A modified genetic algorithm for product family optimization with platform specified by information theoretical approach

Abstract

Many existing product family design methods assume a given platform, However, it is not an intuitive task to select the platform and unique variable within a product family. Meanwhile, most approaches are single-platform methods, in which design variables are either shared across all product variants or not at all. While in multiple-platform design, platform variables can have special value with regard to a subset of product variants within the product family, and offer opportunities for superior overall design. An information theoretical approach incorporating fuzzy clustering and Shannon’s entropy was proposed for platform variables selection in multiple-platform product family. A 2-level chromosome genetic algorithm (2LCGA) was proposed and developed for optimizing the corresponding product family in a single stage, simultaneously determining the optimal settings for the product platform and unique variables. The single-stage approach can yield improvements in the overall performance of the product family compared with two-stage approaches, in which the first stage involves determining the best settings for the platform and values of unique variables are found for each product in the second stage. An example of design of a family of universal motors was used to verify the proposed method.