Modular Mechanism Design Optimization in Large-Scale Systems with Manufacturing Cost Considerations

Abstract: Modular design maximizes utility by using standardized components in large-scale systems. From a manufacturing perspective, it supports green technology by reducing material waste and improving reusability. Industrially, it offers economic benefits through economies of scale, making it a practical design strategy. Typically, modularization selects a representative design from predefined candidates to meet all performance requirements. However, achieving effective modularization in mechanical mechanisms presents challenges. First, mechanisms depend on geometric relationships for functional motion, and varying loads lead to different optimal parameters, complicating representative design selection. Second, the chosen design often exceeds optimal parameters, causing over-specification and performance deviations, which worsen as scale increases. To address this, we propose a modular mechanism design framework using surrogate-based optimization. This approach finds optimal designs for large-scale systems and partitions them into groups, each assigned an optimized design. This multi-objective optimization (MOO) problem balances economies of scale and performance consistency. Unlike conventional methods based on predefined candidates and simple grouping, our framework optimizes design variables flexibly for modularization. Additionally, we analyze manufacturing cost parameters to develop a decision support system for selecting optimal strategies in diverse design scenarios. This enhances maintainability, improves interchangeability, and fosters environmentally sustainable manufacturing.