Product Platform Planning: an approach using Genetic Algorithm

In order to meet the variable planning problem in mass customization, this paper presents a method of genetic algorithm to satisfy a set of customer requirements. Unlike former methods for platform planning that designers have to determine product platform variables and individual variables beforehand, this new method focuses on improving the commonality of the product family within the diverse customer needs, and then determines the individual variables and their variation range, as well as the common variables of product platform and their optimal values. A simulation experiment of electric motor designing is reported to illustrate the potential and the feasibility of this method.