Modular design
Modularity is best defined by the dimensions effected or the degrees of freedom in form, cost, or operation.
Modularity offers benefits such as reduction in cost (customization can be limited to a portion of the system, rather than needing an overhaul of the entire system), interoperability, shorter learning time, flexibility in design, non-generationally constrained augmentation or updating (adding new solution by merely plugging in a new module), and exclusion.
A true modular system does not need to rely on product cycles to adapt its functionality to the current market state.
For example, an office building can be built using modular parts such as walls, frames, doors, ceilings, and windows.
The interior can then be partitioned (or divided) with more walls and furnished with desks, computers, and whatever else is needed for a functioning workspace.
If the office needs to be expanded or redivided to accommodate employees, modular components such as wall panels can be added or relocated to make the necessary changes without altering the whole building.
The Fairphone uses a similar principle, where the user can purchase individual parts to repair or upgrade the phone.
In 1964 it opened its first research and development branch outside of the United States, in Israel under the management of Moses Basin.
In 1974 Motorola sold its television business to the Japan-based Matsushita, the parent company of Panasonic.
The concept of modular design has become popular with trade show exhibits and retail promotional displays.
These kind of promotional displays involve creative custom designs but need a temporary structure that can be reusable.
In this they can use pre engineered modular systems that act as building blocks to creative a custom design.
[6][7] Some authors observe that modular design has generated in the vehicle industry a constant increase of weight over time.
Trancossi advanced the hypothesis that modular design can be coupled by some optimization criteria derived from the constructal law.
[8] In fact, the constructal law is modular for his nature and can apply with interesting results in engineering simple systems.
[9] It applies with a typical bottom-up optimization schema: A better formulation has been produced during the MAAT EU FP7 Project.
