Abstract
This paper proposes an index for evaluating product module’s adaptabilities of lifecycle options. The purpose of this index is to provide designer a guideline for designing multi-generational product that belongs Upgradable Product Service System: Up-PSS. Usually, developing upgradable product needs to predict future market trend, procurement cost and so on in the early design phase. Therefore, a designer has to consider many uncertain design information. This study defines such information which is used for evaluation perspectives in proposal index as ranged value. In addition, proposal index evaluates module’s upgradability, remanufacturability, and reusability by using ranged parameter and concept of set-based design for adapting such uncertainty. Previously proposed indexes evaluate component’s lifecycle options without a consideration of economic and environmental perspectives and requires complicated calculation algorithm. These characteristics are burdens on a designer who is required not only to design product but also to analyze product features. For these conditions surrounding a designer, proposal index comprehensively evaluates component-adaptability of lifecycle options by four evaluation perspectives: functional (priority of a module), economic (production cost), environmental (CO2 emission at the production phase), and reliability (durable life) perspectives. Furthermore, this index requires only simple computation rule and prevailing spreadsheet software. The authors evaluate laptop’s moduleadaptabilities of aforementioned three lifecycle options by proposal index as a case study. From the result of this evaluation, proposal index is able to provide a guideline which is the decision-making of providing function and selection of platform components etc. for developing upgradable product service.
