Adaptable design: concepts, methods, and applications

Increasing competition in the global marketplace demands products with better functionality, higher quality, lower cost, shorter delivery lead time, and increased environmental friendliness. Although advanced manufacturing technologies can partially address these challenges, advanced design technologies are considered critical, since most design and manufacturing properties of a product are influenced by the design decisions made in the early design stages. This paper provides a comprehensive review on a new design paradigm – adaptable design – that aims at developing adaptable products to satisfy the various requirements of customers. The topics discussed in this review include the fundamental concepts, objectives, methodologies, and applications. The paper also presents the differences between adaptable design and other design methods, such as modular design, platform design, and product customization. The focus is on mechanical product design; however, potential applications of adaptable design in other disciplines are also briefly mentioned.