Product Module Network Modeling and Evolution Analysis

Modular technology for product design and manufacturing is an effective way to solve mass customization problems. One difficulty in the application of modular technology is that the characteristics of mass customization, such as multi batch and small batch, easily increase the complexity of the module structure of the enterprise products. To address this problem, based on complex network theory, the enterprise products module is mapped as the vertex of the network, the number of modules used is mapped as the node weight, the dependency between the modules is mapped to the edge, and the product module network is established. The brittleness risk entropy of the product module network is put forward by considering the internal and external factors that influence the application of the enterprise module to determine the rationality of the required modules' organizational structures. Then, the stability uncertainty of the product module network can be determined by calculating the brittleness risk entropy, in which the subsystem that is the most brittle risk entropy can be identified. And the evolution of the product module network can be promoted by changing factors of the entropy maximum subsystem. To analyze the change in the product module network caused by module evolution, a BBV (Barrat–Barthelemy–Vespignani) model of the product module network is established to dynamically determine the brittle risk of the product module network. Finally, the modularity structure of a series of special vehicles is used as an example to verify the presented method, and the results confirm the rationality and effectiveness of the method.