Page 39 - Modular design for machine tools

Basic Knowledge: What Is the Modular Design? 11

1.1 Definition and Overall View
of Modular Design
The term modular design is very simple; however, its definition has
been entangled and complicated. This is attributed to the ramifications
of the engineering application of modular design during its long devel-
oping history, and to the noteworthy variants developed to various
extents, even though the design principle remains the same. In short,
it is desirable to accept the following definition in full consideration of
nearly all the proposals so far suggested.
After having been determined a group of the modules, a machine tool
with the required dimensional and performance specifications as well
as required functionality can be designed and manufactured by choos-
ing and combining the necessary modules from a predetermined group.
In this case, a module must be standardized so as to have a functional-
ity or performance including the interchangeability to other modules.
In most cases, furthermore, a group of the standardized modules should
be arranged in the dimensional specifications with the standardized
numerical series together with maintaining qualitatively the same struc-
tural configuration.
Importantly, there have been a handful of proposals for the definition
of the modular design, and all these definitions appear to be the same,
as shown in the following. In other words, these proposals may verify
the availability of the above-mentioned definition.

1. Up to the middle of the 1960s, modular design was applied to both
the TL (transfer line) and the conventional machine tool under the
common acronym of BBS (building block system). On that occasion,
the BBS was defined as follows, and this definition is applicable even
now by merely changing the terms unit and module.
A machine tool with new function and structural configuration
can be produced by choosing and integrating the units in full con-
sideration of specified machining requirements, where a group of
the standardized units are determined beforehand. In standardi-
zation of the unit, the following two aspects are, in principle, to
be considered.
(a) Each unit must have core or meaningful functionality and/or
structural configuration.
(b) Each unit must have the dimensional and configuration specifi-
cations to be joined to other units, i.e., guarantee of inter-
changeability.
2. Brankamp and Herrmann proposed, with wider scope, a definition of
BBS that is reproduced in German here, to maintain the original
sound and not introduce unnecessary confusion [5].