Product Modularization Using Cuckoo Search Algorithm

Modularity plays an important role in managing complex systems by dividing them into a set of modules that are interdependent within and independent across the modules. In response to the changing market trend of having large varieties within small production processes, modular design has assumed significant roles in the product development process. The product to be designed is represented in the form of a Design Structure Matrix (DSM). The DSM contains a list of all product components and the corresponding dependency patterns among these components. The main objective of this paper is to support design of products under modularity through clustering products into a set of modules or clusters. In this research, Cuckoo Search optimization algorithm is used to find the optimal number of clusters and the optimal assignment of components to clusters. The objective is minimizing the total coordination cost. Results obtained show an improved performance compared to published studies.