Modular product design, considering functions and properties

In traditional machine, equipment and devices design, technical solutions are practically independent, thus increasing designs cost and complexity. Overcoming this situation has been tackled just using designers experience. In this work, a data clustering method which allows this data presentation in a more systematic way using a matrix arrangement, is shown. From this matrix, data can be reorganized in clusters with a hierarchical structure, in such a way that modular design is now more tractable. Proposed method is based on a Euclidean algorithm which allows finding the shortest vectorial distance among technical solutions. Taking product properties as vector dimensions, a recursive method for moving matrix rows and columns is applied. As a result of this procedure, the minimum vector distances are found thus being possible to identify the best technical solutions for the design problem raised. The proposed modular procedure is shown with a 30 inches oven door design.