Future-robust product engineering: systematic extension of the model of PGE – Product Generation Engineering through adaptation of methods of strategic product planning

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Albert Albers; Professor Dr.-Ing. Roman Dumitrescu
• Subject Area: Engineering Design, Machine Elements, Product Development
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 437943992

The overall objective of the research project is to create an overall model of future-proof product development. This is to be achieved by linking the model of PGE product generation engineering and the cycle model of product development. The resulting model can describe the interactions between strategic product planning and product development without breaks and can thus be used for both long-term and short-term development planning. Thus a scientific basis is created to increase the planning and controlling competence of a company during a transfer. One objective is to determine standard strategies for the current planning situation on the basis of planning patterns. Planning patterns are a specific combination of characteristics and their attributes that serve to classify development projects. These characteristics are derived on the basis of the PGE model from the product structure, the product environment or the corporate strategy, for example. For the individual planning patterns, standard strategies are to be developed that provide situation-specific instructions for action, for which purpose the generated findings from strategic product planning are to be consistently used to determine the existing planning pattern at subsystem level. The benefit potential lies in the fact that, depending on the planning pattern, predefined and validated standard strategies can be used, which makes it possible to consciously deal with development opportunities and risks over product generations. At the same time, the overall model together with the developed ontology can serve as a basis for further research, e.g. in the field of the development of hybrid service bundles from a mechatronic product combined with services and possibly business models. Here, impulses for other research areas in the field of product development can be expected.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants