Evaluation of Modular Design Concepts of Complex Mechatronic Systems Available to Purchase

Synergies and integration in design set a mechatronic system apart from a traditional, multi-disciplinary system. This paper proposes a method for the modularization and evaluation of different mechatronic design concepts in the early stages of product development processes. In order to consider the specific aspects of complex systems, a design metric is presented, which assists the design engineer in finding the best solution concept. For the description and evaluation of a complex mechatronic system, it is essential to decompose the total system into a hierarchical structure of mechatronic sub-modules. The number of levels in the decomposition, as well as the number of mechatronic modules involved, is indicative of the complexity of the design task.