Efficient module design for chassis-mounted components of commercial vehicles

Commercial vehicle manufacturers have to offer mass customized products in order to serve a wide range of customers from various industries respectively their applications. Since each branch has specific needs at comparatively low sales volumes, manufacturers strive for standardization. Varying drivetrain configurations, wheelbases, rear overhangs and therefore chassis types cause varying available installation spaces and arrangements, so called layouts, for the chassis-mounted components, such as fuel tank, battery case or exhaust system. Especially between the vehicle, its chassis mounted components and the truck body work many interfaces exist, which have to be considered in the early design phase (Förg, Kreimeyer, & Lienkamp, 2014; Förg, Wolter, Kreimeyer, & Lienkamp, 2014). The varying available installation spaces make it difficult to identify combinations of components, so called modules, to be used portfolio-wide, since the number of components to be considered during packaging changes due to technical reasons. Existing modularization approaches in literature either strategically approach the modularization problem and try to develop modules which can be shared by many products or they consider the problem as a technical problem and develop modules from components which are highly connected with each other. Some authors have tried to combine both approaches and tried to identify modules, which fulfil both considerations at the same time. However, it has always became a problem to decide how many components should be included in modules, as there are always components which are somewhat connected with identified modules. In most cases, due to some small differences, some components have been excluded from modules or included in them. Furthermore, restricted packaging spaces in different products of a product family have mostly been ignored, and hence, available packaging spaces could not be optimally used. This paper proposes a two-step approach through which efficient modules for chassis-mounted components can be developed. In the first step, module alternatives are decided by using an algorithm which is based on the strategic and technical requirements for developing modules from chassis-mounted components. In the second step, final module selection is done by considering the available packaging spaces in vehicles. Among the considered module alternatives, the ones enabling the highest standardization levels are selected. Hence, the decision for the included component number in modules becomes more goal-oriented. The proposed methodology is validated with a Use Case. In this way, efficient modules, which consist of highly connected components, which can be shared by many vehicles with different topologies, and which enable high standardization levels, are identified. This further helps to obtain reduced lead times, reusability, pre-assembly of the components, and to shorten cables and pipes in system.