative work carried out to determine a strategy to address modularity as a facilitator for integration of design with manufacture. Modularisation is considered in conjunction with a large car manufacturer, a company that produce geophysical measuring systems for down hole drilling, and a company that produce electronic scanners for the pre press printing industry. Generic factors are being determined. These factors touch upon the benefits to product and process integration and also areas in which modularisation enables effective product customisation in meeting market needs. The aim, is to pool and document experience that can then be analysed and presented in a more accessible form by providing guidelines / checklists, evaluation tools and a product strategy based on derivatives.