Page 41 - Modular design for machine tools

Basic Knowledge: What Is the Modular Design? 13

Different-kind generating type
1

Milling machine Lathe Grinding machine

2 Same-kind generating type

Type I Type II

(Unit construction type) Same-type generating type 3 Variant I 4 4 To diversify functional and

performance specifications
4
Combination of all the phases of
5 within the same variant
modular design, i.e., modular design
of hierarchical type
Variant II
Figure 1-7 A whole concept of modular design proposed by Brankamp and
Herrmann.

difference between variants 1 and 5. In fact, these variants are of dif-
ferent-kind generating modular design of monolayer and hierarchical
types, respectively, although the practical use of hierarchical type is
up to today far beyond from the fruition, apart from those of Ikegai
Iron Works and VEB, which will be shown later. This might be attrib-
uted to the lack of a methodology for assisting the design, and Ito and
his coworkers conducted the related research in 1979 (refer to Chap. 3).
Although the difference between variants 1 and 5 remains uncertain,
Fig. 1-7 is very helpful to understanding the overall view of the mod-
ular design being employed. In consequence, the modular design
ranges from that available across the whole kinds, through all the
types within the same kind and all the sizes within the same type, to
one size within the same type.
Given such an uncertainty as that of Brankamp and Herrmann,
another dire necessity is to understand the hierarchical features of the
product. Figure 1-8 shows such a hierarchical feature in the MC [8]. For
example, the machine consists of the unit complex, the unit consists of