An Integrated Approach to Technology Platform and Product Platform Development
Journal article, 2013

Platforms may enable offering a variety of products to the market while keeping the development cost down. Reusing design knowledge is a key concept, whether manifested as reusing parts, ideas, concepts or technologies. This paper describes processes and IT-solutions for holistically working with both technology platforms and product platforms. A platform framework was developed for managing information and to support the processes. The use of the framework is illustrated through a case study performed at a sub-supplier in the aerospace industry focusing on technology development, platform-based product development and platform configuration. A wiki system supports the technology platform, containing electronic guidelines, methods and information about the technologies. To support the product platform, a Product Lifecycle Management architecture is created. A Turbine Rear Structure from a turbofan engine is used as an example, requiring several different analysis technologies to be used and coordinated when creating a variant. The solution is a PLM architecture created based on the technology platform. It integrates a Product Data Management system, a Computer Aided Design tool, two Computer Aided Engineering tools and a configurator.

IT support

product platforms

technology platforms

platform development process

Author

Christoffer E Levandowski

Chalmers, Product and Production Development, Product Development

Daniel Corin Stig

Chalmers, Product and Production Development, Product Development

Dag Henrik Bergsjö

Chalmers, Product and Production Development, Product Development

Anders Forslund

Chalmers, Product and Production Development, Product Development

Ulf Högman

Chalmers, Product and Production Development, Product Development

Rikard Söderberg

Chalmers, Product and Production Development, Product Development

Hans L Johannesson

Chalmers, Product and Production Development, Product Development

Concurrent Engineering Research and Applications

1063-293X (ISSN) 1531-2003 (eISSN)

Vol. 21 1 65-83

Subject Categories

Mechanical Engineering

Computer and Information Science

Areas of Advance

Production

DOI

10.1177/1063293X12467808

More information

Created

10/7/2017