"The Development of the Production System Design Decomposition Framework"
MIT Master's Thesis, 1999.
Abstract:
The design of a production system can be complicated and convoluted without a guideline to follow. The interrelationships between different design aspects affect the system design as a whole. Without a methodology for production system design, the system may not perform as designers anticipate. It is essential to determine the fundamental components of a production system and explore the relationships between these elements; otherwise, the system design may not fulfill its objectives. The decomposition framework enables the design of the system, as well as its deployment. This framework also enables system designers to regard elements of design at a single glance and predict the outcome of system changes, which is particularly valuable in existing production systems.
The decomposition framework consists of the decomposition tree, the PSD design matrix, the PSD evaluation tool, system flowchart of implementation, and FR/DP examples. The methodology supporting the decomposition is axiomatic design. System requirements are determined and translated into a set of function requirements (FR's). Corresponding design parameters (DP's) specify the manner inwhich these requirements are fulfilled. The relationships and dependencies of these FR's and DP's are expressed in a heirarchy of design matrices. The matrices can be combined into an aggregate matix, the PSD design matrix. This information can be translated into a flowchart depicting order of implementation of design parameters. The evaluation tool assists in evaluating design and operation, identifying shortcomings of both new and existing designs. Examples provide designers with a source of ideas for their own systems. These tools are the basis of the production system design framework.