Towards the definition of assembly-oriented modular product architectures: a systematic review

The success of a product in the market is largely defined by the quality of design decisions made during the early stages of development. The product design requires designers to balance multiple objectives such as functionality, cost, and user satisfaction, while addressing the challenges posed by increasing product variants and customization demands. To tackle these challenges, one approach is to structure a comprehensive model that incorporates design for assembly (DFA) guidelines during the formulation of product architecture in the conceptual phase of development. While numerous strategies have been proposed in the literature, information is often scattered, making it difficult for readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topic. This paper systematically reviews the role and impact of DFA in product development, consolidating and presenting the information coherently. The review provides an overview of the methods developed, along with their potential benefits and limitations. A common framework is identified that defines the structure of the models, helping designers integrate assembly consideration into their design processes, thus reducing assembly time, cost, and complexity. The framework describes the operational setting, including the domain and context in which models operate, and offers a classification of possible methods and desired outputs. Additionally, the review identifies the industry in which case studies have been most frequently presented, and the software used to facilitate the process. By connecting with such a framework, future models can be created following a structured approach, and existing models can be classified and upgraded accordingly.